The 79-year-old soul legend's Saturday night gig was cut short
You might not expect a Saturday night pre-Christmas gig by a septuagenarian soul singer to be the focus of a bomb threat, but that's exactly what happened to Patti LaBelle over the weekend.
The 79-year-old singer, best known for songs like 'Lady Marmalade' and 'If You Asked Me To', was performing at the Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee when she was abruptly rushed off stage by security guards.
LaBelle was clearly taken aback by the intrusion, as video footage showed her speaking to the audience between songs, before saying 'Hold up! Wait!'.
The crowd are left baffled by the development as panic begins to spread through the theatre.
The Twitter account of the venue confirmed that there had been a bomb threat.
Milwaukee police captain Warren E. Allen Jr. later confirmed that it had been a hoax, and that there were no injuries.
"Regarding the bomb threat in the 100 block of W. Wisconsin, all patrons have been safely evacuated," he told the local paper. "Police are clearing the facility at this time. The investigation is fluid and ongoing."
He added: "The building was searched by K9 units. No explosive devices were discovered. There is no threat to the public at this time."
LaBelle has not commented on the matter.