Patti Austin recently sang for a mature crowd at AARP’s 50th anniversary which was held at the Lincoln Memorial. The star-studded event honored the advocacy group for people 50 years old and above.

Patti Austin has been a performer since the age of five. She has been hailed as a wonderful interpreter of soul, jazz, scat and adult contemporary music, forming a musical personality over 50 years that has only reached full clarity over the past half decade.

She is the Goddaughter of musical legends Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington. Austin first achieved modest national attention recording jazz albums for Creed Taylor’s CTI label in the late 70s. But it was her work with Quincy Jones in the early 80s that would bring her the credit her smoky, soulful voice deserved.

Over the course of her prolific career Austin has worked with James Ingram, Michael Jackson, George Benson, Joe Cocker, Roberta Flack, Paul Simon, Billy Joel and many others.

Austin appeared at the AARP celebration alongside Sally Field, tennis star Martina Navratilova, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, NASCAR champion Richard Petty and Elder Bernice King — daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., Wynonna Judd and master of ceremonies Leeza Gibbons.

The celebrities encouraged people over 50 to live their dreams, demand affordable health care, be each other’s keeper and remember that age is just a number.

Navratilova, AARP’s health and fitness ambassador, encouraged the crowd of about 5,000 to take baby steps toward better health and embrace their passions.

For more information on Patti Austin, you can visit her website, pattiaustin.com.

(Smooth Jazz Network)

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