Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight in concert at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California, on October 12, 2006.
Background information
Birth name	Gladys Maria Knight
Born	May 28, 1944 (1944-05-28) (age 63)
Origin	Atlanta , Georgia, United States
Genre(s)	R&B , Soul
Years active	1952-present
Label(s)	Vee-Jay, Motown, Buddah, Columbia, MCA, Verve
Associated acts	Gladys Knight & the Pips, Aaliyah

Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA) is a seven-time Grammy Award-winning American R&B/soul singer, actress and author. She is best known for the hits she recorded during the 1960s and 1970s, for both the Motown and Buddah Records labels, with her group Gladys Knight & the Pips, the most famous incarnation of which also included her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight and her cousins Edward Patten and William Guest. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 399 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (677 × 1016 pixel, file size: 277 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) (All user names refer to en. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the state capital of Georgia. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Vee-Jay Records was a record label, specializing in blues, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... Buddah Records (now known as Buddha Records for spelling corrections of Buddha) was founded in 1967 by promotor Neil Bogart in New York City. ... MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc. ... Verve Records is an American Jazz record label, founded by Norman Granz in 1956, which absorbed the catalogues of his earlier labels: Norgran Records and Clef Records (founded 1953). ... The Pips redirects here. ... For other uses, see Aliyah (disambiguation). ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Atlanta redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... For other uses, see Author (disambiguation). ... Motown Records, Inc. ... Buddah Records (now known as Buddha Records for spelling corrections of Buddha) was founded in 1967 by promotor Neil Bogart in New York City. ... The Pips redirects here. ... Merald Bubba Knight (born September 4, 1942 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an African-American R&B/soul singer, best known as a member of Gladys Knight & the Pips. ... Edward Eddie Patten (1939 - February 25, 2005) was an Atlanta, Georgia-born African-American R&B/soul singer, best known as a member of Gladys Knight & the Pips. ... William Guest (born June 2, 1941 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an African-American R&B/soul singer, best known as a member of Gladys Knight & the Pips. ...

Biography

Early life

Gladys Knight was born to Merald Woodlow Knight and Sarah Elizabeth Woods. She first achieved minor fame by winning Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour TV show contest at the age of 7 in 1994. The following year, she, her brother Merald, sister Brenda, and cousins William and Elenor Guest formed a musical group called The Pips, (named after another cousin, James "Pip" Woods). By the end of the decade, the act had begun to tour, and had replaced Brenda Knight and Eleanor Guest with Gladys Knight's cousin Edward Patten and friend Langston George. Ted Mack (1904–1976) [born William Edward Maguiness] was an American television host, best remembered for Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... For the BBC pips, see Greenwich Time Signal. ...

Knight discovered she was pregnant in 1960, and married her high school sweetheart James Newman. After a miscarriage, Knight returned to performing with the Pips. In 1961, Bobby Robinson produced the single "Every Beat of My Heart" for the group, which became a #1 R&B and #6 pop hit when released on Vee-Jay Records. In 1962, Langston George left the group, which at that time renamed itself Gladys Knight & the Pips and continued as a quartet. This article needs to be wikified. ... Vee-Jay Records was a record label, specializing in blues, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. ...

In 1962, after scoring a second hit, "Letter Full of Tears", Knight became pregnant again, and gave birth to a son, Jimmy III, that year. She retired from the road to raise her child while The Pips toured on their own. After giving birth to a daughter, Kenya, in 1963, Knight was forced to return to recording and the Pips in order to support her family.

Success with The Pips

Main article: Gladys Knight & the Pips

Knight and the Pips perform aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger on November 1, 1981.

