Labelle was always more than a 'Lady'

Hendryx and Dash took different paths. "I'm always the fixer in our harmonies," Dash explained of her role in Labelle. "I will fall in and cover where they're not." This gift for blending made Dash an ideal voice for the big arrangements of disco, and she worked with producers like Sylvester's partner Patrick Cowley and Jellybean Benitez; she also toured with the Rolling Stones and recorded with friend Keith Richards.

Hendryx, whose songwriting was inspired by a long list of countercultural heroes -- in an e-mail, she mentioned Henry Miller, Ram Dass and Angela Davis alongside Nina Simone, Nikki Giovanni and Gil Scott-Heron -- maintained her border-crossing ways.

She worked with Peter Gabriel, the funk-punk band Material, Prince and Talking Heads. Her own solo output, ranging from electro-tinged club hits to New Age experiments to musical theater, is as intriguing as it is overlooked.

Hendryx and Dash have stayed busy, but coming back to Labelle will increase visibility for both. The group, which has reunited for one-offs on rare occasions, plans to tour, though nothing is scheduled.

For Patti LaBelle, who's continued to enjoy chart success and venues packed with screaming fans, the motivation might be more emotional.

It's also a way to correct the misperception that Labelle begins and ends with "Lady Marmalade." Asked if that song, which was written by the songwriting team of Kenny Nolan and Bob Crewe, ever felt like a burden, Dash guffawed.

"Not to me," Dash declared. "It takes care of a lot of burdens when I need those burdens handled!"

"And it's a great song," added Hendryx. "If not for that one song you probably wouldn't be sitting here talking to us."

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ann.powers@latimes.com