Patti LaBelle | House Tour | $2.9 Million Philadelphia Mansion & More

In these videos, we don't reveal any addresses and even though I've done a house tour of my own place, please do not show up at any private residences because it's not safe for anyone. When you're a singer as talented as Patti LaBelle, the entire world is your stage. But you always have to start out from somewhere and for Patti, that was the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Patti got her start in a middle class home on Washington Avenue in the heart of the city where she was the third of four girls born in 1944 to a train factory worker and a homemaker who wound up getting divorced when Patti was still quite young. Patti was originally inspired to sing by her father, a part-time lounge singer who used to croon melodies around the house while he worked away in the family garage. As a child, Patti would head to her bedroom to sing classics into a broom, sometimes even serenading the family pets until her mother forced her to join the choir at their local Baptist church. It was while singing on the altar of Beulah Baptist Church in West Philly that a 12-year-old Patti earned her very first standing ovation. And she probably would have been content to stay right there had the choir director not forced her into the spotlight that comes along with being the lead performer. More than just the city she was raised in, however, Philadelphia also became a musical inspiration for Patti, not to mention generations of other artists who have emerged from its streets, including Pink, The Roots, and Eve, as well as some of Patti's closest friends like Teddy Pendergrass, Phyllis Hyman, and Billy Paul. As she performed all around the city, including the old JFK Stadium where she out-sang more than 100 other vocalists during the 1985 Live Aid We Are The World finale, Patti gradually became one of Philly's most famous voices, someone who could out-perform, not to mention out-cook, dang near everyone else. The entire time, she's remained a Philadelphia native through and through. In fact, for the first three decades of her career, Patti lived with her husband, Armstead Edwards, as well as her son, Zory, and her late sister's two kids, Stacy and Billy, instead of a gorgeous 1920s colonial in the neighborhood of Wynwood. There aren't all that many images of this place on the internet, but lucky for us, Patti invited MTV to take a look at the inside a few years ago. Situated in the township of Wynwood, Pennsylvania, a suburban community on the west end of Philadelphia, Patti LaBelle's longtime home boasted three bedrooms, four bathrooms, and its very own guest house, not to mention a fleet of classic-looking automobiles that Patti kept parked right outside. Let's start in the front hall, an area of the residence that Patti has transformed into her very own art gallery, with an endless series of prints and sculptures dominating the space. Not far from there is Patti's incredible dining room, where she keeps even more conversation pieces, as well as photographs of the siblings she's lost along the journey of her life. Through a doorway on the opposite side of that room, you can enter Patti's kitchen. It might look a little outdated now, but back then, it was top of the line, with built-in appliances, white cabinets, as well as tile flooring. It's also the one spot in the entire house where Patti feels the most comfortable. Walking up the central staircase with its low-hanging chandelier will take you to the top floor, where one of the first rooms you'll come across is an extended walk-in wardrobe where Patti keeps her most memorable get-ups. A few short feet from there is the main bedroom where Patti not only has her bed, but also her favorite pair of shoes as well, a pair of Dolce & Gabbana pumps. Once you move past the sitting area, you move into the actual sleeping chambers, with a king-size mattress and a television mounted on a small sliver of wall just above the archway. Out back behind Patti's house, you might be expecting to find a typical Hollywood setup like a giant deck built for entertaining, but Patti has never exactly been your typical entertainer. And instead of having all of that going on in her backyard, she actually has a bunch of kennels where she keeps her dogs. Of course, that isn't to say Patti's without a pool. In fact, the house comes complete with a gigantic one that's inside its very own glass building, a tropical paradise that, unfortunately, Patti really only gets to look at and not use that often due to her inability to swim. Don't feel too bad for her though, because she finds other ways to unwind, such as hopping onto the back of her very own ninja motorbike. After scooping this place up in the early 70s, Patti would remain living here till 2018, which is when she made the third and what she promises to be the final move of her life. Having spent the better part of 30 years living out of one fixed address in 2018, Patti LaBelle moved out of her longtime Woodwood home and into a brand new spot that she picked up for herself along the main line in Philadelphia, which is another name for the western suburbs that run along Lancaster Avenue. Well, the exact location of Patti's current home has been kept under wraps, but we managed to discover that it's located somewhere in the neighborhood of Gladwin, and according to an interview given from there by Patti to the New York Times, she keeps a selection of her many awards in a place of honor directly in the middle of her sitting room. This article would also point out that Patti lives alone in the house, but that her son wife, who is also Patti's personal makeup artist, all live nearby so that they can visit her often with her grandchildren. This home is also where Patti rode out the pandemic. To keep herself busy, she regularly created new recipes on an almost daily basis while also organizing her home and cleaning it endlessly. Right before the pandemic began, Patti's history with the city of Philadelphia was honored when a stretch of Broad Street was renamed Patti LaBelle Way. Patti was there in attendance to thank the gathering of fans who clogged up the nearby intersection to