On Dancing With The Stars, Patti LaBelle made a stirring statement after her triumphant performance of the waltz on Monday night. LaBelle and partner Artem Chigvintsev had experienced a difficult week: the 70-year-old super diva and living legend hurt her knee and it looked as if it might be the end of her run. Instead, LaBelle turned up the grace on the dance floor and American turned up the gratitude with its votes. Then came LaBelle’s post-dance interview, where she struck the strongest grace note of all.
Erin Andrews asked LaBelle about her knee and all the problems it caused her, basically inviting the singer to tell a big story of courage and determination, with her at the center. LaBelle wasn’t having it, offering instead a single line that was a worldly lesson in perspective. “Noah has one leg,” LaBelle said, referencing her fellow competitor Noah Galloway, who lost part of a leg and an arm in combat. End of story. So let’s not talk about my knee, okay?
