Patti LaBelle Reveals She Can’t Drive: ‘I Don’t Know A Car Key From A Door Key!’

She’s a singer, actress, entrepreneur, author, and much more. But there is one thing that Patti LaBelle isn’t afraid to admit she can’t do! While appearing Busy Philipps’ late night show, Busy Tonight, on Thursday, Jan. 10, the host asked the “Lady Marmalade” songstress if she sings in the car — and Patti had quite the unexpected answer! 

“I can’t drive,” the 74-year-old said, to Busy’s complete surprise. “You can’t drive?!” Busy, 39, exclaimed. “I don’t know a car key from a door key,” Patti unapologetically said. If you’re wondering how the heck the singer has gotten around all these years, the answer is simple: Patti said she’ll take a ride from “anybody!”

Even though Patti wasn’t hesitant to reveal she can’t drive, it seems to be a fun fact that not many people know about her — even some of her former co-workers. According to the “If You Only Knew” singer, she was once gifted a car by a famous friend who had no idea she couldn’t operate a vehicle.

“Many years ago, Richard Pryor — we were on tour together and he didn’t think he was paying me enough money,” Patti recalled to Busy. “So he said, ‘I have to give you things.’ So he gave me a sauna, he sent it to Philadelphia. A sauna and diamond bracelets. And then he had me go and pick out a car for his aunt in Detroit.”

Patti continued, “And so I said, ‘What color is her hair?’ and he said gray. And I said, ‘This beautiful blue-grey [car] would be fabulous for her.’ And he said, ‘OK, now sit in the car and do me a favor… turn on the ignition.’ And I said, ‘What’s the ignition?’ So he said, ‘just try,’ so he [bought] it and he goes, ‘This is your car.’ I said, ‘Thank you, Richard, I can’t drive.'” Too funny!

Luckily for Patti, she doesn’t have to worry about a ride to her upcoming LA show in March since Busy sweetly offered to drive her to the venue! “[But] can we drive one of your cars because I have two little kids and mine generally smells like old food,” Busy asked the singer, to which Patti said, “I could care less. Didn’t I tell you I rode in anything?” We can’t wait until March rolls around to see if Busy actually drives Patti to her LA gig!