Gladys Knight

Last updated

Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight 1997.jpg
Knight in 1997
Background information
Birth nameGladys Maria Knight
Also known asThe Empress of Soul
Born (1944-05-28) May 28, 1944 (age 79)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • actress
Years active1948–present
Labels

Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", [1] [2] is an American singer. A ten-time Grammy Award-winner, [3] Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys Knight & the Pips, which included her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight and cousins William Guest and Edward Patten.

Contents

Knight has recorded two number-one Billboard Hot 100 singles ("Midnight Train to Georgia" and "That's What Friends Are For" which she did with Dionne Warwick, Sir Elton John and Stevie Wonder), eleven number-one R&B singles and six number-one R&B albums. 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 along with The Pips. Two of her songs ("I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight Train to Georgia") were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "historical, artistic and significant" value. [4] [5] She also recorded the theme song for the 1989 James Bond film Licence to Kill . Rolling Stone magazine ranked Knight among the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. [6] She is also a recipient of the National Medal of Arts and Kennedy Center Honors.

Early life

Knight was born in Atlanta to Merald Woodlow Knight Sr., a postal worker, and Sarah Elizabeth (née Woods). [7] [8] She has a sister, Brenda, [9] one living brother, Merald "Bubba" Knight, Jr., [10] [11] and one deceased brother, David "Billy" Knight. [12] She won Ted Mack's The Original Amateur Hour TV show contest on July 1, 1952 at the age of eight. [13] That same year, Gladys, her brother Bubba, sister Brenda, and their cousins Eleanor 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 urging of Gladys' mother Elizabeth Knight. [10]

The group settled on the name The Pips, inspired by the nickname of their cousin James "Pip" Woods. [14] Later on, Brenda and Eleanor left.

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. [15] That same year, Knight left the group to start a family with musician and husband Jimmy Newman.

Success with the Pips

Knight in 1974 Gladys Knight 1974.jpg
Knight in 1974

Gladys Knight & the Pips joined the Motown Records roster in 1966 (with only three hits to their credit - "Every Beat of My Heart", "Giving Up" and "Letter Full of Tears"), [16] and, although initially regarded as a second-string act by the label, scored several major hit singles, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (1967) (released later by Marvin Gaye), "The Nitty Gritty" (1969), "Friendship Train" (1969), "If I Were Your Woman" (1970), "I Don't Want To Do Wrong" (1971), the Grammy Award–winning "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" (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. 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 later told Knight that she was giving his act a hard time. [17]

The act left Motown for a better deal with Buddah Records 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 to the film Claudine with producer Curtis Mayfield, 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.

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 (uncle of future hip/hop, R&B singer Aaliyah), then Detroit mayor Coleman Young'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".

Knight and the Pips perform aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger in November 1981 Gladys Knight aboard USS Ranger (CV-61), 1981.JPEG
Knight and the Pips perform aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger in November 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)".

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. 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 [18] in 1989, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [19] in 1996 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.

Solo career and other musical endeavors

While still with the Pips, Gladys Knight joined with Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, and Elton John on the 1985 AIDS benefit single, "That's What Friends Are For", 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" at Wrestlemania 4 in Atlantic City, NJ. In 1989, she recorded "Licence to Kill", 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", written by Babyface 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.

Her fourth solo album, Just for You, went Gold and was nominated for the 1995 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. [20]

Knight created and directs the Mormon-themed choir Saints Unified Voices. [21] 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, 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 of "You Were There" was released on Charles' duets album Genius & Friends .

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 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. [22]

In September 2011, a new, updated recording of Shirley Bassey's 1960s classic "I (Who Have Nothing)" was released on iTunes and Amazon. [23]

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' motion picture The Butler . 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. [24]

Gladys Knight receiving her Kennedy Center Honor (2022) Secretary Blinken Delivers Remarks at the 2022 Kennedy Center Honors Dinner (52542066661).jpg
Gladys Knight receiving her Kennedy Center Honor (2022)

