"You Are My Friend" is a ballad co-written and recorded by American singer Patti LaBelle, released as the second single off her self-titled debut album, in 1978 on the Epic label. While it only reached as high as number sixty-one on the Billboard Hot-Selling Soul Singles chart upon its initial release,[1] it has gone on to become one of the singer's signature anthems.
Patti LaBelle ended an eighteen-year association with Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash as their group Labelle had decided to break up. LaBelle reluctantly carried on with a solo career with the support of then-husband Armstead Edwards, who signed on as her personal manager. In the middle of recording her debut album in New Orleans with Chameleon producer David Rubinson, Labelle and Edwards wrote lyrics to a James "Budd" Ellison composition they called "You Are My Friend". The song was a tribute to the couple's only child, Zuri Edwards. The song was one of the last to be recorded for LaBelle's debut self-titled solo album.
One of the covers of the song was from singer Sylvester, recorded in San Francisco for his live album Living Proof. During the song, Sylvester was joined by The Weather Girls, who started off as Sylvester's backup singers, Two Tons Of Fun. While he dedicated the song to LaBelle, it was clear that it was a love about him and The Weather Girls.[2] That same year, disco group Kenny & Friends did a dance version of the song. In 2003 gospel singer Shirley Caesar recorded the song for her album Shirley Caesar & Friends which featured Patti LaBelle on the recording. Faith Evans did a live version paying tribute to LaBelle in 2001. LaBelle re-recorded the song for her album The Gospel According to Patti LaBelle, in 2006, as a tribute to her deceased collaborator, James Ellison.