Patti Labelle Joins ‘American Horror Story’ Cast

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R&B legend Patti Labelle has signed on to join the cast of American Horror Story’s fourth season: “Freak Show.”  The legendary diva will be playing the recurring role as the mother of Gabourey Sidibe’s character and her character will be a local townsperson who begins to unravel Twitsy the clown’s dangerous secrets and Labelle will be joining American Horror Story regulars Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, and Sarah Paulson.  Jessica Lange will star as the freak show’s manager and, in true American Horror Story fashion, her character will be in the center of the conflict.

Labelle’s appearance on the show will not be the first time American Horror Story has employed a legendary musician appear as a character on the show is something that began on American Horror Story’s previous season when a minor role was given to the legendary Stevie Nicks who played herself and sang a song during the season’s finale; however, according to sources, Labelle’s character will not be a singer.  American Horror Story’s “Freak Show” will be set in Jupiter, Florida during the 1950s and center around “the last American freakshow.”

Patti Labelle’s solo career began in 1977 with the release of her self titled album.  Since then she has become a musical icon and in 2009 she was inducted into the Apollo Theater’s Legends Hall of Fame. However, Labelle’s talents don’t just extend to music and her appearance on American Horror Story will add to a slew of other on screen performances the two time Grammy award winner has had over the course of her career.  Her first television appearance came as a member of the 1982 cast for the musical Working. In the 1990s sitcom A Different World Labelle played the recurring role of Adele Wayne, main character Dwayne Wayne’s mother.  Labelle also had a starring role in 2012’s Mama, I Want to Sing.

Angela Bassett, who made her debut on the show last season, will be returning to the show as Desiree Dupree; Michael Chiklis, Wes Bentley, and John Carroll, and John Carroll Lynch will also be joining the show’s cast this season.  American Horror Story: Freak Show is scheduled to air some time in October.

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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