Where My Heart Belongs (2014) marked her 30th top-40 R&B album, including work by Gladys Knight & the Pips. [25] 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." [26] 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 at Super Bowl LIII. [27] She faced criticism for agreeing to perform due to the alleged blacklisting of Colin Kaepernick by the National Football League after he began protesting police brutality during pre-game anthem ceremonies. [28] Similar criticism was expressed against the half-time show performers, Maroon 5, Travis Scott, and Big Boi. [29] Knight defended her decision to sing, claiming to understand Kaepernick's reasons for protesting but criticizing him for kneeling during the national anthem. [30] [31]

In 2019, Knight was invited to play at the 100th Anniversary of Delaware State Fair, located in Harrington, Delaware. [32]

In 2022, Knight received Kennedy Center Honors, presented by U.S. President Joe Biden. [33] [34] She also headlined a U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit Dinner at the White House. [35]

UK Farewell Tour

In October 2009, Knight started her farewell tour of the United Kingdom, [36] which featured Tito Jackson 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".

In spite of her "farewell", Knight started touring the UK again a few years later, playing gigs in Scotland and England in 2015, [37] 2016, [38] 2017, [39] 2019, 2022 [40] and 2024. [41]

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. [42] In 2003, she had a small role in the movie Hollywood Homicide, which starred Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett. In 2009, Knight was featured in Tyler Perry'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, The Jeffersons, A Different World, Living Single, The Jamie Foxx Show, and New York Undercover. In 1985, she co-starred on the CBS sitcom Charlie & Co. , alongside comedian Flip Wilson, 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 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. They were eliminated on April 24 after losing a "dance duel" to Disney Channel star Roshon Fegan and partner Chelsie Hightower, ironically on the show's "Motown Week". [43]

In 2017, she appeared as herself in the musical-drama TV series Star . [44]

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. [45]

In February 2019, she was revealed to have competed as "Bee" on The Masked Singer , in which she placed third. [46] She performed "Chandelier", "Locked Out of Heaven", "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".

Business ventures

Knight and Ron Winans' Chicken & Waffles in Atlanta Gladys Knight and Ron Winan's C&W Atlanta (cropped).jpg
Knight and Ron Winans' Chicken & Waffles in Atlanta

Knight's son Shanga Hankerson owns a chain of chicken and waffles restaurants based in Atlanta, bearing her name. [47] Gladys Knight & Ron Winans' Chicken & Waffles opened three locations in the Atlanta area. One location was featured on the Travel Channel original series Man v. Food. [48] In June 2016, authorities in Georgia raided two of the restaurants and its headquarters. [49]

In 2016, WSB-TV reported that Hankerson was 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. [49]

Personal life

Knight in 2016 Gladys Knight - 2016.jpg
Knight in 2016

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. [50] 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. [50] Their son, James "Jimmy" Gaston Newman III was born on August 13, 1962. [51] 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. 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, [52] and he died a few years later. [53]

In 1974, Knight married Barry Hankerson, 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. [53] Knight spent over a million dollars looking for her son after he was kidnapped. [54]

In 1995, Knight married motivational speaker Les Brown, [55] but they separated and divorced in 1997. [56]

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 baccarat table, she joined Gamblers Anonymous, which helped her quit the habit. [54]

Previously a Baptist and later a Catholic, in 1997 she was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, following her son and daughter leaving Catholicism to join. [57] [58] [59] She had occasionally teased LDS president Gordon B. Hinckley, saying his flock needed to inject some "pep" into their music. [60] He agreed, which resulted in the Grammy Award-winning Saints Unified Voices gospel music choir being formed. Knight later led the Be One Choir at "Be One 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Revelation on the Priesthood." [61]

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. [62] Newman was survived by his wife, Michelene; daughters Nastasia and Gabrielle; and sons Rishawn, Stefan, and Sterling. [51]

Knight married William McDowell in 2001. [63] They have seventeen grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren between them. [64] Knight and McDowell reside in Fairview, North Carolina, near where they own a community center, the former Reynolds High School in Canton attended by McDowell. [65] [66]

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 and Alan Kalter. [67]

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 ELLA Award at which time she was declared the "Empress of Soul". She is listed on Rolling Stone 's list of the Greatest Singers of All Time. [68] In 2021, Knight received the National Medal of Arts. And, in 2022, Knight received a Kennedy Center Honor. [69]

