Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group

Gladys Knight & the Pips Gladys Knight & the Pips were an American R&B, soul and funk family music group from Atlanta, Georgia, that remained active on the music charts and performing circuit for over three decades starting from the early 1950s. Starting out as simply ...

, which included her brother

Merald "Bubba" Knight Merald Woodlow "Bubba" Knight, Jr. (born September 4, 1942) is an American R&B/soul singer, best known as a member of Gladys Knight & the Pips. The older brother of lead singer Gladys Knight, Bubba Knight served as the unofficial leader of the ...

and cousins William Guest and Edward Patten. Knight has recorded two number-one ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles (" Midnight Train to Georgia" and "

That's What Friends Are For "That's What Friends Are For" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. It was first recorded in 1982 by Rod Stewart for the soundtrack of the film '' Night Shift'', but it is better known for the 1985 cover version by Dionn ...

" which she did with Dionne Warwick, Sir Elton John and Stevie Wonder), eleven number-one

R&B singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

and six number-one

R&B albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...

. She has won seven Grammy Awards (four as a solo artist and three with the Pips) and is an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and

Vocal Group Hall of Fame The Vocal Group Hall of Fame (VGHF) is an American-based hall of fame that honors vocal groups throughout the world in every genre of music. Headquartered in the Columbia Theatre in Sharon, Pennsylvania, it includes a theater and a museum. It was ...

along with The Pips. Two of her songs ("

I Heard It Through the Grapevine "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown Records in 1966. The first recording of the song to be released was produced by Whitfield for Gladys Knight & the Pips and released as a ...

" and "Midnight Train to Georgia") were inducted into the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

for "historical, artistic and significant" value. She also recorded the

theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...

for the 1989

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

film ''

Licence to Kill ''Licence to Kill'' is a 1989 spy film, the sixteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the second and final film to star Timothy Dalton as the MI6 agent James Bond. It sees Bond suspended from MI6 as he pursues t ...

''. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' magazine ranked Knight among the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Early life

Knight was born in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

to Merald Woodlow Knight Sr., a postal worker, and Sarah Elizabeth (née Woods). She has an older sister, Brenda, one living brother, Merald "Bubba" Jr. and one deceased brother, David. Throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s, she sang in the church choir. She won Ted Mack's ''

The Original Amateur Hour ''The Original Amateur Hour'' is an American radio and television program. The show was a continuation of ''Major Bowes Amateur Hour'' which had been a radio staple from 1934 to 1945. Major Edward Bowes, the originator of the program and its mas ...

'' TV show contest at the age of eight in 1952. That same year, Gladys, her brother Bubba, sister Brenda, and their cousins

Eleanor Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It is the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages. The name was introd ...

and William Guest began performing together during Bubba's tenth birthday party after a record player malfunctioned. Soon the quintet agreed to form a group at the insistence of Gladys' mother Elizabeth Knight. They settled on the name ''The Pips'', inspired by the nickname of their cousin James "Pip" Woods. By 1955, the group entered the talent show circuit in their hometown of Atlanta, winning each talent show they entered. Their success brought them a record contract with

Brunswick Records Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916. History From 1916 Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing prod ...

in 1957. At Brunswick, the group released two recordings that failed to chart. Despite this, the group was now opening for top R&B acts such as Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke. By 1959, Brunswick dropped the group, and both Brenda Knight and Eleanor Guest left The Pips to begin families. They were replaced by another cousin, Edward Patten, and a friend, Langston George. In 1961, they recorded the Johnny Otis–penned " Every Beat of My Heart". Lacking a record label, a local Atlanta label, Huntom Records, pushed the single and got a distribution deal with

Vee-Jay Records Vee-Jay Records is an American record label founded in the 1950s, located in Chicago and specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The label was founded in Gary, Indiana in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C. Bracken, a ...

to release it. The group moved to New York, where they auditioned for Bobby Robinson's

Fury Records Fury Records was set up by Bobby Robinson in 1957. In 1959 it had a Billboard No.1 hit with ''Kansas City'', sung by Wilbert Harrison. In the early 1970s, it helped launch Grandmaster Flash. See also * List of record labels File:Alvinor ...

