Editing Labelle (section)

===Origins===
In 1960, 16-year-old Patricia "Patsy" Holte won her first talent contest at a [[Philadelphia]] high school. Following this, she sought to form her own singing group the following year called the Ordettes.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> Holte formed the group with singers Jean Brown, Yvonne Hogen and Johnnie Dawson. The group gained a local following. Dawson was eventually replaced by [[Sundray Tucker]]. By 1961, Jean Brown and Yvonne Hogan had ditched the group to get married, and Patti and Sundray carried on as soloists.

Later in 1961, Patti and Sundray's manager Bernard Montague contacted two singers from the [[Trenton, New Jersey]] singing group the Del-Capris, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> Eventually Hendryx and Dash became official replacements for Brown and Hogan as the Ordettes. The group soon began working with musician Morris Bailey. Bailey and Montague's schedule led to Tucker leaving the group after which another singer, [[Cindy Birdsong]], from Camden New Jersey, joined the group.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> The grouping of Holte, Dash, Hendryx and Birdsong toured the [[Chitlin' Circuit]], gaining a following in the eastern U.S.

In 1962, Chicago-based group [[The Starlets]] had traveled to Philadelphia to do sessions for producer [[Bobby Martin (producer)|Bobby Martin]] and record label owner Harold Robinson, president of Newtown Records. One of the sessions included a cover of the standard, "[[I Sold My Heart to the Junkman]]". At the time of the song's release, the group had a hit with the song "Better Tell Him No" and were unable to promote the song because they were signed to another label. The song was credited under the name "The Blue Belles". The Ordettes auditioned by singing the song. Before hearing the group, Robinson turned them down due to being unimpressed with Patti's looks but upon hearing her singing, he changed his mind and signed the group to Newtown.

When "I Sold My Heart" became popular, Robinson sent the Ordettes to promote it under the assumed name of the Blue Belles. After a televised performance at ''[[American Bandstand]]'' featuring the Ordettes, the Starlets' manager sued Harold Robinson and Bobby Martin. Around the same time, Robinson was also sued for having another group use the name "Blue Belles". Following the aftermath of the ordeals, Robinson gave Patti Holte a new name, "Patti LaBelle", and the group's name was rechristened as Patti LaBelle and The Blue Belles.<ref name="LarkinSM"/>