Discography

Studio albums

Published works

Filmography

Films

YearTitleRoleNotes
1976 Pipe Dreams Maria Wilson Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress nominee
1987DesperadoMona Lisa
1993 Twenty Bucks Mrs. McCormic
2003 Hollywood Homicide Olivia Robidoux
2006 Unbeatable Harold Phyllis
2006Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't HappenCandie (voice)
2009 I Can Do Bad All by Myself WilmaPerformed "The Need To Be" from the 1974 album I Feel a Song
2014Seasons of LoveMs. AngieHoliday movie
2016 Almost Christmas Dorothy, Shelter Director
2021 Coming 2 America Herself
2022 I'm Glad It's Christmas Cora Lawson, BusinesswomanHoliday movie

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981 The Muppet Show HerselfSeason 5, episode 16
1983 The Jeffersons Herself"The Good Life" (season 9: episode 20)
1985–1986 Charlie & Co. Diana Richmond18 episodes
1987 CBS Schoolbreak Special Dr. Donna Robinson"An Enemy Among Us" (season 4, episode 7)
1988 A Different World Herself"Three Girls Three" (season 2, episode 5)
1994 New York Undercover Natalie2 episodes
1997 Living Single Odelle Jones2 episodes
1999 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Chocolate"The Bremen Town Musicians" (season 3, episode 3)
1996–2001 The Jamie Foxx Show Janice King11 episodes
2003 American Juniors Herself / Judge
2005 JAG Etta"Unknown Soldier" (season 10, episode 20)
2008 30 Rock Herself"210" (season 2, episode 10)
2009 House of Payne Herself"The Talent Show" (season 5, episode 20)
2012–2013 The First Family Grandma Carolyn9 episodes
2015 Hot in Cleveland Miss Shonda1 episode
2017 Star Herself2 episodes
2018 Hawaii Five-0 Ella Grover"Lele pū nā manu like" ("Birds of a Feather...") [70]
2019 The Masked Singer Bee/HerselfThird place

Awards, honors, and achievements

Grammy Awards

Knight has won ten Grammys with twenty-two nominations altogether. [71]

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1967 "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" (award for Knight, performance by Gladys Knight & the Pips) Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Nominated
1969 "Friendship Train" (Gladys Knight & the Pips) Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals Nominated
1971 "If I Were Your Woman" (Gladys Knight & the Pips) Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals Nominated
1972 "Help Me Make It Through the Night" (Gladys Knight & the Pips) Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals Nominated
1973 "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" (Gladys Knight & the Pips) Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals Won
"Midnight Train To Georgia" (Gladys Knight & the Pips) Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals Won
1974 "I Feel A Song (In My Heart)" (Gladys Knight & the Pips) Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals Nominated
1975 "The Way We Were"/"Try to Remember" (Gladys Knight & the Pips) Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals Nominated
1977 "Baby Don't Change Your Mind" (Gladys Knight & the Pips) Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals Nominated
1980 About Love(Gladys Knight & the Pips) Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals Nominated
1986 "That's What Friends Are For" (Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder) Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals Won
"That's What Friends Are For" (Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder) Record of the Year Nominated
1988 "Love Overboard" (Gladys Knight And the Pips) Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals Won
1991 "Superwoman" (Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle & Dionne Warwick) Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals Nominated
Good Woman Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female Nominated
1994 Just for You Best R&B Album Nominated
"I Don't Want to Know" Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female Nominated
1996 "Missing You" (Brandy, Tamia, Gladys Knight & Chaka Khan) Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals Nominated
1999 Many Different Roads Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album Nominated
2001 At Last Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album Won
2004 "Heaven Help Us All" (Gladys Knight & Ray Charles) Best Gospel Performance Won
2005 One Voice(Gladys Knight & Saints Unified Voices) Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album Won

Other awards and honors

Honorary degrees

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aretha Franklin</span> American singer, songwriter, and pianist (1942–2018)

Aretha Louise Franklin was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", Rolling Stone twice named her as the greatest singer of all time. With global sales of over 75 million records, Franklin is one of the world's best-selling music artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gladys Knight & the Pips</span> American R&B/soul vocal group

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">José Feliciano</span> Puerto Rican musician (born 1945)

José Montserrate Feliciano García is a Puerto Rican musician. He recorded many international hits, including his rendition of the Doors' "Light My Fire" and his self-penned Christmas song "Feliz Navidad". Music genres he explores consist of fusion of many styles, such as Latin, blues, jazz, soul and rock music, created primarily with the help of his signature acoustic guitar sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Withers</span> American musician (1938–2020)

