Jill Scott has us wanting to try Patti LaBelle’s spinach
Sometimes a celeb will tell a story about a fellow star which is just too delightful not to share.
Such is the case with singer Jill Scott and her experience with legendary singer Patti LaBelle.
Here’s the set up: Both Scott, 48, and LaBelle, 75 are natives of Philadelphia and Grammy award-winning singers.
Scott, fresh off her historic Verzuz battle against Erykah Badu, shared a story Wednesday on Instagram about meeting LaBelle around 2000.
The younger singer had just released her debut album, “Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1,” she recalled, when LaBelle invited her to her home.
Scott said yes, of course, as one would when a diva extends an invitation.
LaBelle was “so lovely,” Scott said about their visit, and asked her if she was hungry.
“I gotta eat Patti LaBelle food,” Scott said of LaBelle, a cookbook author who also has a line of pies sold at Wal-Mart. “Like, who gets this opportunity?”
LaBelle offered her some of her home cooking — beef brisket and spinach.
There was only one problem.
“I hate spinach,” Scott said.
The singer/actress decided she would be polite, using what she called the “kid tactics” of eating the spinach and quickly following it with the “melt in your mouth” brisket to avoid tasting the vegetable.
But Scott had underestimated the cooking magic of LaBelle.
“I put the spinach in my mouth and I immediately started crying,” Scott said. “When I tell you I had been eating whack spinach my whole life? I thought I hated it because the spinach was whack.”
Turns out Scott just hadn’t had spinach sauteed in olive oil and garlic, the way LaBelle prepared it, which Scott said “changed my whole spinach life.”
The fabulousness didn’t stop there, however.
LaBelle was apparently so tickled by Scott’s gratitude that she blessed her.
“She’s comes from upstairs and puts a million dollars worth of diamonds around my neck while I sat there eating brisket and spinach, crying, with a million dollars on my neck,” Scott said. “I love you Ms. Patti. Thank you.”
LaBelle (who we all need to befriend) told CNN in a statement that she made the invite because she admired Scott’s music.
“I didn’t know she didn’t like spinach though!,” LaBelle said. “I just wanted to show her love because she gave me love. And seeing her video really touched my heart and brightened my day, especially with there being so much sadness happening right now.”