. Upon learning that "Every Beat of My Heart" was already becoming a hit but had cut the group out of profits, Robinson had The Pips re-record the song and release it on Fury Records. Both versions made the ''Billboard'' charts, with the Huntom/Vee-Jay version reaching number six on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Prior to the re-release on Fury Records, the group changed their name to ''Gladys Knight & the Pips''. Later in 1961, the quintet released the single " Letter Full of Tears", which became another top-40 hit in early 1962. After releasing a string of singles on Fury Records, Langston George left the group in 1962. That same year, Knight left the group to start a family with musician and husband Jimmy Newman. In 1964, she returned to the group, and they signed with Larry Maxwell's Maxx label, releasing several modest hits produced by

Van McCoy Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American musician, record producer, arranger, songwriter, singer and orchestra conductor. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful song " The Hustle". He has approximat ...

, including "Lovers Always Forgive" and the original version of "

Giving Up "Giving Up" is a popular song written by Van McCoy that was introduced by Gladys Knight & the Pips with an April 1964 single release. Chart performance "Giving Up" was a Top 40 Pop hit, reaching No. 38 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. and a Top ...

". Other songs they released on Maxx include "(There Will Never Be) Another Love", "Either Way I Lose", "Go Away, Stay Away", "Maybe Maybe Baby", "Stop and Get a Hold of Myself", "Who Knows" and "If I Should Ever Fall in Love".

Success with the Pips

Gladys Knight & the Pips joined the Motown Records roster in 1966 (while the band had no "sure hit"), and, although initially regarded as a second-string act by the label, scored several major hit singles, including "

" (1967) (released later by Marvin Gaye), "

Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me "Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me" is a song and single by American group, Gladys Knight & the Pips written by Barrett Strong, Cornelius Grant and Rodger Penzabene. It was produced by Norman Whitfield. Background It also appeared on their 1967 a ...

" (1967), "

The Nitty Gritty ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

" (1969), "Friendship Train" (1969), " If I Were Your Woman" (1970), " I Don't Want To Do Wrong" (1971), the

–winning "

Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye) "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" is a song recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips. Released on December 26, 1972 on Motown's Soul Records imprint as S 35098, it became one of their biggest hit singles to date, and was also ...

" (1972), and "Daddy Could Swear (I Declare)" (1973). In their early Motown career, Gladys Knight and the Pips toured as the opening act for

Diana Ross and The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...

. Gladys Knight stated in her memoirs that Ross kicked her off the tour because the audience's reception to Knight's soulful performance overshadowed her.

Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), known professionally as Berry Gordy Jr., is a retired American record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record l ...

later told Knight that she was giving his act a hard time. The act left Motown for a better deal with

Buddah Records Buddah Records (later known as Buddha Records) was an American record label founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's foun ...

in 1973, and achieved even greater mainstream success that year with hits such as the Grammy-winning " Midnight Train to Georgia" (#1 on the pop and R&B chart), " I've Got to Use My Imagination", "The Way We Were/Try To Remember" and " Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me". In the summer of 1974, Knight and the Pips recorded the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

to the film ''

Claudine Claudine may refer to: Name * Claudine (given name), a feminine given name of French origin Culture * ''Claudine'' (film), a 1974 American film by John Berry ** ''Claudine'' (soundtrack), its soundtrack album. Music by Curtis Mayfield and Gladis ...

'' with producer

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

, which included the songs " On and On", "The Makings of You" and "Make Yours a Happy Home". The act was particularly successful in Europe, and especially the United Kingdom. A number of the Buddah singles became hits in the UK several years after their release in the US. For example, "Midnight Train to Georgia" hit the Top 5 of the UK singles chart in the summer of 1976, a full three years after its success in the U.S. During this period of high profile, Knight acted in the film '' Pipe Dreams,'' a romantic drama set in Alaska. The film failed at the box-office, but Knight did receive a Golden Globe Best New Actress nomination. Knight and the Pips continued to have hits until the late 1970s, when they were forced to record separately due to legal issues, resulting in Knight's first solo LP recordings—''Miss Gladys Knight'' (1978) on Buddah and ''Gladys Knight'' (1979) on Columbia Records. After divorcing James Newman II in 1973, Knight married

Barry Hankerson Barry Hankerson (born August 3, 1947) is an American record producer, music label owner and manager. Hankerson is the founder of Blackground Records. He is the uncle of singer and actress Aaliyah. Career Born and raised in Harlem, New York C ...