celebrate this achievement. In fact, she even gave them an impromptu performance of Love, Need & Want You. This ceremony proved to be perfect for Patti's longtime relationship with her home, a city she's never once considered leaving behind. When asked why she never felt the need to leave Philly throughout her many years on this planet, Patti told Philadelphia Style, Philadelphia has kept me here because it's quiet for my soul. It's very grounding. It's not New York or Los Angeles where there is so much going on. I've moved in Philly three times in my life, but I'm done with moving. Considering Patti is 78 years young today and soon to be 79, I would guess that she has indeed moved for the last time in her life. Patti was able to forge an unbreakable connection with her hometown that rivals any association between another celebrity and the place of their birth. Philadelphia is Patti LaBelle as much as Patti LaBelle is Philadelphia. And after everything that they've accomplished together, that will never change. All right, everyone, that'll bring this latest house tour to a close. Thank you so much for watching today's video. And before you click off for the day, consider answering the following question. Would you want to live the entirety of your life based out of just one city? Let me know if the bond to your own hometown is as strong as Patti's is in the comments down below. Otherwise, like, subscribe and turn on those notifications to make sure you never miss a video. My name is Kara the Vampire Slayer. If you want to keep exploring the estates of another musical legend, then stay tuned because up next, I'm showing you where Aretha Franklin calls home. We are on Aretha Franklin's property inside of her gated community in Bloomfield Hills. This home actually just went on sale. Let's take a look inside. Back in 2019, a Detroit-area property went on the market that once upon a time belonged to music royalty. The estate, once listed for $800,000, then put back on the market for over $1 million, was the place where the late Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin once called home. Another one of her properties, located on the Detroit golf course and built in 1927, sold about a year prior for $30,000 to a developer as it was in a state of disrepair. Today we'll check out two former homes of legendary singer Aretha Franklin. We even found the listings. In these videos we don't reveal any addresses and even though I've done a house tour of my own place, please do not show up at any private residences because it's not safe for anyone. Aretha Franklin was a singer, songwriter, actress, civil rights activist, and more who passed away at age 76 in 2018. She grew up singing gospel music in a Detroit church where her father was pastor, and signed her first recording contract at age 18. Despite this, Aretha didn't reach her mega success until she switched to Atlantic Records in the late 60s. By the end of the 1960s, she was known as the Queen of Soul, and is one of the best selling music artists of all time, having sold over 75 million records. During Aretha's 50 plus year career, 112 of her songs made the charts, and had multiple hit singles like Respect, You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman, and more. Being a legend like Aretha, of course she's received numerous awards and honors over the years, including a Presidential Medal of Freedom and 18 Grammy Awards. Aretha's career will outlive her for decades and centuries to come, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the singer left behind a substantial estate when she passed. It's assumed she was worth anywhere between 18 to 80 million dollars, but unfortunately she died without a will, leaving her estate in question. Hey guys, it's Kara the Vampire Slayer and I'm bringing you another house tour here on Famous Entertainment. Be sure to hit that subscribe button to ring that bell, we post a new video daily. Today we're checking out where the late Queen of Soul called home, or two of Aretha Franklin's former properties located in Detroit. If you liked this video, we've also done house tours on other music legends like Whitney Houston and Tina Turner which we'll link to at the end. As always, don't forget to follow me on Instagram to chat, and now, let's get into this video. In 2019, one of Aretha's longtime homes came up on the market for $800,000, and then after being taken off the market, returned with a respectable price increase to 1.2 million dollars. Located in the suburb of Bloomfield Hills, the estate was just outside of Aretha's native Detroit, Michigan, about a 30 minute drive from downtown. The mini-mansion is situated in the hills of Lone Pine Gated Community, and Bloomfield Hills is quite the upscale neighbourhood. Aretha's colonial-style home boasted 4,148 square feet of space with 5 beds and 7 baths throughout. The music legend bought the property in 1997, and when the home first popped up on the market, it hadn't been lived in for quite some time according to agents. When it came back up for sale at the higher price, it offered a new look, and was fixed up with a tasteful remodel. The circular driveway leads you to the home's courtyard entrance, and the lot overlooks a community pool and two beautiful ponds, which we can see in aerial views. Inside, there's an elegant two-story entry hall with marble floors and a crystal chandelier, which opens up to the two-level great room. Here there was a granite fireplace, floor-to-ceiling windows, a wet bar, and at the time, Aretha's red grand piano, which would later be auctioned off. While the home was upgraded and modernized, it maintained a classic feel along with much of the original features from when Aretha lived there. The Queen of Soul also loved to cook, and while the gourmet kitchen was fresh and polished with white cabinets, black granite counters, and an oversized island, they were able to keep Aretha's original appliances. There is also a breakfast nook, and a sub-zero fridge was added according to listing materials. Even the stylist who staged the home said whoever's so lucky to get this space will be cooking in the Queen of Soul's kitchen. The formal dining room had