and Sarah Elizabeth. She was raised with three children, a sister and two brothers.įrom the age of seven, her ability to sing began to manifest itself to the general public. She entered a singing contest on Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Schedule TV show and won. This feat was achieved in 1952 and before the end of the year, Gladys Knight and her siblings formed a music group called the Pips. It was a small but important step in what would become Gladys Knight’s entire life. The group sang at small venues in and around Atlanta, combining their gigs with their academic responsibilities.īiography & AgeĮven in the midst of oppression and racism, which was a theme in America in the 1940s, a star was born into an African-American family on May 28, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia. Gladys Knight was born to a postal worker, Merald Woodlow Knight Sr. However, when the ’60s turned around, the Pips had started making the rounds across the country The group is named after one of the family’s cousins (James ‘Pip’ Woods) and consists of Gladys Knight, her siblings and two cousins - William and Elenor Guest.
In 1961 the band recorded their first song, Every Beat My Heart and signed with a music label called Fury Label. The Pips enjoyed mild success with some of their songs in the first half of the 1960s, including the release of their debut album, Gladys. With their popularity waning after a lack of hit songs, the Pips were lucky enough to sign with Motown Records, who performed them as part two, but like water to a dying factory, Motown’s signing rejuvenated. their career and they returned to releasing several number one hit songs. Gladys Knight and the Pips having found their groove again, eventually left Motown and signed with Buddah Records. The partnership with Buddah Records gave Knight his first award-winning hits, with the release of the classic song, Midnight Train to Georgia.
The Pips also took their music to Hollywood where they recorded the soundtrack for the classic film, Claudine. As Gladys Knight’s popularity grew in the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom, she became a commercial success recognized by Hollywood producers and she played her first role in a film.
Pipe Dreams, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination.ĭespite the fact that her career has been mostly performed by the Pips, Gladys Knight’s solo career is also enjoying considerable success. She released her first solo album in 1978, titled Miss Gladys Knight. During her career, she has released a total of six Billboard number one albums and a total of 11 studio albums. She and the pips, however, have released over 50 albums, including studio, live and compilation albums. Gladys, who has also had a long acting career, has appeared in more than 20 movies and TV shows, including hits like Desperado and I Can Do Evil Alone. She has 22 Grammy nominations to her name and has won seven. She also received an Honorary Doctorate of Performing Arts from Shaw University. His remarkable career, which has featured several hit songs and tours, has seen him attain a massive net worth of $28 million. She also has a film career where she has earned a substantial income from her appearances. Needless to say, Gladys Knight is an icon and she has been very invested in acquiring her impressive net worth. Gladys Knight has three children from fourmarriages. She first married when she was 16, marrying fellow musician, James Newman. The marriage produced two children – James Gaston Newman III and Kenya Newman. After Newman’s divorce in 1973, she remarried in 1974 to Barry Hankerson and had her third child, Shanga Hankerson. After Barry’s divorce in 1979, she remarried in 1995 to Les Brown, then to William McDowell in 2001 after her marriage to Brown ended in 1997.
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