Gladys Knight & the Pips joined the Motown roster in 1966, and, although regarded as a second-string act, scored several hit singles, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," (also recorded by Marvin Gaye), "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). The Pips redirects here. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... AUGUST 25 1981 US Marine Sean Vance is Born on the 25th of August {ear nav|1981}} Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Motown Records, Inc. ... I Heard It Through the Grapevine is a R&B/soul song written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The act left Motown for a better deal with Buddah Records in 1973, and achieved full-fledged 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," and "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me." In the summer of 1974, Knight and the Pips recorded the soundtrack to the successful film Claudine with producer Curtis Mayfield. The act was particularly successful in Europe, and especially the United Kingdom. However, the Buddah hits all followed a number of years after their success in the U.S.. For example "Midnight Train to Georgia" hit the UK pop charts Top 5 in the summer of 1976, a full three years after its success in the U.S.. Buddah Records (now known as Buddha Records for spelling corrections of Buddha) was founded in 1967 by promotor Neil Bogart in New York City. ... Midnight Train to Georgia is a 1973 number-one hit single by Gladys Knight & the Pips, their first release after departing Motown Records for Buddah Records. ... Diahann Carroll portrays a welfare mother with six children in the 1974 film Claudine. ... Curtis Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, funk and R&B singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions and composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Superfly. ...

During this period of greater recognition, Knight made her motion picture acting debut 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. The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ...

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. Having divorced James Newman II in 1973, Knight married Barry Hankerson (future uncle of R&B singer Aaliyah), then Detroit mayor Coleman Young's executive aide. Knight and Hankerson remained married for three years, during which time they had a son, Shanga Ali. Upon their divorce, Hankerson and Knight had a heated custody battle over Shanga Ali. Columbia Records is the oldest brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888, and was the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. ... Barry Hankerson is an African-American record executive. ... For other uses, see Aliyah (disambiguation). ... For other persons named Coleman Young, see Coleman Young (disambiguation). ...

In the early 1980s, Johnny Mathis invited Gladys to record two duets – "When A Child Is Born" (previously a hit for Mathis) and "The Lord's Prayer". John Royce Mathis (b. ...

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 LPs--About Love (1980) and Touch (1981). During this period, Knight kicked a gambling addiction to the game baccarat. Image File history File links 1967-gladys-pips-grapevine. ... Columbia Records is the oldest brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888, and was the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. ... Nickolas Ashford (born May 4, 1942, in Fairfield, South Carolina) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946 in The Bronx, New York) are a successful songwriting/ production team, as well as being recording artists in their own right. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... AUGUST 25 1981 US Marine Sean Vance is Born on the 25th of August {ear nav|1981}} Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the card game. ...

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 lead single, "Love Overboard", was a successful hit and won a second Grammy for the act as well. After a successful 1988 tour, the Pips retired and Knight beganher solo career. Gladys Knight & the Pips were inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame^[1] in 1989 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame^[2] in 1996. MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc. ... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at sunset. ...

Solo music career

Knight and Ron Winan's Chicken & Waffles in Atlanta.

While still with The Pips, Knight joined with Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, and Elton John on the 1986 AIDS benefit single, "That's What Friends Are For" which won a Grammy for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. In 1989, Gladys Knight recorded the title track for the James Bond movie Licence to Kill, a top 10 hit both in the UK and Germany. Marie Dionne Warrick (born December 12, 1940), known professionally as Dionne Warwick, is an acclaimed five-time Grammy Award-winning African American singer best known for her work with Hal David and Burt Bacharach as songwriters and producers. ... Stevie Wonder (born Steveland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, name later changed to Steveland Hardaway Morris)[1] is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. ... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... For other uses, see AIDS (disambiguation). ... This article is about the spy series. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Knight's third solo LP, Good Woman, was released by MCA in 1991. It rose to #1 on the R&B album chart and featured the #2 R&B hit "Men". The album also featured "Superwoman", written by Babyface and featuring Dionne Warwick and Patti LaBelle. Knight and LaBelle would collaborate the same year on "I Don't Do Duets", a duet with Patti LaBelle from LaBelle's album Burnin'. Kenneth Babyface Edmonds (born April 10, 1958 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an R&B and pop singer, songwriter, keyboardist, record producer, film producer, and entreprenuer. ... Marie Dionne Warrick (born December 12, 1940), known professionally as Dionne Warwick, is an acclaimed five-time Grammy Award-winning African American singer best known for her work with Hal David and Burt Bacharach as songwriters and producers. ... Patti LaBelle (born May 24, 1944) is an American R&B, soul singer and songwriter. ...