a stunning custom chandelier overhead that Aretha owned and loved, which used to be in one of her other residences, and was brought here to add more of her personal style. Also on this level of the home, there was a cozy library with wood accents, and the stately master retreat. Aretha's master bedroom featured the original floors and attached marble bath, as well as a private deck and two spacious walk-in closets. Another special detail is the floral shower surround in the master bath that was custom made for Aretha. It's the same shower that this queen used to sing in. There's an upper level of the estate that has a bridge, as well as two large bedrooms also with en-suites. Downstairs, there's a finished walk-out lower floor with plenty of space to entertain. This level of the home boasts a family room with fireplace, kitchenette, second master a guest suite with attached bath and sauna, another guest room, and an office. Aretha's former property backs onto the community amenities, which include a pool, a tennis court, a clubhouse, stunning ponds, and even a walking trail. The home itself has elevated decks as well to soak up the views. Now let's check out Aretha's other former home. This property was sprawling and impressive, but unfortunately it was in a state of disrepair at the time of sale, so went for the low price of $300K. It was purchased by real estate developer Anthony O'Callum, who decided to work on renovating the place, rent it out for an event, and then sell it. At least, that's what his plan was. A year later, in 2019, the house popped back up on the market, this time for $600,000. Dubbed the Queen of Souls Rose Estate, it was in rough shape the first time it was sold, and the Tudor mansion needed new heating and electrical systems, as well as roof repairs. The first buyer, Callum, said he planned extensive kitchen and master bath renovations, but it was unclear how much work had actually been carried out on the home. Built in 1927, Aretha's other former estate was located on the lavish Detroit Golf Club, backing up onto the 7th hole. Callum, at the time of purchase, said that he was an Aretha fan, and when she passed, it hit him hard, especially since his late mother used to listen to the singer all the time. The house had been vacant for some time, and he estimated renovations would cost around $350K. He said, I see this as an opportunity to not only revitalize an iconic property in the city I love, but knowing how proud my mom would be if she were still here, makes this even more amazing. While we don't know the full list of renovations that ended up being done, we can hope that they preserved SOME of Aretha's touches in the mansion. Her former Detroit Golf Club estate spanned 6,200 square feet inside and was full of potential. While it was in disrepair, the home still kept many of its stately features like wooden mantles, interior French doors, leaded glass windows, and a slate roof. There were 5 beds and 6 baths throughout, and the home sat on just over half an acre of land. Looking at photos of the property, I honestly like the classic look throughout with the beams and the archways inside, and the soaring ceilings. The centerpiece and main attraction of Aretha's former home seems to be the great room with 30 foot arched ceilings, which spans 32 by 17 feet, and boasts a rose colored crystal chandelier. In fact, Aretha's love for roses shows in this entire mansion from the wallpaper to the fixtures and even the carpet. We see this large imprinted carpeted rose in the great room, and it's also said that Aretha lived here when she recorded the song A Rose is Still a Rose in 1998. There's an outdated kitchen, but it still had plenty of space should it be upgraded. There's also a beautiful sunroom, which listing materials called the solarium. This space had stone arched walls and overlooked both the terrace and the golf course outside. The first level of Aretha's home is complete with a formal dining room, family room, library, and breakfast nook attached to the kitchen. The central staircase leads up to a private master retreat on the north side of the mansion that features a bedroom, a sprawling master bath, dressing room, and then elsewhere there's two separate bedrooms that share a bathroom. At the time this home was listed, you could still see the Queen of Soul's unique style throughout, and a couple of her artifacts were present. These include her quilted pink bed in the master bedroom, and a lot of that rose wallpaper. There's even a bathroom with roses painted all over. On the south side of the mansion, two more sprawling bedrooms connect with a bathroom that had multicolored tiles covering the entire space from the walls to the floor, while another bathroom boasted a red tub and a fireplace. The property also had a heated 3 car garage. After looking at those two former estates of Aretha Franklin, I know some of you might be wondering where she lived before she passed away. She actually hadn't lived in either of those mansions for a few years, and was living at Riverfront Towers located in downtown Detroit at the time of her death. After checking out Aretha's two estates, what did you guys think? Which did you prefer? The first Bloomfield Hills mansion, or the larger but more outdated Detroit Golf Club property? Honestly, while the second place was much more dated and needed a ton of work, I love the original design and the historic feel. I know that if that home just got some TLC, it would be one AMAZING mansion, and I for one would keep a ton of those original features. Like the amazing great room and the sunroom, but I would definitely can that bright rose patterned wallpaper in the hallway. Be sure to let me know what you guys thought of Aretha's beautiful Detroit mansions down in the comments. If you haven't, please go subscribe to my personal channel because I would love to get to know all of you better. I'll link you my latest video. What you gon' do? And my review, what I liked about it, what I didn't like, what freaking disturbed me. Killing a baby. And it definitely made me sad. Thanks for watching, don't forget to follow me on Instagram, and I will see you all in the next video. Bye!