Patti LaBelle kicked off her career as a big-voiced 16-year-old with a group of Bluebelles backing her up. Some 50 years later, the R&B, disco and pop great has conquered just about every aspect of the entertainment industry. She topped the pop charts with "gitchi gitchi ya ya" charm on "Lady Marmalade," pleaded with a love on "If You Asked Me To" and spiced things up with a "New Attitude." She starred in films, played a recurring role on the sitcom A Different World and took Broadway by storm on more than one occasion. She's also penned two inspirational autobiographies and three cookbooks. Hey sister, soul sister, now that's a career worth singing about. —Ashley Melzer