Her fourth solo LP, Just for You, went gold and was nominated for the 1995 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. During this period, Knight was briefly married to motivational speaker Les Brown. It was also during this period that her eldest son, Jimmy III, died in his sleep at the age of 36.^[3] In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. ... The Grammy Award for Best R&B Album has been awarded since 1995. ... Les Brown, born 1945 in Liberty City, Florida, is a motivational speaker and author. ...

Now married to William McDowell, Knight joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1997. She had occasionally teased LDS Church president, the late Gordon B. Hinckley, that his flock needs to inject some "pep" into their music.^[4] Knight created and now directs the LDS-themed choir Saints Unified Voices [1]. SUV has released a Grammy Award-winning CD titled One Voice, and occasionally performs at LDS Church firesides. For other uses, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (disambiguation). ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church. ... Gordon Bitner Hinckley (born June 23, 1910) has been the fifteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since March 12, 1995. ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... Saints Unified Voices choir was created by and continues to be directed by Gladys Knight. ... A fireside is a supplementary, evening meeting in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ...

In 2008, a duet between Knight and Johnny Mathis was released on Mathis' album A Night to Remember. Knight is ranked number eighteen on VH1 network's list of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock. John Royce Mathis (b. ...

Acting and other work

Knight guest-starred on several television series throughout the 1980s and 1990s ,with roles 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 and Co. with comedian Flip Wilson. It lasted for one season. This article contains a trivia section. ... Jeffersons redirects here. ... A Different World is an American television sitcom which aired for six seasons on NBC (from September 24, 1987 until July 9, 1993). ... Living Single is an American television sitcom which aired for five seasons on the FOX television network from August 1993 until January 1998. ... The Jamie Foxx Show is an American television sitcom-comedy that aired on the WB Network from August 28, 1996 to January 14, 2001. ... New York Undercover was a one-hour urban police drama, which ran on the Fox Broadcasting Company network from 1994 to 1998. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... Charlie & Co. ... Clerow Flip Wilson (December 8, 1933 – November 25, 1998) was an African-American comedian and actor. ...

Knight owns a chain of chicken and waffles restaurants based in Atlanta.^[5] The Gladys Knight & Ron Winans' Chicken & Waffles currently have three locations - two in the Atlanta area and one in Largo, Maryland, near Washington, D.C., in The Boulevard at the Capital Centre.^[6] Chicken and waffles is a dish, combining waffles, typically a breakfast food, with chicken, sometimes fried, that is served in certain specialty restaurants in the United States. ... Gladys Knight & Ron Winans Chicken & Waffles, named for its founders Gladys Knight and Ron Winans, is a chain of elegant sit-down–style restaurants that specialize in waffles and fried chicken, often served on the same plate. ... Largo is an unincorporated community and census designated place in Prince Georges County, Maryland. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... The Boulevard at the Capital Centre as seen from the parking garage of the nearby Largo Town Center Metro station. ...

Awards and achievements

• Grammy Awards
  • 1986 Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal - "That's What Friends Are For" - Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder.
  • 2004 Best Gospel Performance - "Heaven Help Us All" - Ray Charles & Gladys Knight.
  • 2005 Best Gospel Choir Or Chorus Album - One Voice - Gladys Knight & The Saints Unified Voices.

• Other awards
  • 1995: Gladys Knight was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.^[7]
  • 2005: Gladys Knight received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the BET cable network.
  • 2006: Gladys Knight received a Legendary Award from the Las Vegas Music Awards.
  • 2007: Gladys Knight was declared the "Empress of Soul" and presented with the 16th Annual Ella Award by the Society of Singers.^[8][9]
  • 2008: Gladys Knight received the Lifetime Diva Award at the Stardust Music Awards in March.

The Pips redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Marie Dionne Warrick (born December 12, 1940), known professionally as Dionne Warwick, is an acclaimed five-time Grammy Award-winning African American singer best known for her work with Hal David and Burt Bacharach as songwriters and producers. ... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... Stevie Wonder (born Steveland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, name later changed to Steveland Hardaway Morris)[1] is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. ... For Ray Charles, the composer and conductor of the Ray Charles Singers, see Ray Charles (composer). ... Buskers perform on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ... BET redirects here. ... The Society of Singers (established 1984) is a not for profit charitable organisation based in Los Angeles, California. ...