William Harrison Withers Jr. was an American singer and songwriter. He had several hits over a career spanning 18 years, including "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Grandma's Hands" (1971), "Use Me" (1972), "Lean on Me" (1972), "Lovely Day" (1977) and "Just the Two of Us" (1980). Withers won three Grammy Awards and was nominated for six more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaka Khan</span> American singer (born 1953)

Yvette Marie Stevens, better known by her stage name Chaka Khan, is an American singer. Known as the "Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. With the band she recorded the notable hits "Tell Me Something Good", "Sweet Thing", "Do You Love What You Feel" and the platinum-certified "Ain't Nobody". Her debut solo album featured the number-one R&B hit "I'm Every Woman". Khan scored another R&B charts hit with "What Cha' Gonna Do for Me" before becoming the first R&B artist to have a crossover hit featuring a rapper, with her 1984 cover of Prince's "I Feel for You". More of Khan's hits include "Through the Fire" and a 1986 collaboration with Steve Winwood that produced a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, "Higher Love".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Cole</span> American singer (1950–2015)

Natalie Maria Cole was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to prominence in the mid-1970s, with the release of her debut album Inseparable (1975), along with the song "This Will Be ", and the album's title track. Its success led to her receiving the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 18th Annual Grammy Awards, for which she became the first African-American recipient, as well as the first R&B act to win the award. The singles "Sophisticated Lady" (1976), "I've Got Love on My Mind", and "Our Love" (1977) followed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Heard It Through the Grapevine</span> 1966 song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong

"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 single in September 1967. It went to number one on the Billboard R&B Singles chart and number two on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and shortly became the biggest selling Motown single up to that time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Marvelettes</span> American girl group

The Marvelettes were an American girl group that achieved popularity in the early to mid-1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgeanna Tillman, Juanita Cowart, and Georgia Dobbins, who was replaced by Wanda Young prior to the group signing their first deal. They were the first successful act of Motown Records after the Miracles and its first significantly successful female group after the release of the 1961 number-one single, "Please Mr. Postman", one of the first number-one singles recorded by an all-female vocal group and the first by a Motown recording act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norman Whitfield</span> American musical artist and producer (1940–2008)

Norman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer, who worked with Berry Gordy's Motown labels during the 1960s. He has been credited as one of the creators of the Motown Sound and of the late-1960s subgenre of psychedelic soul.

Barry Hankerson is an American record producer, music label owner and manager. Hankerson is the founder of Blackground Records, and the uncle of late singer and actress Aaliyah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Patten</span> American soul singer (1939–2005)

Edward Roy Patten was an American R&B/soul singer, best known as a member of Gladys Knight & the Pips. He was a cousin of Gladys Knight. Patten was a member of the group from 1959 until the disbandment in 1989. Patten was a multiple Grammy Award winner, and along with the group, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midnight Train to Georgia</span> 1973 single by Gladys Knight & the Pips

"Midnight Train to Georgia" is a song most famously performed by Gladys Knight & the Pips, their second release after departing Motown Records for Buddah Records. Written by Jim Weatherly, and included on the Pips' 1973 LP Imagination, "Midnight Train to Georgia" became the group's first single to top the Billboard Hot 100. It also won the 1974 Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus and has become Knight's signature song.

Alta Sherral "Allee" Willis was an American songwriter, multi-media artist, collector, and art director. Willis co-wrote hit songs including "September" and "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind & Fire. She also co-wrote the song "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", a number 2 hit in both the UK and U.S. for Pet Shop Boys featuring Dusty Springfield. She won two Grammy Awards for Beverly Hills Cop and The Color Purple, the latter of which was also nominated for a Tony Award, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for "I'll Be There for You", which was used as the theme song for the sitcom Friends. Her compositions sold over 60 million records and she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018 as the only woman to be inducted that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Guest (singer)</span> American soul singer (1941–2015)

William Franklin Guest was an American R&B/soul singer best known as a member of Gladys Knight & the Pips along with his cousins Gladys Knight, Merald "Bubba" Knight and Edward Patten. Guest was a member of the group for its entire history, from 1952 to 1989. He is a multiple Grammy Award winner and was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1996.