(uncle of future hip/hop, R&B singer Aaliyah), then Detroit mayor

Coleman Young Coleman Alexander Young (May 24, 1918 – November 29, 1997) was an American politician who served as mayor of Detroit, Michigan, from 1974 to 1994. Young was the first African-American mayor of Detroit. Young had emerged from the far-left ele ...

's executive aide. Knight and Hankerson remained married for four years, during which time they had a son, Shanga Ali. Hankerson and Knight became embroiled in a heated custody battle over Shanga Ali. In 1980, Johnny Mathis invited Knight to record two duets—"When A Child Is Born" (previously a hit for Mathis) and "The Lord's Prayer". Gladys Knight aboard USS Ranger (CV-61), 1981

Gladys Knight aboard USS Ranger (CV-61), 1981

Signing with Columbia Records in 1980 and restored to its familiar quartet form, Gladys Knight & the Pips began releasing new material. The act enlisted former Motown producers Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson for their first two albums: ''About Love'' (1980), which included the hit "Landlord" and ''Touch'' (1981). In 1983, Gladys Knight and the Pips scored again with the hit " Save the Overtime (For Me)". The song, under the artistic direction of Leon Sylvers III (known for collaborating on Shalamar hits), was done in a soulful boogie style. The single was released from their LP "Visions" and reached number sixty-six on the Hot 100, but was more successful on the R&B where it hit number one for a single week in mid 1983. The single was the first time the group hit number one on the R&B chart since 1974. The video accompanying the song became among the earliest R&B videos to incorporate elements of hip hop culture. The album also included the R&B hit "You're Number One (In My Book)". During this period, Knight kicked a gambling addiction to the game

baccarat Baccarat or baccara (; ) is a card game played at casinos. It is a comparing card game played between two hands, the "player" and the "banker". Each baccarat coup (round of play) has three possible outcomes: "player" (player has the higher score ...

. In 1987, Knight decided to pursue a solo career, and she and the Pips recorded their final LP together, ''All Our Love'' (1987), for

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...

. Its infectious lead single, " Love Overboard", was a number-one R&B hit and won another Grammy for the act as well. After a successful 1988 tour, the Pips retired and Knight began her solo career. Gladys Knight & the Pips were inducted into the

Georgia Music Hall of Fame The Georgia Music Hall of Fame was a hall of fame to recognize music performers and music industry professionals from or connected to the state of Georgia. It began with efforts of the state's lieutenant governor Zell Miller to attract the music ...

in 1989, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and the

in 2001.

Solo music career

While still with the Pips, Gladys Knight joined with Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, and

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

on the 1985 AIDS benefit single, "

", a triple No. 1 mega-hit, which won a Grammy for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. Knight shared a stage with Dionne Warwick and Patti LaBelle for the 1986 HBO special ''Sisters in the Name of Love''. On March 27, 1988, Knight performed a rendition of "

America the Beautiful "America the Beautiful" is a patriotic American song. Its lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and its music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New Jersey. The two neve ...

" at

Wrestlemania 4 WrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on March 27, 1988, at the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall in Atl ...

Atlantic City, NJ Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

. In 1989, she recorded "

", the title track for James Bond film of the same name, a Top-10 hit in the UK and Germany. Knight released her third and most successful solo LP, '' Good Woman'', on MCA in 1991, which hit No. 1 on the R&B album chart, featured the No. 2 R&B hit "Men", and reached No. 45 on the main ''Billboard'' album chart—her all-time-highest showing. The album also featured "

Superwoman Superwoman is the name of several fictional characters from DC Comics. Most of them are, like Supergirl, women with powers similar to those of Superman, like flight, invulnerability, and enhanced strength. Detective Comics, Inc. trademarked ...

", written by

Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

and featuring Dionne Warwick and Patti LaBelle; the track was nominated for a Grammy. Knight and LaBelle collaborated the same year on "I Don't Do Duets", for LaBelle's album '' Burnin'''. Also in 1991, Knight performed the national anthem at Game 1 of the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

. Her fourth solo album, ''Just for You'', went

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

and was nominated for the 1995

Grammy Award for Best R&B Album The Grammy Award for Best R&B Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the R&B music genre. Honors ...

