Labelle was the first Black vocal group to be on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.<\/b>
\nThe one and only singer Patti LaBelle called \u201csilver throat\u201d has died. Sarah Dash, a vocal powerhouse who gained international fame in the 1970s with the groundbreaking R&B trio Labelle, was 76. The Trenton, New Jersey, native\u2019s death was unexpected and the cause was unknown. Dash\u2019s death was confirmed to media outlets on Monday afternoon, with close friend, Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, posting on Facebook: \u201cTrenton lost a star today with Sarah Dash\u2019s passing. She is now with the angels.\u201d The politician revealed to the Trentonian newspaper the beloved singer had complained to family that she was not feeling well in the days before her passing. LaBelle, who remained close friends with Dash since the group disbanded in the mid-1970s, revealed the two last performed over the weekend. \u201cWe were just on stage together on Saturday and it was such a powerful and special moment,\u201d LaBelle said in a statement obtained by the Daily News. \u201cSarah Dash was an awesomely talented, beautiful, and loving soul who blessed my life and the lives of so many others in more ways than I can say. And I could always count on her to have my back! That\u2019s who Sarah was\u2026 loyal friend and a voice for those who didn\u2019t have one.\u201d During the early 1960s, Dash became a co-founder of Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles, after a few earlier iterations didn\u2019t materialize. Also comprised of Nona Hendryx and Cindy Birdsong (who would later jump ship to replace Florence Ballard in Diana Ross & The Supremes), the group\u2019s first breakout hit was a rousing cover of the rock & roll standard \u201cI Sold My Heart to the Junkman.\u201d After gaining notoriety for their soaring vocals on popular songs as \u201cDown the Aisle (The Wedding Song),\u201d \u201cDanny Boy,\u201d \u201cYou\u2019ll Never Walk Alone\u201d and an evocative rendition of \u201cSomewhere Over The Rainbow,\u201d the group refashioned itself into the glam-rock, afro-futuristic trio Labelle. Their 1974 hit, \u201cLady Marmalade\u201d became an instant classic, helping to usher in the disco music era. That same year, Labelle became the first rock group to play the Metropolitan Opera House. The group became the first Black vocal group to land the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. The trio recorded five studio albums together before going on their separate ways, and later reuniting in 2008 for the critically acclaimed \u201cBack to Now\u201d opus followed by a national reunion tour. In 1978, Dash released a self-titled debut album, which included the disco hits \u201cSinner Man\u201d and \u201c(Come and Take) This Candy from Your Baby.\u201d She went on to tour with the Rolling Stones and Keith Richards\u2019 solo efforts, and was signed to Manhattan Records in 1988, releasing the album, \u201cYou\u2019re All I Need.\u201d The seventh of 13 children born to a pastor and nurse, she always called Trenton\u2019s West Ward her home. In 2017, Dash was named the city\u2019s musical ambassador by then-Mayor Eric Jackson. She was among two dozen honorees being inducted in New Jersey\u2019s Hall of Fame during a virtual ceremony scheduled next month. \u201cShe was a true giver \u2026 always serving, always sharing her talent and her time,\u201d LaBelle said. \u201cI am heartbroken, as I know all of her loved ones and fans are. But, I know that Sarah\u2019s spirit and all that she has given to the world live on. And I pray that her precious memory brings us peace and comfort. Rest in power my dear sister. I love you always!\u201d Later Monday afternoon, LaBelle posted a video clip on Twitter of her and Dash performing a snippet of the group\u2019s signature ballad \u201cIsn\u2019t It a Shame.\u201d Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes also issued a statement. \u201cThe legendary Sarah Dash was celebrated for her enormous musical talent not only in Mercer County but on the world\u2019s stage throughout her 50-plus year career in the entertainment industry,\u201d he said. \u201cShe was beloved in Trenton because she never hesitated to use her talents to improve the lives of Trenton residents, whether it was by promoting the arts in the local community, or more recently, stepping up as a role model during the coronavirus pandemic and using her voice to encourage everyone to get vaccinated. She was an inspiration to so many and she will be missed.\u201d Comments are not available on this story. Send questions\/comments to the editors. \u00ab Previous Next\u00bb<\/p>\n