Patti LaBelle paid tribute to the late Tina Turner at the 2023 BET Awards, performing her 1989 hit “Simply the Best.” During the performance, LaBelle had trouble reading the song’s lyrics from the teleprompter and was forced to ad-lib. “Oh Lord,” she said. “Whatever, I can’t see the words, I don’t know. I’m trying, y’all!” Head to Twitter to see some of the performance.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter about LaBelle’s performance, a BET spokesperson said:

It was an extraordinary privilege to celebrate the life and legacy of Ms. Tina Turner at BET Awards 2023. Having the incomparable Ms. Patti LaBelle on our stage honoring one of her contemporaries was an equal privilege. Due to the crowd’s enthusiasm, the teleprompter was obstructed, obscuring Ms. LaBelle’s view of the lyrics. Nonetheless, we couldn’t be more grateful to Ms. LaBelle for lending her incredible talent to this moment.

Ahead of the BET Awards performance, LaBelle told Rolling Stone, “Tina was a trailblazer and someone I have a tremendous amount of respect for because of all that she overcame and all that she accomplished.” She continued, “She was and is everything! And I am honored that I am able to pay tribute to her in this way.”

Patti LaBelle has been touring throughout 2023; late last year, one of her concerts in Milwaukee was evacuated due to a bomb threat. In 2020, she went head-to-head with Gladys Knight in a Verzuz battle.

Tina Turner died in May at the age of 83. Countless musicians—including Beyoncé, the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger, Mariah Carey, Janelle Monáe, Lizzo, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O—have paid tribute to the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.

https://pitchfork.com/news/patti-labelle-brushes-off-lyrics-flub-pays-tribute-to-tina-turner-at-bet-awards-2023-watch