Sunday night's Verzuz battle may have been the most legendary yet. Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle reunited for the popular Apple Music and Instagram show, seeing each other for the first time in 10 years.
"This was like a meet-and-greet that we both wanted," LaBelle said in an interview with ET's Nischelle Turner. "This was the best thing that could have happened to me."
"Yeah," Knight agreed. "To us, girl!"
It was Knight's son who inspired the pair's reunion, telling his 77-year-old mom that she had to get herself on Verzuz. So, she and LaBelle, 76, "made it work."
More than 600,000 viewers tuned in on Sunday, including Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez and Alicia Keys. Fans nearly lost their minds when Dionne Warwick made a surprise appearance, but "That's What Friends Are For."
"We didn't think she was gonna be able to come. Me and Patti had gotten together... but I hadn’t gotten Dionne cleared yet to be able to come," Knight revealed. "So, we just kept moving ahead, and in comes her walking!"
Knight actually took a bus to get over to Philadelphia for the Verzuz battle, with both her and LaBelle taking extra precautions amid the coronavirus pandemic. LaBelle told ET she hadn't "been out anywhere in seven months," but still made sure to get herself and her team tested. "I said, 'Suppose I'm not great -- I wouldn't be able to do Verzuz. I got scared, girl," she revealed. Knight was also tested for the virus multiple times.
Knight's bus ride to Philly sparked memories from her time on the road. It wasn't just about the music for Knight -- or for LaBelle. Both have a talent for cooking.
"I said when I found out we were doing this, we had to have food battle!" LaBelle shared. "None of us will win, because we each--"
"We kind of cook the same, too," Knight chimed in.
After decades of having each other's back, LaBelle said the secret to friendship is "honesty," and keeping each other grounded.
"And not being afraid to go behind her on the show, or her going behind me," LaBelle added. "You can't play or hate a good friend, and that's what she is to me."
"We actually grew up together," Knight shared. "This is one of the best feelings about these kind of things that I've had. ... [that's] what love is all about."
LaBelle will be performing next at a virtual disco party for Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research on Tuesday.
"This year, it's not, like, gowns, gowns, gowns. It's, like, whatever you feel like wearing," she shared. "I did it from my home with my background singers and my piano player. ... We had no place else to do it but home. So, we did it and it was wonderful."
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