Patti LaBelle forgot the lyrics to Tina Turner's 'The Best' during a tribute performance at the BET Awards: 'I'm trying y'all'

• Patti LaBelle struggled to sing along to Tina Turner's "The Best" at Sunday's BET Awards.
• LaBelle was booked to perform a tribute to the late singer, who died aged 83 in May.

Patti LaBelle had a rough moment on Sunday night when she couldn't remember the lyrics to one of Tina Turner's hit songs during a tribute to the late singer at the BET Awards.

LaBelle, 79, hit the stage to pay her respects to Turner, who died last month, performing "The Best."

During her rendition of the 1989 smash hit, LaBelle forgot some of the words.

"I'm trying, y'all," she said after humming a few notes before the first chorus.

During the second verse, LaBelle again failed the sing the correct words, indicating to the crowd that she was unable to see the teleprompter.

"Whatever, I can't see the words," she sang, after letting out an, "Oh, lord."

"I'm trying, y'all," she then said once more.

Unsurprisingly, LaBelle, best known for the 1986 hit "On My Own" with Michael McDonald, was criticized on social for her performance.

"Hell no. I'm a huge Patti fan, but she should have sat this one out. Hot mess of a tribute," tweeted one viewer.

"YOU SHOULD KNOW THE WORDS," wrote another viewer.

Another described the tribute as a "wild shame."

"Patti LaBelle forgetting the lyrics to Tina Turner's simply the best during a Tina Turner Tribute is wild business to me," they wrote.

A spokesperson for BET told The Hollywood Reporter: "Due to the crowd's enthusiasm, the teleprompter was obstructed, obscuring Ms. LaBelle's view of the lyrics. Nonetheless, we couldn't be more grateful to Ms. LaBelle for lending her incredible talent to this moment."

The spokesperson added that they were honored to pay tribute to Turner and that "having the incomparable Ms. Patti LaBelle on our stage honoring one of her contemporaries was an equal privilege."

Turner died on May 24, 2023. She was 83.

Her family said in a statement that she "died peacefully" in Switzerland after a "long illness."

"With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow," read a post on her Instagram page. "Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music. All our heartfelt compassion goes out to her family. Tina, we will miss you dearly."

After her death, LaBelle shared a picture of Turner on her Instagram page, describing her as the "Queen of Rock & Roll."

"Tina, the world will forever be grateful for your voice, your fearlessness, and your grace!" she wrote. "Your spirit will reign forever! Rest in eternal peace and love!"