Patti LaBelle performed a stirring and euphoric tribute to Tina Turner at the BET Awards on Sunday. She couldn’t, however, recall all of the lyrics.

About halfway through the live transmission, LaBelle took the stage at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles to pay her condolences to Turner, who passed away on May 24. Patti was a natural choice to perform her songs.

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As she began her performance in memory of the famous singer who passed away on May 24 of this year at the age of 83, she exclaimed, “Give it up for Tina Turner,” to applause from the crowd. LaBelle was donning a sparkling fringe minidress in the Tina Turner fashion. However, she faltered in the middle of it.

She briefly halted and said she couldn’t see the words while performing Tina’s legendary hit “Simply The Best.” She hummed a few notes before hitting the chorus for the first time, saying, “I’m trying, y’all.” Patti muttered “Oh lord” before singing a few more words of the song when she lost the lyrics a second time, and then she sang, “Whatever, I can’t see the words” to the tune of the song. She again said to the crowd, “I’m trying, y’all.”

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The audience laughed, and Patti continued as best she could. Her confession, on the other hand, caused quite a stir. “God bless you, Tina Turner, BET, hip-hop!” she exclaimed at the end of her performance.

On the surface, it appeared that Patti had not truly memorized the lyrics and was instead reading them off in the distance. Later, BET itself confirmed that to be true.

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A representative later 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.”