"For Once in My Life" is a song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Stein & Van Stock publishing company, and first recorded in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Help Me Make It Through the Night</span> 1970 country song by Kris Kristofferson

"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 Night. It has been covered since by many other artists from Tammy Wynette and Johnny Cash to Elvis Presley and Joan Baez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Midnighters</span> American vocal group

The Midnighters were an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan. They were an influential group in the 1950s and early 1960s, with many R&B hit records. They were also notable for launching the career of lead singer Hank Ballard and the worldwide dance craze the Twist. Between 1953 and 1962 the Midnighters had several hits on the U.S. pop and R&B charts. Their hits included the million-selling Billboard Top 10 pop hits "Finger Poppin' Time", and "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go". The Midnighters also had 13 top 10 R&B hits, including three that reached number 1. Their top 10 R&B hits included "Work with Me, Annie", "It's Love Baby ", "Annie Had a Baby", "The Hoochi Coochi Coo", "Teardrops on Your Letter", "Get It", "The Float" and "Nothing but Good". They received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's prestigious Pioneer Award in 1992 and were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. The Midnighters are also noted for achieving a music industry milestone in 1960, by becoming the first group in history to place 3 singles in the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time. The group's lead singer, Hank Ballard, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. The Midnighters as a group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14, 2012.

James Dexter Weatherly was an American singer-songwriter who wrote mostly pop and country music. He played quarterback at the University of Mississippi while also writing music with his own bands. He subsequently chose songwriting over a football career. His notable songs include "The Need to Be" and "Midnight Train to Georgia".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)</span> 1972 single by Gladys Knight & the Pips

"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 the last single the group released prior to them leaving Motown for Buddah Records in February 1973.

