August 18: Sarah Dash, original member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles (later simply LaBelle), is 68-years-old today.

 

 

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Born in Trenton, New Jersey in 1945, Sarah Dash later moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the mid-1950s where she got reacquainted with fellow adopted Philadelphian Nona Hendryx and Philadelphian natives Patricia "Patsy" Holte (AKA Patti LaBelle) and Sundray Tucker.

In 1959, following the break-up of a rival girl group, Hendryx and Dash joined Holte and Tucker in "The Ordettes". In 1961, Tucker was replaced by Philadelphia-born Cindy Birdsong and the quartet became The Bluebelles in 1962. The group changed their name again to Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles after Holte was advised to adapt the stage name of Patti Labelle.


Among the Bluebelles hits including the doo-wop classic, "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" and doo-wop-esque R&B ballads "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Danny Boy", the top forty classic, "Down the Aisle (The Wedding Song)", the soul standard "All or Nothing" and their now-legendary rendition of "Over the Rainbow", which LaBelle later transformed into a tour-de-force in her 1981 solo cover. Dash sings with a sharp soprano.
Mixing doo-wop and gospel, they became known for performing renditions of pop standards such as "Over the Rainbow" and "You'll Never Walk Alone".

With Nona Hendryx

After Birdsong's departure to join The Supremes in 1967, the group altered their image at least twice in the 1970s and changed their name to Labelle, performing rock-meshed soul and gospel-singing harmonies. In 1973, the group adopted a more flamboyant image and music that melded disco, funk and glam rock.

The group is most notable for the disco funk classic "Lady Marmalade" and their outlandish space-age costumes and brash incorporation of rock & roll. The group returned with their first new album in 32 years with 2008's Back to Now.

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For more about Sarah, visit her Website at -

http://www.sarahdash.net/


Press link below to view You Tube videos:
-- "Somebody Somewhere" (with Nona Hendryx- post-LaBelle at PattiLaBelle Tribute)