HOW 71 YEAR OLD PATTI LABELLE GOT HER GROOVE BACK...MEET HER NEW 41 YEAR OLD BOYFRIEND

LADY MARMALADE... She's got countless hits to her name, a successful line of sweet potato pies and now the Godmother of Soul has another reason to sing - she's found new love - 30 years her junior.

Patti LaBelle, 71, is dating her 41-year-old drummer Eric Seats, Daily Mail Online can exclusively reveal. The two have been seeing each other for the past year and a half.
'She tried to keep it quiet, but everyone around her has figured things out now. 

She's completely smitten with him and they spend so much time together,' said the source.
The music legend and Seats first met when he was hired to be her drummer several years ago.

Two-time Grammy winner Patti LaBelle is dating her 41-year-old drummer Eric Seats and has been for the past year and a half.

LaBelle was just coming out of a bad relationship, but thought Seats was attractive and she started to chat with him after her shows.

He moved from Los Angeles to Philadelphia last year to be closer to the music legend'He made her feel at ease and she loved that he had such a vast experience working in the music business,' a source is snitching.

Seats has toured with Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Timbaland and Missy Elliott, in addition to producing songs for Destiny's Child and Aaliyah

LaBelle's 42-year-old son Zuri Edwards pictured below, doesn't like the idea of his mother dating a man a year younger than he is, a source revealed. 

'Not only is Zuri her son, but he's her manager as well. He saw how hard she took her last breakup with the much-younger man she was seeing and just doesn't want to see his mom hurt again,' explained the source.

Zuri's resistance to this new relationship hasn't slowed Patti down at all. The couple spent all of the holidays together. Most recently, New Year's Eve - when the two had a quiet dinner together with friends before Seats left to go on tour in Japan with jazz artist Lalah Hathaway.
During Christmas, he and LaBelle spent three days with songwriter Denise Rich on her yacht in the Bahamas. 

The couple hosted Thanksgiving together at her Philadelphia home with guests such as Empire's executive producer Lee Daniels, 'Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon' musical director Questlove and the viral video star James Wright Chanel that caused her Patti LaBelle Sweet Potato Pies to sell out at Walmart.

Following her sweet potato success, Patti has since launched two new cakes at Walmart - vanilla pound cake with vanilla icing and a caramel cake. They both will be out this month.  We salute you Miss Patti with a "you go girl"!

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