. Knight created and now directs the Mormon-themed choir

Saints Unified Voices Saints Unified Voices (SUV) is a Grammy Award-winning American gospel music choir based in the Las Vegas Valley of Southern Nevada. The Saints Unified Voices Foundation, the governing organization of the choir, is directed by a board of directo ...

. SUV has released a Grammy Award-winning CD titled ''One Voice'', and occasionally performs at LDS church firesides. In April 2004, Knight co-headlined the VH1's benefit concert '' Divas Live 2004'' alongside Ashanti,

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

, Jessica Simpson, Joss Stone, Debbie Harry, and Patti LaBelle, in support of the Save the Music Foundation. In 2005 a duet between Knight and

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

of "You Were There" was released on Charles' duets album ''

Genius & Friends ''Genius & Friends'' is a 2005 studio album by rhythm and blues singer Ray Charles, consisting of previously unreleased duets between Ray and artists recorded between 1997 to 2005. The contributing artists were personally chosen by Ray Charles. ...

''. In the spring of 2008, Knight appeared alongside Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle and Diana Ross at the 'Divas with Heart' concert in aid of cardiac research, at New York's Radio City Hall. Also in 2008 Gladys, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller performed on ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

'' to raise money for charity. In 2009 Knight sang "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" and "The Lord's Prayer" at the funeral service for

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

. In March 2010, Randy Jackson mentioned on a new episode of the same show that he is back in the studio with Gladys Knight working on a new album. In December 2010, Knight released the single "Settle". In September 2011, a new, updated recording of Shirley Bassey's 1960s classic "

I (Who Have Nothing) "I (Who Have Nothing)" (sometimes billed as "I Who Have Nothing") is an English language cover of the Italian song "''Uno dei Tanti''" (English: "One of Many"), with music by Carlo Donida and lyrics by Giulio "Mogol" Rapetti. The initial version ...

" was released on iTunes and Amazon. In 2013, Knight recorded the Lenny Kravitz–written and -produced song "You And I Ain't Nothin' No More" for the soundtrack from

Lee Daniels Lee Daniels (born December 24, 1959) is an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. His first producer credit was ''Monster's Ball'' (2001), for which Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress, making Daniels ...

' motion picture ''

The Butler ''The Butler'' (full title ''Lee Daniels' The Butler'') is a 2013 American historical drama film directed and co-produced by Lee Daniels and with a screenplay by Danny Strong. It is inspired by Wil Haygood's ''Washington Post'' article "A But ...

''. The song was added to the movie's soundtrack of older songs with various artists so the producers could nominate it for Best Song from a Motion Picture category at the

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

. ''Where My Heart Belongs'' (2014) marked her 30th top-40 R&B album, including work by Gladys Knight & the Pips. In a 2014 interview, she expressed a hope that women would "Stand Up" and stop selling sex in the music/entertainment industry. She commented that the growing trend saddened her heart and that she had been taught to dress respectfully for her audiences ... "not take it off, put it on." Knight is ranked number eighteen on VH1 network's list of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock. In 2019, Knight accepted an invitation to sing the

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...

at Super Bowl LIII. She faced criticism for agreeing to perform due to the alleged blacklisting of

Colin Kaepernick Colin Rand Kaepernick ( ; born November 3, 1987) is an American civil rights activist and football quarterback who is a free agent. He played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). In 2016, he knelt du ...

by the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

after he began protesting police brutality during pre-game anthem ceremonies. Similar criticism was expressed against the

half-time show A halftime show is a performance given during the brief period between the first and second halves, or the second and third quarters, of a sporting event. Halftime shows are not given for sports with an irregular or indeterminate number of div ...

performers,

Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...

, Travis Scott, and

Big Boi Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a member of the southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside André 300 ...

. Knight defended her decision to sing, claiming to understand Kaepernick's reasons for protesting but criticizing him for kneeling during the national anthem. In 2019, Knight was invited to play at the 100th Anniversary of

Delaware State Fair The Delaware State Fair is the annual state fair for the state of Delaware. It is held in Harrington. The fair is a ten-day event at the end of July. History The first Delaware State Fair was held in Wilmington, with mentions of the "Delaware ...

, located in Harrington, Delaware. In 2022, Knight received Kennedy Center Honors, presented by U.S. President Joe Biden. She also headlined a U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit Dinner at the White House.

