While the Internet was busy trying to make Patti LaBelle look like an ungrateful spotlight hog, she was busy planning the ultimate thank-you gift for James Wright on Thanksgiving.
The soul singer-turned-cooking maven hosted the viral video sensation at her home in Philadelphia for Thanksgiving dinner to show him just how much she appreciates his online review that helped launch her sweet potato pies into million-dollar territory at Walmart.
Days before the holiday, LaBelle told BET about her plans to have Wright over for dinner.
“I’m having James over this week for Thanksgiving dinner… After all he did for me, I’m so happy, I’ll be hosting him for the holiday. I talked to him and found out what he likes and I’m making a few special dishes just for him.”
And that’s exactly what she did. Ms. Patti’s Thanksgiving dinner was a happy success. She and Wright even sang a duet at the get-together which included other celebrities. Musician Questlove from The Roots posted an Instagram video clip of the pair singing.
“Most people just bless the food. We blessed the food then sang entire catalogues to the bone & THEN ate. [James Wright] and [Patti LaBelle] finally make music together. Best #Thanksgiving in a long time. I’m blessed to be living the dream & experiencing stuff like this,” he wrote.
Questlove posted a series of photos and videos exclaiming how ecstatic he was to be invited to the dinner, but likely not as ecstatic as James Wright who got to celebrate his birthday and Thanksgiving with one of his idols. Wright, whose birthday came the day before Thanksgiving, posted an Instagram video of LaBelle serenading him with a Happy Birthday song at her dinner party and another of himself dancing with the Godmother of Soul.
James Wright and Pattie LaBelle
Just two weeks ago, Wright caused a pie-eating frenzy after he posted a YouTube video of himself taste-testing Patti LaBelle’s ready-to-serve sweet potato pie that he purchased from Walmart. Wright, an entertainer, sampled the pie on camera and then gave a glowing review of the dessert using humor and his musical talent. After belting out a snippet of LaBelle’s “On My Own” and “Isn’t It a Shame,” the Youtube star declared “I turned into Patti. You’re gonna turn into Patti after eating this.”
It wasn’t long before the video went viral and the Black community raced to Walmart to grab a pie (or five) for themselves, their family, and their friends. Ms. Patti’s pies were flying off the shelves so fast, numerous Facebook posts emerged from hopeful customers traveling to multiple Walmart locations to track down the dessert. It became more than just a quest to find out what all the hype was about. It was a chance to show support for a Black businesswoman and to share in the collective experience with other Black people enjoying a dessert that’s popular in Black households. The result was over $1 million in sales for Walmart inside of a week. The pies sold out and began to pop up on e-commerce sites like eBay for $40-a-pie with sellers looking to cash in on the demand.
Upon learning of the review, Patti LaBelle posted the video on her official Facebook page with a thank-you note to Wright. She later called him personally by phone to express her gratitude, but what is the Internet without a little pot-stirring to break up a good time? TMZ stopped LaBelle for a brief interview to ask the Grammy-winner if she would use Wright to promote future products. She responded, “I did it myself.” The cameraman pressed further saying, “That guy had you selling out of pies” and prompting Ms. LaBelle to reply, “I was selling them before the guy did his wonderful video.” Her comments left a bad taste in some people’s mouths as they made the rounds on media websites, painting Labelle as an ingrate.
But, the TMZ video also shows the singer, all smiles, describing the success gleaned from Wright’s video as “beautiful” and thanking God for it. She then turns to the camera and says ,”Thank you, James. His name is James.” She also calls Wright a “wonderful singer and a wonderful guy.” Regardless of how her comments were interpreted, actions speak louder than words, and LaBelle showed just how much of a class act she really is at her Thanksgiving dinner, leaving critics eating crow, and hopefully, washing it down with a slice of her famous sweet potato pie.
Get a glimpse of what it’s like to experience Thanksgiving at Ms.Patti’s home below, and if you’re waiting to try one of her famous pies Walmart expects to have them back in stock early December.
https://www.instagram.com/p/-kqFkOQa-g/?taken-by=questlove
