Singer Sarah Dash has died at the age of 76. Together with Patti LaBelle and Nona Hendryx, she was co-founder of the Labelle group, famous for the hugely popular 1974 song Lady Marmalade and one of the best performers of 70s funky soul. The causes of death are not yet known. After the news on social media, the tributes for the singer multiplied, starting with that of the 77-year-old Patti LaBelle who is a moving statement called her “a soul of talent”. “We just got together on stage last Saturday and it was such a beautiful and special moment. Sarah Dash was an extraordinarily talented, beautiful, and loving soul who blessed my life and that of so many others. I could always count on her.” LaBelle added.
Sarah Dash was born in 1945 in New Jersey and moved to Philadelphia in the mid-1960s. There, she collaborated with Nona Hendryx, Patti LaBelle, and Sundray Tucker to form The Ordettes. After several name changes, the group – with the exception of Sundray Tucker – began to be known in 1971 under the name of Labelle. In addition to the successes with the LaBelle, Dash had collaborated with famous artists such as The Rolling Stones and Keith Richards.