UK Farewell Tour

In October 2009, Knight started her farewell tour of the United Kingdom which featured

Tito Jackson Toriano Adaryll "Tito" Jackson (born October 15, 1953) is an American musician. He is an original member of the Jackson 5 (later known as The Jacksons), who rose to fame in the late 1960s and 1970s with the Motown label, and later had continued ...

as her supporting act and special appearances by Dionne Warwick. The UK Farewell Tour featured higher production values than previous "Gladys Knight, a mic and a light" appearances by Knight in the UK. A glossy program was available and the show featured pre-produced animation on large on-stage screens. The tour was promoted by an appearance on the TV program '' Later... with Jools Holland'' where Knight performed " If I Were Your Woman" and "

Help Me Make It Through the Night "Help Me Make It Through The Night" is a country music ballad written and composed by Kris Kristofferson and released on his 1970 album '' Kristofferson''. It was covered later in 1970 by Sammi Smith, on the album '' Help Me Make It Through the ...

". In spite of her "farewell", Knight started touring the UK again a few years later, playing gigs in Scotland and England in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022.

Acting

Film

In 1976, Knight made her acting debut as the lead in the film '' Pipe Dreams'' for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress. In 2003, she had a small role in the movie ''

Hollywood Homicide ''Hollywood Homicide'' is a 2003 American action comedy film starring Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett, with an ensemble supporting cast including Lena Olin, Bruce Greenwood, Isaiah Washington, Lolita Davidovich, Keith David, Gladys Knight, Mast ...

,'' which starred Harrison Ford and

Josh Hartnett Joshua Daniel Hartnett (born July 21, 1978) is an American actor and producer. He first came to attention in 1997 for his role as Michael Fitzgerald in the television crime drama series '' Cracker''. He made his feature film debut in 1998 in th ...

. In 2009, Knight was featured in

Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of the Madea character, a tough elderly woman. Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmma ...

's '' I Can Do Bad All by Myself,'' the film version of a play he had dramatized, and performed her song "The Need To Be" from the 1974 album ''I Feel a Song.''

Television

In 1975, Knight starred in a variety show, ''The Gladys Knight and the Pips Show'', which was canceled after four episodes. She also guest-starred on several TV series throughout the 1980s and 1990s, appearing on ''

Benson Benson may refer to: Animals *Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain Places Geography Canada *Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality *Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet United Kingdom * Benson, Oxfordshire ...

,'' ''

The Jeffersons ''The Jeffersons'' is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. ''The Jeffersons'' is one of the longest-running sitcoms in history, ...

,'' ''

A Different World ''A Different World'' is an American sitcom (and a spin-off of '' The Cosby Show'') television series that aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993. The series originally centered on Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) a ...

,'' ''

Living Single ''Living Single'' is an American television sitcom created by Yvette Lee Bowser that aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 22, 1993, to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who shared personal and profes ...

,'' ''

The Jamie Foxx Show ''The Jamie Foxx Show'' is an American sitcom that aired on The WB from August 28, 1996, to January 14, 2001. The series stars Jamie Foxx, Garcelle Beauvais, Christopher B. Duncan, Ellia English, and Garrett Morris. Although the show was not ...

,'' and ''

New York Undercover ''New York Undercover'' is an American police drama that aired on the Fox television network from September 8, 1994, to February 11, 1999. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torre ...

.'' In 1985, she co-starred on the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

sitcom '' Charlie & Co.'', alongside comedian

Flip Wilson Clerow "Flip" Wilson Jr. (December 8, 1933 – November 25, 1998) was an American comedian and actor best known for his television appearances during the late 1960s and 1970s. From 1970 to 1974, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series ''The F ...

, which lasted for one season. In April 2005, she portrayed a singer in an episode of '' JAG''. In April 2009, she made a special guest appearance, and performed a song, on Tyler Perry's ''House of Payne''. Knight has also made a number of cameo appearances, including on ''

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

'' and '' 30 Rock.'' In 2012, she began a recurring role in the syndicated sitcom '' The First Family''. In 2012, Knight competed on season 14 of '' Dancing with the Stars'', partnered with

Tristan MacManus Tristan MacManus (born 23 July 1982) is an Irish dancer and television presenter. He best known for his professional appearances on ''Dancing with the Stars'', ''Strictly Come Dancing'' and '' Dancing with the Stars Australia''. In 2017, he wen ...