Paul Riser is an American trombonist and Motown musical arranger who was responsible for co-writing and arranging dozens of top ten hit records. His legacy as one of the "Funk Brothers" is similar to that of most of the other "Brothers", as his career has been overlooked and overshadowed by the stars of Motown that became household names. Some of the Funk Brothers he worked with include: Earl Van Dyke, Johnny Griffith, Robert White, Eddie Willis, Joe Messina, Dennis Coffey, Wah Wah Watson, James Jamerson, Bob Babbitt, Eddie Watkins, Richard "Pistol" Allen, Uriel Jones, Andrew Smith, Jack Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Eddie "Bongo" Brown, Benny Benjamin, Cornelius Grant, Joe Hunter, Richard "Popcorn" Wylie, Marcus Belgrave, Teddy Buckner and Stevie Wonder.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Voice, Winter 2007, Society of Singer's 16th Ella Awards" (PDF). Singers.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 27, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  2. ""Empress of Soul" Gladys Knight will be giving a special performance at Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa, November 7". Braintrustlv.com. September 22, 2010. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  3. "Gladys Knight". Grammy.com. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  4. "GRAMMY Awards: Here Are the 2018 GRAMMY Hall of Fame Inductees". 1077theend.com. January 16, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  5. "GRAMMY Living History Moments With Gladys Knight". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. November 19, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  6. "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone . December 3, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  7. Grantham, Loretta (November 11, 1999). "Knight's Quest: End Diabetes, For Mom's Sake". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
  8. McClure, Rhonda R. (October 25, 2001). "Ancestry of Gladys Knight". Genealogy.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2010. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  9. Lordi, Emily (August 13, 2021). "The Misunderstood Talent of Gladys Knight". www.newyorker.com.
  10. 1 2 Houghton, Cillea (April 19, 2023). "All in the Family: The Origins of Gladys Knight & the Pips". American Songwriter.
  11. "AAPRC | Bubba Knight's Story: Through the Eyes of a Pip".
  12. "'Billy' Knight, brother of Gladys, dies at age 55". lasvegassun.com. December 6, 2002.
  13. "Happy birthday, Gladys Knight! See her life in pictures". www.usatoday.com. May 28, 2019.
  14. "Five things you might not know about Gladys Knight". Knoxville News Sentinel. June 9, 2017.
  15. "Langston George obituary". Legacy.com. March 22, 2007. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  16. "The Pips lacked a certified hit before Gladys Knight" . Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  17. Knight, Gladys. Between Each Line of Pain and Glory: My Life Story. Hyperion, New York, NY 1997, p. 179.
  18. "The Georgia Music Hall of Fame Music Store". Georgiamusicstore.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  19. "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Gladys Knight and The Pips". Rockhall.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  20. "James Newman, Gladys Knight's Son And Manager, Dies In Las Vegas At 36". Jet. 1999. Archived from the original on June 28, 2006.
  21. "Saints Unified Voices Choir". SUV Choir. Archived from the original on February 21, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  22. "Gladys Knight moves Jackson mourners to tears". Entertainment.gaeatimes.com. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  23. "Information on and review of the new single". The4thpip.blogspot.com. September 29, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  24. Friedman, Roger (August 6, 2013). "Lenny Kravitz Writes Gladys Knight an Oscar-Buzzed Song for 'The Butler'" . Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  25. "Gladys Knight 'On Top of the World' With New Album & TV Movie". Billboard. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  26. "Gladys Knight Shares Thoughts on Singers' Selling Sex". Theboombox.com. October 6, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  27. "Gladys Knight defends singing national anthem at Super Bowl". BBC News. January 19, 2019.
  28. Carmichael, Rodney (January 19, 2019). "Gladys Knight To Sing The Super Bowl's National Anthem, As A Perilous Fight Endures". Opinion. NPR.
  29. Greene, David; Quiroz, Lilly (January 18, 2019). "Even With Rappers Set To Perform, Super Bowl's Halftime Show Remains Tone-Deaf". Morning Edition. NPR.
  30. Aswad, Jem (January 17, 2019). "Gladys Knight Comments on Colin Kaepernick and Super Bowl: 'I Am Here to Give the Anthem Back Its Voice'". 'I understand that Mr. Kaepernick is protesting two things, and they are police violence and injustice,' she wrote. 'It is unfortunate that our National Anthem has been dragged into this debate when the distinctive senses of the National Anthem and fighting for justice should each stand alone. I am here today and on Sunday, Feb. 3 to give the Anthem back its voice, to stand for that historic choice of words, the way it unites us when we hear it and to free it from the same prejudices and struggles I have fought long and hard for all my life, from walking back hallways, from marching with our social leaders, from using my voice for good — I have been in the forefront of this battle longer than most of those voicing their opinions to win the right to sing our country's Anthem on a stage as large as the Super Bowl LIII.'
  31. "Gladys Knight Sings Super Bowl National Anthem". GRAMMY.com. February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  32. "AN EVENING WITH GLADYS KNIGHT". Delaware State Fiar. 2019. Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  33. "President Joe Biden on Gladys Knight - 45th Kennedy Center Honors (White House Reception)". YouTube .
  34. Gladys Knight has always been a singer's singer The Washington Post. November 30, 2022. (subscription required)
  35. "Gladys Knight Set to Headline U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit Dinner at the White House". BET .
  36. "The Empress of Soul-Gladys Knight". Gigjunkie.net. Archived from the original on October 6, 2009. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  37. Paine, Andre (July 7, 2015). "Gladys Knight tour review: Triumph of a Motown legend". Evening Standard .