Solo discography

See also: Gladys Knight & the Pips discography

Gladys Knight & the Pips during the Buddah Records period of the 1970s. ...

Singles

• 1978: "It's A Better Than Good Time"
• 1979: "Am I Too Late"
• 1979: "I Just Want To Be With You"
• 1985: "That's What Friends Are For" (with Dionne Warwick, Elton John & Stevie Wonder) (US #1 Pop, R&B and AC, UK #16)
• 1987: "Love Overboard" (#13 Pop, #1 R&B)
• 1989: "License to Kill" (#6 UK, #18 US AC)
• 1990: "If I Knew Then What I Know Now" (with Kenny Rogers) (#9 US AC)
• 1991: "Meet Me in the Middle"
• 1991: "Men" (R&B #2)
• 1991: "Superwoman" (with Dionne Warwick and Patti LaBelle): airplay-only
• 1992: "Where Would I Be"
• 1994: "End of the Road" Medley: "If You Don't Know Me by Now"/"Love Don't Love Nobody"
• 1994: "I Don't Want to Know" (R&B #32)
• 1995: "Next Time" (R&B #30)
• 2003: Feelin' Good (Vacilon) (Jazz/Salsa/R&B)

Thats What Friends Are For is a song and a series of charity concerts. ... Marie Dionne Warrick (born December 12, 1940), known professionally as Dionne Warwick, is an acclaimed five-time Grammy Award-winning African American singer best known for her work with Hal David and Burt Bacharach as songwriters and producers. ... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... Stevie Wonder (born Steveland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, name later changed to Steveland Hardaway Morris)[1] is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. ... The soundtrack to Licence to Kill, the 16th James Bond film of the same name, was released by MCA Records in 1989. ... Kenneth Ray[2] Kenny Rogers (born August 21, 1938, in Houston, Texas) is a prolific American country music singer, photographer, producer, songwriter, actor and businessman. ... Marie Dionne Warrick (born December 12, 1940), known professionally as Dionne Warwick, is an acclaimed five-time Grammy Award-winning African American singer best known for her work with Hal David and Burt Bacharach as songwriters and producers. ... Patti LaBelle (born May 24, 1944) is an American R&B, soul singer and songwriter. ...

Albums

• 1978: Miss Gladys Knight
• 1979: Gladys Knight
• 1991: Good Woman
• 1994: Just For You
• 1998: Many Different Roads
• 2001: At Last
• 2005: One Voice (with Saints Unified Voices)
• 2006: Before Me
• 2006: A Christmas Celebration (with Saints Unified Voices)

Saints Unified Voices choir was created by and continues to be directed by Gladys Knight. ...

Filmography

• 1973 - Save the Children (documentary)
• 1976 - Pipe Dreams
• 1983 - The Jeffersons (episode "The Good Life"
• 1985 - Charlie & Co.
• 1987 - Desperado
• 1993 - Twenty Bucks
• 1999 - Ally McBeal (episode "Seeing Green")
• 2003 - Hollywood Homicide
• 2005 - Unbeatable Harold
• 2006 - The Young Messiah - Messiah XXI (DVD)
• 2008 - 30 Rock (episode: "Episode 210")

Save the Children Logo Save the Children is an international non-profit organization dedicated to working for children. ... Jeffersons redirects here. ... Charlie & Co. ... Twenty Bucks is a 1993 film that follows the travels of a $20 bill from a crisp new bill from the ATM through various transactions an incidents from person to person through the city. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc - see Etymology) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ... This article is about the TV series. ...

Published works

• Knight, Gladys. At Home With Gladys Knight, McGraw-Hill, 2001 - ISBN 1580400752
  
• Knight, Gladys. Between Each Line of Pain and Glory: My Life Story, Hyperion Press, 1998 - ISBN 0786883715
  

References

External links

• Official website
• Gladys Knight at the Internet Movie Database
• Saints Unified Voices
• Article explaining the creation of Saints Unified Voices
• Sharing the Gospel Through Music -
• City Press (S.Africa) article
• Capetown (S.Africa) article
• Gladys Knight featured at the Hawaii Romance Festival, May 2008
• Early article referencing Gladys Knight as Empress of Soul.