. They were eliminated on April 24 after losing a "dance duel" to Disney Channel star

Roshon Fegan Roshon Bernard Fegan (born October 6, 1991), known mononymously as Roshon (stylized as ROSHON, formerly stylized as RO SHON), is an American actor, rapper, and dancer. He is best known for his role as Ty Blue on the Disney Channel original ser ...

and partner

Chelsie Hightower Chelsie Kay Hightower (born July 21, 1989) is a ballroom dancer. She is known for being a regular dance partner, trainer and choreographer on the ABC competition show ''Dancing with the Stars'', on which she was a professional from Season 8 to 1 ...

, ironically on the show's "Motown Week". In 2017, she appeared as herself in the musical-drama TV series '' Star''. In 2018, she played Ella Grover, mother of Captain Lou Grover, in the "Lele pū nā manu like" ("Birds of a Feather...") episode of ''Hawaii Five-0'', which first aired on November 16, 2018. In February 2019, she was revealed to have competed as "Bee" on ''

The Masked Singer ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', in which she placed third. She performed "Chandelier", "

Locked Out of Heaven "Locked Out of Heaven" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from his second studio album, ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' (2012). It was released as the lead single from the album on October 1, 2012. The song was written by Mars, Phil ...

", "Wrecking Ball", "What's Love Got to Do with It", " (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", and " I Can't Make You Love Me". She finished behind Donny Osmond as "Peacock" and T-Pain as "Monster".

Gladys Knight & Ron Winans Chicken & Waffles

Gladys Knight and Ron Winan's C&W Atlanta (cropped)

Knight's son Shanga Hankerson owns a chain of

chicken and waffles Chicken and waffles is an American dish combining chicken with waffles. It is part of a variety of culinary traditions, including Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine and soul food, and is served in certain specialty restaurants in the United States. De ...

restaurants based in Atlanta, bearing her name. Gladys Knight &

Ron Winans Ronald "Ron" Winans (June 30, 1956 – June 17, 2005) was an American Gospel singer who gained fame as a member of The Winans. Biography Early years Ronald Winans was born the second of 10 children to David and Delores Winans. Musical and bus ...

' Chicken & Waffles currently have three locations in the Atlanta area. One location was featured on the Travel Channel original series ''

Man v. Food ''Man v. Food'' is an American food reality television series. It premiered on December 3, 2008 on the Travel Channel. The program was originally hosted by actor and food enthusiast Adam Richman. In each episode, Richman explores the "big food" o ...

.'' In June 2016, authorities in Georgia raided two of the restaurants and its headquarters.

WSB-TV WSB-TV (channel 2) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is the flagship television property of locally based Cox Media Group, which has owned the station since its inception, and is sister to ...

reported that Shanga is at the center of an investigation involving unpaid taxes, penalties and interest. Georgia Department of Revenue Special Investigations Chief Jeff Mitchell told the station that the investigation solely involved Hankerson and not Knight. "Shanga's accused of stealing over $650,000 in both sales and withholding tax", Josh Waites, a special investigator, told WSB-TV. "

ith The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany. Geography Location The Ith is immediatel ...

penalties and interest, it's up to over $1 million owed."

Personal life

Knight has been married four times and has three children. At 16 years old, she became pregnant and married Atlanta musician and classmate James "Jimmy" Newman in 1960. She had a miscarriage; the couple went on to have two children. Newman became a drug addict and abandoned the family when Knight was 20. They remained married for over 12 years until 1973. Their son, James "Jimmy" Gaston Newman III was born on August 13, 1962. She retired from the road to raise their child while the Pips toured on their own. In November 1963, Knight had her only daughter, Kenya Maria Newman. Later she returned to recording with the Pips in order to support her family. In the early 1960s, Gladys, James, and the Pips moved to

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

. Knight and her family lived on Sherbourne Road in Sherwood Forest, an upscale neighborhood on Detroit's West Side. She resided on LaSalle Avenue for a time. Her children attended Gesu Catholic Grade School. After being separated seven years, Knight divorced Newman in 1973, and he died a few years later. In 1974, Knight married