  38. "Gladys Knight - Royal Albert Hall - 20160702". JamBase. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  39. "WATCH Gladys Knight at 73 on STUNNING form at London show sing Hello better than Adele". Express. July 7, 2017.
  40. Eames, Tom (February 16, 2022). "Gladys Knight is heading out on a UK tour in 2022: Tickets, dates and venues revealed". Smooth Radio.
  41. "Gladys Knight: The Farewell Tour". Royal Albert Hall. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  42. "Winners & Nominees 1977". Goldenglobes.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  43. O'Connell, Mikey (April 24, 2012). "The 'Dancing With the Stars' Elimination Duel Claims Another". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  44. Petski, Denise (November 4, 2016). "Gladys Knight To Guest Star On Lee Daniels' Fox Series 'Star'". Deadline. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  45. Reporter, Kimberly C. Roberts Entertainment (November 16, 2018). "Gladys Knight, Lou Gossett hit 'Hawaii Five-O' for Thanksgiving". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  46. Spellberg, Claire (February 28, 2019). "'The Masked Singer' Finale Reveals T-Pain, Gladys Knight, and Donny Osmond". Decider. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  47. "Light System In Chicken & Waffles Restaurant – Official Site". Archived from the original on January 19, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  48. Family Business – Gladys Knight co-owner of restaurant in Atlanta. Jet December 11, 2000
  49. 1 2 "Georgia officials raid Gladys Knight's Chicken and Waffles restaurants". Fox News. June 22, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  50. 1 2 Dougherty, Steve (December 8, 1997). "Pain and Glory". People.
  51. 1 2 "Record exec, entertainment manager Newman dies". LasVegasSun.com. July 13, 1999. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  52. "Gladys Knight Receives Divorce From Husband". Jet. 43 (18): 56. January 25, 1973.
  53. 1 2 "Gladys Knight". Biography.com. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  54. 1 2 Lacher, Irene (July 24, 2011). "The Sunday Conversation: Gladys Knight". Los Angeles Times. ISSN   0458-3035. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  55. "Jet – Google Books". Books.google.com. Johnson Publishing Company. October 9, 1995. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  56. "Pain and Glory". People. Vol. 48, no. 23. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  57. "Soul Survivor In Her New Memoir, Gladys Knight Looks Back At Nearly Five Decades In Show Business. Pips And All. By All Indications, The Singer's Story Is Far From Over. - philly-archives". Articles.philly.com. October 5, 1997. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  58. Albright, Mark (January 21, 2013). "The Gladys Knight Conversion Story | Meridian Magazine". Meridian Magazine | Latter-day Saint News and Views. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  59. Mason, B.J. (June 1973). Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company. p. 178.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  60. 2006 September, Desert Saints Magazine
  61. "'Be One' celebration thrills the audience with stories of trailblazing black Mormons and songs of rejoicing and reflection from Gladys Knight, multiracial choirs and others". Sltrib.com. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  62. Variety Staff (August 4, 1999). "James Newman". Variety. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  63. Gilmer, Jason (October 25, 2017). "Gladys Knight brings friends to Asheville". BlueRidgeNow.
  64. "Oprah's Master Class" . Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  65. Walton, Beth (March 3, 2017). "Gladys Knight and husband move forward with Canton center". Asheville Citizen-Times .
  66. Chávez, Karen (February 27, 2021). "Great Smokies starts to unearth stories of Black and enslaved people in park's history". Asheville Citizen-Times.
  67. Oliveira, Nelson (May 4, 2017). "Grammy winner's concert raises $400k for Stamford nonprofit". Stamford Advocate.
  68. Hudak, Joseph. "Gladys Knight – 100 Greatest Singers". Rolling Stone . Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  69. "U2 and Gladys Knight to Receive Kennedy Center Honors". Pitchfork . July 21, 2022.
  70. Reporter, Kimberly C. Roberts Entertainment (November 16, 2018). "Gladys Knight, Lou Gossett hit 'Hawaii Five-O' for Thanksgiving". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  71. "Gladys Knight". grammy.com. November 23, 2020.
  72. Oprah Winfrey & Denzel Washington present Essence Award to Gladys Knight on YouTube
  73. "Hollywood Walk of Fame – Our list of Rock stars on the Walk". Rockandrollroadmap.com. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  74. "Gladys Knight and the Pips | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame".
  75. "The 5th Annual Trumpet Awards salutes outstanding black achievers during gala ceremony in Atlanta". Jet. February 3, 1997. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
  76. "Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Gladys Knight | BET Awards | Videos". Bet.com. June 25, 2005. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  77. "The 38th NAACP Image Awards" (PDF). Naacpimageawards.net. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 7, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  78. "eurweb.com article reviewing Society of Singer's 16th Ella Award". Eurweb.com. Archived from the original on May 29, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  79. "1st Annual The BET Honors". Bet.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  80. "Westmark, Jan. Celebrity News Service". Allheadlinenews.com. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  81. 2011 Soul Train Awards (2011) - IMDb , retrieved May 28, 2021
  82. "The Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame Inducts James Brown, Gladys Knight & More at 2017 Ceremony". Billboard .
  83. "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
  84. "Gladys Knight".
  85. "U2, George Clooney, Gladys Knight lead list of Kennedy Center Honorees". July 21, 2022.
  86. "Gladys Knight". RAM Entertainment. March 30, 1989. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2015.