Armstead Edwards: Patti LaBelle’s Ex-Husband

Armstead Edwards is the ex-husband of singer and actress Patricia Louise Holt, also known as Patti LaBelle. He is a former high school vice principal and former tour co-manager.

LaBelle, Edwards’ wife, rose to prominence as the lead vocalist and frontwoman of the singing group Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. She is most known as a solo performer for classics such as You Are My Friend, If Only You Knew, New Attitude, Stir It Up, and others.

Edwards and Patti were married for over three decades. See why they decided to end their long-running marriage, what Armstead has been doing after the split, if he is still alive, and more.

Armstead Edwards, Patti LaBelle’s ex-husband, was born in the 1940s.

Armstead Edwards, who is now 80 years old, was born in April 1942. There isn’t much mention of his parents in the conversation. Nonetheless, he has lived in Pennsylvania for decades.

Furthermore, he has rarely discussed his parents and family history. As a result, little is known about his ancestors in the media.

Patti was the one who proposed to Armstead Edwards

During Oprah’s Master Class interview, the Philadelphia-born Patti claimed that when she and Armstead fell in love, he proposed to her several times—but she rejected him down. Patti eventually asked Armstead to marry her.

LaBelle explained why she got down on her knees, saying,

“[He] asked me to marry him three times, and each time I declined.” I asked him for the fourth time. He stated, ‘Let me give it a few days.’ So he thought about it for a few days and then said yes.”

Because she loved him, the Stir It Up singer admits she hesitated to marry him or refused his proposal. Patti stated in an interview that because her parents battled most of the time during their marriage, she feared the same would happen to her and Edward’s marriage.

When her parents finally split, the I Wish singer stated she was overjoyed. Patti believed her parents were better off apart. The Grammy Hall of Famer realized she didn’t want a marriage like that after that event.

Armstead Edwards was Patti’s manager before he married her. In 1969, Patti and Edwards married in Maryland. According to Patti, the reception was small and relaxed, with beer and soft-shell crab on the menu.

Patti LaBelle and her ex-husband, Armstead, have three children.

Patti gave birth to their first son, Zuri, four years after the wedding. Following that, LaBelle and Armstead adopted two additional children, Stanley and Dodd Stocker-Edwards.

Zuri Armstead, Armstead and Patti’s kid, with Jerry Seinfeld and his mother in December 2010. Facebook

Stanley, Armstead’s son, is a Harvard graduate, while Dodd, his other son, is a commercial artist. Patti and Armstead took in Stanley and Dodd while they were still minors.

Their biological mother was a neighbor who had died, according to Armstead and Patti. Patti, it appears, does not want her and Armstead’s son, Zuri, to have a career in show business. The multiple Grammy winner once stated that she does not want her son to experience the stress and setbacks that she did while working in the industry.

According to reports, Zuri now works as a bodyguard and manager for his mother.

Why Did Armstead Edwards and Patti LaBelle Divorce?

After more than three decades of marriage, Patti and Edwards divorced. Patti explained their split in November 2018 by saying she and Armstead came to a hard reality.

The Winner In You singer stated that she and her spouse decided to divorce after realizing they couldn’t live together any longer. Patti claimed that they knew it was time to let go when they began to like each other from afar. Even though the marriage was collapsing, the R&B artist stated that things remained really friendly.

LaBelle claimed she never hated Edwards, and he claimed the same. They just couldn’t live together, according to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and it wasn’t because of physical fighting or anything. LaBelle stated emphatically that they never fought during their marriage, which she appreciated.

Patti stated during the final stage of their courtship,

Even when we didn’t get along, we got along! But then we understood we needed to part ways.

Labelle and Patti announced their divorce in the year 2000. In 2003, the former couple finalized their divorce. Patti stated that she and her ex-husband had been cool and friendly after the divorce. Patti noted in an interview with Woman’s World about her marriage and divorce with Edwards, ”

“I was married for 34 years to a man I met when I was a young kid, and we were married for as long as that, liking each other.”

LaBelle stated that even though she and Armstead fell out of love, they continued to like each other and are now closest friends. The ex-couple reportedly resided around 20 minutes apart and frequently visited each other’s homes at the time.

They even spent Thanksgiving and Christmas together. Patti claims that Edward and her relationship is still strong. While LaBelle has stated that she and Edwards would never be romantically involved again, she values their solid relationship and the bond they maintain, even over two decades after their divorce.

Patti LaBelle, Armstead Edwards’ ex-wife, after the divorce; is she married now?

Patti was purportedly and secretly dating her then 41-year-old drummer, Eric Seats, after Edwards, according to sources in 2016. They had been together for over a year at the time.

Eric, like Patti, has had a long and successful musical career. He’s also toured with Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, and Missy Elliott, and he’s produced songs for Destiny’s Child and Aaliyah. He is now the Next Great Drummer’s Executive Producer.

Patti, on the other hand, appears to be completely unmarried, or so her Instagram says. The Grammy winner opens up about practically everything about her life on and off stage, save the ABCs of her marital woes.

Armstead Edwards was a former principal.

On the professional front, Edwards was a high school vice principal who later went on to co-manage his ex-wife, Patti’s, career and even operated the couple’s Philadelphia boutique.

It is uncertain whether the corporate relationship is still active. When Armstead was Patti’s manager, he was principally responsible for the success of her “Look to the Rainbow” tour.

Is Edwards still alive and what is he doing now?

LaBelle’s old companion, Edwards, hasn’t sat up for many q and a s in recent times for someone who is floating through his retired life. Furthermore, unlike his ex-wife, he isn’t particularly active on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or other social media platforms. It is unclear what Armstead is doing these days as a result.

While there aren’t many bits on the clouds pertaining to Edwards, he was last seen in May 2019 under an Instagram identity @gijonesjrphilly.

In any case, whether Armstead is still alive or not is a recurring topic of contention. Even though there hasn’t been any confirmation of Armstead’s death or even his poor condition, and given LaBelle hasn’t spoken anything about it, it appears Edwards is still alive. He apparently now resides in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.

Is Armstead Edwards’ ex-wife Patti LaBelle as wealthy as he is?

Patti Edwards, Edwards’ strong vocalist, is notably rich given her successful records and her renowned personality in the music industry for over five decades.

Given LaBelle’s multiple hits and chart-topping inventions, her $ 60 million fortune should not come as a surprise. However, the idea of ex-partner, Edwards, possessing such a net worth appears to be a difficult euphemism. While he was in the music industry doing behind-the-scenes work, the chances of him making a lot of money during that time seem slim.

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