, who created Blackground Records, the label that signed his niece, the R&B singer Aaliyah, to a record deal, in Detroit. The couple had one son, Shanga Ali Hankerson, born on August 1, 1976. Around 1977, they relocated to Atlanta. The Pips remained in Detroit. Their marriage ended in 1979 with a prolonged custody battle over their son. Knight spent over a million dollars looking for her son after he was kidnapped. In 1995, Knight married motivational speaker Les Brown, but they separated and divorced in 1997. Knight suffered through a gambling addiction that lasted more than a decade. In the late 1980s, after losing $60,000 in one night at the

table, she joined

Gamblers Anonymous Gamblers Anonymous (GA) founded in 1957 is an international fellowship of people who have a compulsive gambling problem. They meet regularly to share their "experiences, strength and hope", so they can help each other solve the problems compulsive ...

, which helped her quit the habit. Previously a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

and later a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, in 1997 she was baptized into

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

, following her son and daughter leaving Catholicism to join. She had occasionally teased LDS president

Gordon B. Hinckley Gordon Bitner Hinckley (June 23, 1910 – January 27, 2008) was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from March 1995 until his death in January 200 ...

, saying his flock needed to inject some "pep" into their music. He agreed, which resulted in the Grammy Award-winning

gospel music choir being formed. Knight later led the Be One Choir at "Be One 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Revelation on the Priesthood." Knight's son Jimmy Newman managed her career through his Newman Management Inc. until his death from heart failure on July 10, 1999, at age 36. Newman was survived by his wife, Michelene; daughters Nastasia and Gabrielle; and sons Rishawn, Stefan, and Sterling. Knight married William McDowell in 2001. They have seventeen grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren between them. Knight and McDowell reside in Asheville, North Carolina, near where they own a community center, the former Reynolds High School in Canton attended by McDowell. In 2017, Knight helped raise $400,000 for the Children's Learning Centers of Fairfield County. The event was held at the Palace Theatre and was co-hosted by

Carol Anne Riddell Carol Anne Riddell is an American reporter and journalist specialising in news on children and education. She was the education reporter and co-anchor of the ''News 4 New York'' newscast on Sundays for WNBC-TV in New York City until 2009. Life ...

and Alan Kalter.

Legacy

In 1996, Gladys Knight & the Pips were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. One year before, Knight had received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2007, Knight received the

Society of Singers Society of Singers, (1984 – 2017), known as SOS, was an American nonprofit 501(c)3 charitable organization, the only one devoted exclusively to helping professional singers. History and programs SOS was co-founded in 1984 by Ginny Mancini, wido ...

ELLA Award at which time she was declared the "Empress of Soul". She is listed on ''

''s list of the Greatest Singers of All Time. In 2022, Knight received Kennedy Center Honors.

Discography

;Studio albums * ''

Miss Gladys Knight ''Miss Gladys Knight'' is the debut solo album by American singer Gladys Knight. It was released by Buddah Records in 1978 in the United States. Her only album with that label, it peaked at number 57 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Criti ...

'' (1978) * ''

Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys K ...

'' (1979) * '' Good Woman'' (1991) * '' Just for You'' (1994) * '' Many Different Roads'' (1998) * ''

At Last "At Last" is a song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film '' Sun Valley Serenade'' (1941). Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded the tune several times, with a 1942 version reaching number two on the US ''Billboard'' po ...

'' (2000) * '' One Voice'' (with

) (2005) * '' Before Me'' (2006) * '' Another Journey'' (2013) * ''

Where My Heart Belongs ''Where My Heart Belongs'' is a studio album by American singer Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight r ...

'' (2014)

Published works

* Knight, Gladys. ''At Home With Gladys Knight'', McGraw-Hill, 2001 – * Knight, Gladys. ''Between Each Line of Pain and Glory: My Life Story'', Hyperion Press, 1998 –

Filmography

Films

Television

Awards, honors, and achievements

Grammy Awards

Knight has won seven

Grammys The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

with twenty-two nominations altogether. , - , 1967 , "

I Heard It Through The Grapevine "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown Records in 1966. The first recording of the song to be released was produced by Whitfield for Gladys Knight & the Pips and released as a ...

" (award for Knight, performance by

) ,

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards ...

, , - , 1969 , "

Friendship Train The 1947 U.S. Friendship Train collected foodstuffs from American donors for transport to the people of French Fourth Republic, France and Italy. Contemporaneous with the Marshall Plan, it provided desperately needed assistance in the aftermat ...

