Patti LaBelle and Rumored Drummer Boyfriend Were All Smiles at His Birthday Dinner

American singer and entrepreneur, Patti LaBelle celebrates boyfriend's birthday with him. 73-year-old Patti LaBelle is allegedly in a romantic relationship with 43-year-old drummer, Eric Seats.

Though the successful singer is yet to admit the rumors that have been milling around, recent developments have cast their relationship in a new light.

The 43-year-old drummer recently celebrated his birthday in pomp and style and his alleged older girlfriend, Patti LaBelle was in attendance.

Seats took to Instagram to upload a series of posts which all featured LaBelle as well as a few other friends and well-wishers.

Among the pictures Seats posted was one which featured him leaning slightly towards LaBelle with joyful and knowing smiles plastered on both their faces.

Other pictures saw Seats and LaBelle standing arm in arm alongside well-wishers and family as they smiled happily at the camera.

Among the posts was a video clip made by Seats showing friends and family seated side by side at the dinner table at an upscale restaurant, and also showed a happy LaBelle sitting right beside him.

LaBelle looked gorgeous in matching tops and bottoms, a white dinner dress with her dark hair fashioned into short bangs framing her face.

Seats as well was no worse for wear as he looked sharp in a purple striped shirt, white trousers, and a dark blue casual shoe. He captioned the posts with words that hinted at the involvement of LaBelle in the organization of the Birthday Dinner:

"I was kidnaped by these genuine souls & had a bday blast!"

The posts had his fans and followers making celebratory comments and wishing Seats more that life has to offer.

"Happy Birthday eric. Hope u have a great one," a fan commented.

"Hope u had an awesome bday. Please tell Patti hello," another wrote.

The successful singer who has several hits to her name is said to have met Seats a few years earlier when he was hired as her drummer.

At the time, LaBelle was coming out of a rocky relationship and had found Seats attractive. The relationship between the two quickly went from work to romance and has reportedly been going on for more than a year.

According to a source close to her, the two lovebirds tried to keep their relationship from leaking out for as long as possible:

"She tried to keep it quiet, but everyone around her has figured things out now."

Reportedly Seats made her feel comfortable, and his impressive experience in the music business pleased LaBelle as no other had.

His experience is indeed an impressive one as he has reportedly gone on tours with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Timbaland, and Missy Elliott.

Seats is as smitten with LaBelle as she is with him and this was made evident when he moved from Los Angeles to Philadelphia where LaBelle is based a year ago.

After the move the duo became completely inseparable, doing everything together and those close to the love-struck singer say she seems happier than she's been in years.

However, a source has revealed that LaBelle's 42-year-old son, Zuri Edwards, has expressed disapproval of the idea of his mother in a relationship with a man a year younger than himself.

"He saw how hard she took her last breakup with the much-younger man she was seeing and doesn't want to see his mom hurt again," the source stated.

LaBelle however, has refused to let her son's disapproval weigh her down as they openly celebrated the holidays including New Year's Eve together.

Zuri Edwards is the product of LaBelle's marriage with a former school teacher, Armstead Edwards, who later became her manager.

LaBelle and Armstead were in a relationship for close to 32 years but decided to part ways in 2003 when they realized they'd grown apart over the years.

The two remain, close friends, even after their marriage dissolved.