R&B superstar Patti LaBelle and YouTube star James Wright Chanel are the newest stars on the Cooking Channel.
Chanel became an overnight sensation on YouTube.com when he filmed a video review of Patti LaBelle’s high-calorie sweet potato pies.
For his birthday, LaBelle invited Chanel to Thanksgiving at her house and the duo filmed a holiday special for the Cooking Channel which airs on Wednesday, December 16.
“I invited him to dinner before I even met him,” Patti told People.com.
Patti described the moment she met her #1 fan: “It was his first time seeing me, so when he came into the kitchen, he saw me and my back was turned. He came up behind me and he had on these beautiful leopard pants and a necklace. We just had a love moment.”
Patti added: “He’s such a larger than life person himself; he’s like my new son. It’s just a blessing when people come into your life like this and you’re not expecting anything.”
For Chanel, meeting his idol Patti was like a dream come true.
“When she first called, it was like we’d known each other forever; we talked like we were best friends,” Chanel told People.com. “I told her, ‘I have to tell my mom that Patti is my new momma too.’ I said, ‘Patti, you my momma!’”
He continued: “I’ve always tried to perform with [Patti]. When she does ‘Lady Marmalade’, she calls people on stage to sing. At all of the concerts I’ve been to I never got a chance to make it on stage. And now I’m gonna be on stage with her.”
LaBelle surprised Chanel by inviting him to perform in concert with her.
“We’re going to perform in more ways than one. He can be my lead singer and I’ll be his background singer,” LaBelle said.
Thanks to loyal reader WUT for the tip.