" (

) ,

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1970 and 2011. From 1967 to 1969 and in 1971 the award included instrumental performances. The award had several minor name changes: *From 1967 to 1968 the ...

, , - , 1971 , " If I Were Your Woman" (

) ,

, , - , 1972 , "

" (

) ,

, , - , rowspan=2, 1973 , "

" (Gladys Knight & the Pips) , Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals , , - , " Midnight Train To Georgia" (Gladys Knight & the Pips) ,

, , - , 1974 , " I Feel A Song (In My Heart)" (Gladys Knight & the Pips) ,

, , - , 1975 , "

The Way We Were ''The Way We Were'' is a 1973 American romantic drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. Arthur Laurents wrote both the novel and screenplay based on his college days at Cornell University and his ...

"/"

Try to Remember "Try to Remember" is a song about nostalgia from the musical comedy play ''The Fantasticks'' (1960). It is the first song performed in the show, encouraging the audience to imagine what the sparse set suggests. The words were written by the Amer ...

" (Gladys Knight & the Pips) , Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals , , - , 1977 , "Baby Don't Change Your Mind" (Gladys Knight & the Pips) ,

, , - , 1980 , ''About Love'' (Gladys Knight & the Pips) ,

, , - , rowspan=2, 1986 , "

" ( Dionne Warwick,

, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder) , Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals , , - , "

" ( Dionne Warwick,

, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder) ,

Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...

, , - , 1988 , " Love Overboard" (Gladys Knight And the Pips) ,

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1970 and 2011. From 1967 to 1969 and in 1971 the award included instrumental performances. The award had several minor name changes: *From 1967 to 1968 the ...

, , - , rowspan=2, 1991 , "

" (Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle & Dionne Warwick) ,

, , - , ''Good Woman'' ,

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Award ...

, , - , rowspan=2, 1994 , ''Just for You'' ,

Best R&B Album The Grammy Award for Best R&B Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the R&B music genre. Honors ...

, , - , "I Don't Want to Know" ,

, , - , 1996 , " Missing You" ( Brandy,

Tamia Tamia Marilyn Washington Hill (born May 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer. Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Tamia performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. In 1994, after signing a development de ...

, Gladys Knight & Chaka Khan) , Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals , , - , 1999 , ''Many Different Roads'' ,

Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality Gospel music, gospel albums ...

, , - , 2001 , ''At Last'' , Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album , , - , 2004 , " Heaven Help Us All" (Gladys Knight &

) , Best Gospel Performance , , - , 2005 , ''One Voice'' (Gladys Knight &

) , Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album ,

Other awards and honors

* 1992:

Essence Award ''Essence'' is a monthly lifestyle magazine covering fashion, beauty, entertainment, and culture. First published in 1970, the magazine is written for African-American women. History Edward Lewis, Clarence O. Smith, Cecil Hollingsworth and Jo ...

for Career Achievement * 1995: Hollywood Walk of Fame * 1996: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame * 1997: Trumpet Awards Foundation Pinnacle Award * 2005:

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...

Lifetime Achievement Award * 2007: NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Artist * 2007:

Ella Award, also declared the "Empress of Soul" * 2008:

Inaugural Best Living Legend Award * 2008: National Black Arts Festival Honoree at Legends Celebration * 2011:

Soul Train Music Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of '' Soul Train'', the p ...

Lifetime Achievement Award * 2017: National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame * 2019: Golden Plate Award of the

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet ...

* 2022: 45th Annual Kennedy Center Honors

Honorary degrees

* Honorary Doctorate in Performing Arts, Shaw University

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Gladys 1944 births 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers African-American Latter Day Saints African-American actresses 20th-century African-American women singers American Latter Day Saints American contraltos American film actresses American soul singers American television actresses Ballad musicians Converts to Mormonism Converts to Mormonism from Roman Catholicism Gladys Knight & the Pips members Grammy Award winners Knight family (show business) Latter Day Saints from Georgia (U.S. state) Latter Day Saints from North Carolina Living people Musicians from Atlanta Participants in American reality television series Singers from Georgia (U.S. state) Vee-Jay Records artists Writers from Georgia (U.S. state) African-American Catholics 21st-century African-American women