During the Cup Match concert at Tiger Bay on Thursday, superstar Patti LaBelle repeatedly thanked those who turned out at the concert for braving the rain and her expression of appreciation did not stop there.

"Oh God! After being in all that rain they were just heaven," the exhausted diva told The Royal Gazette after she had performed for nearly two hours.

When asked how a Bermuda audience compared with others she has performed for she said: "I don't think I would have clapped for me that much if I had just been drenched. They were wonderful, so sweet."

"I just loved their spirit because everybody stayed - at least most people did - I was very, very happy about that. I had been waiting to get here and they just made me feel so good when I got out."

She appeared to enjoy herself while on stage and told the crowd that Premier Jennifer Smith is "so cute" and that Bermuda was the most beautiful place she had ever been.

And, before Ms LaBelle took to the stage, master of ceremonies Bootsie stressed that a promoter does not simply go to her management and ask to pay for her so we asked her just what made her accept the opportunity. She indicated that little thought went into the decision.

"I've been wanting to get this opportunity for many years so there wasn't anything that was hard (about coming to Bermuda). It was a very easy decision. The people are so sweet here."

Ms LaBelle, who hails from Philadelphia, sang in her church choir before she launched her career in the early 60s singing with the Ordettes. The group later evolved into Patti LaBelle & The Blue Belles which included Nona Hendryx, Sarah Dash and Cindy Birdsong who left for The Supremes in 1967. Next, the trio shortened their name to LaBelle.

Ms LaBelle went solo in 1977 and has gone on to receive countless awards for her accomplishments as a singer and humanitarian including 13 Grammy nominations and two Grammy awards.

In addition, many of her songs have charted at number one and she has come to serve as an inspiration for women from all walks of life and still has an exciting future ahead.

She is often recognised as a star whose fans relate to as a mother, sister or girlfriend and she does impart her wisdom to others through her work.

She plans to keep on moving and shared with us what she intends to do in the future.

"I'm recording an inspirational album, I have a book coming out in October called Patti's Pearls - wisdom according to Patti LaBelle - a diabetic cookbook and quite possibly a play."

The full title of the book which is due to start selling on October 23 is Patti's Pearls: Lessons in Living Genuinely, Joyfully, Generously.

Patti the author is open about what she has experienced in her lifetime including losing her three sisters to breast cancer and her parents to diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Last year she was the recipient of the "Woman of Courage" award from the HollyRod Foundation for cancer awareness for her strength and bravery in the face of breast cancer.

When she sang "On My Own" she had noted that she was now singing the song for herself whereas she had sung the song for everyone else in the past.

She explained: "After 32 years of marriage I'm getting a divorce this year. We've been separated for five years and now I really know what it means. But it's not anything depressing. It's all good."

Ms LaBelle also recounted the most challenging aspect of her career which was trying to overcome the labels placed on her.

"Trying to prove myself as a singer and not a black singer or a white singer. And, that's very hard because there is so much prejudice in the world. You know you do as well as the other women but you are seen as an R&B singer but I'm getting over that."

In concert Ms LaBelle used many slang phrases used by young people so asked her how she maintains her appeal to such a wide range of people.

However, she said: "I don't try to maintain it. I am what I am. I know I'm 57 but it's not an old thing. It's not an embarrassing thing.

"Age is a number and you are what you are and I am trans generational. I just feel as if I don't have age or colour. Although some people see it I don't."

And she added that performing is the most fun because she still has the same energy as always.

Ms LaBelle is diabetic and noted several times during her performance that she is going through menopause and was having hot flashes as she performed. Despite this Ms LaBelle was energetic on stage.

When asked how she keeps that momentum she said: "I just do. I don't exercise, I don't meditate and I don't do anything. I just go out there. I don't plan on anything, I just go out and it falls into place."

Ms LaBelle said she was looking forward to sightseeing on Friday and The Royal Gazette understands that she also stayed on the Island an extra day to as she told her audience she would try to do.