Knight, Gladys 1944–

views updated

Gladys Knight 1944–

Vocalist, actress

Acclaimed female vocalist Gladys Maria Knight was born May 28, 1944 in Atlanta, Georgia to Merald, Sr. and Elizabeth (Woods). Both of Gladys’s parents were singers in the “Wings Over Jordan” gospel choir. Raised in a family which valued education and the sounds of gospel music, Gladys began singing gospel music at the Mount Moriah Baptist Church and had her first recital published there in 1948 when she was four-years-old. Gladys then toured southern churches with the Morris Brown Choir of Atlanta, Georgia from 1950 through 1953, performing recitals at local churches and schools. By age seven, with her mother’s encouragement, Gladys appeared on Ted Mack’s “The Original Amateur Hour” in 1952, where she won the first prize of $2,000 for singing Nat King Cole’s “Too Young.” In 1952, Gladys entertained her family by singing with ten-year-old brother Merald (known as “Bubba”), sister Brenda, and cousins William and Elenor Guest at Bubba’s 10th birthday party. Another cousin, James “Pip” Woods later suggested that they turn professional and he lent them his nickname, whereafter the “Pips” were formed. The “Pips” sang at supper clubs during the week and in church on Sundays.

Gladys periodically left the group, but firmly rejoined them in 1964, whereafter the group released numerous successful hits and recordings through the 1980s. By 1957, the group had expanded to include cousins Edward Patten and Langston George along with Gladys, Bubba and William Guest, though sister Brenda Knight and cousin Elenor Guest had left the group to be married. By 1960, Langston George left the group, leaving the quartet which comprised “Gladys Knight and the Pips” through the 1980s.

Knight, who graduated from Shaw University with honors, was married in the 1960s and had two children, James and Kenya. Eventually divorced, she later married Barry Hankerson in October of 1974 whom she divorced by 1979. The couple had one son from this marriage, Shanga-Ali. Since then, Knight wed once again, this time to Les Brown, whom she married on August 29, 1995—the couple is now separated and plan to divorce. In 1997, Jimmy Newman, Knight’s son and current manager, is now 35-years-old, while daughter Kenya is 34, and her youngest son, Shanga, is 21-years-old.

At a Glance…

Born Gladys Maria Knight, May 28, 1944, Atlanta, GA; daughter of Merald, Sr. and Elizabeth (Woods); married in 1960s, divorced, children: James and Kenya; married Barry Hankerson, 1974, produced son, Shan-ga-Ali, divorced, 1979; married Les Brown, 1995, divorced. Education: graduated Shaw Univ. (w/honors)

Recording artist for Brunswick 1957-61; Fury, 1961-62; Everlast, 1963; Maxx and Bell, 1964-66; Motown, 1966-73; Buddah, Capitol, Columbia, and MCA, 1973-88. Albums with the Pips include: Letter Full of Tears (1961); Gladys Knight and the Pips (1964); Everybody Needs Love (1967; Feelin’ Bluesy (1968); Silk N’ Soul (1968); Nitty Gritty (1969); All In A Knight’s Work (1970); Greatest Hits (1970); If I Were Your Woman (1971); Standing Ovation (1971); Neither One of Us (1973); All I Need Is Time (1973); Imagination (1973); Knight Time (1974); Claudine (1974); I Feel A Song (1974); Anthology (1974); A Little Knight Music (1975); Second Anniversary (1975); The Best of Gladys Knight and the Pips (1975); Bless This House (1976); Pipe Dreams (1976, film soundtrack); Still Together (1977); Gladys Knight and the Pips’ 30 Greatest Hits (1977); The One and Only (1978); About Love (1980); Touch (1981); That Special Time of Year (1982); Visions (1983); The Collection—20 Greatest Hits (1984); Life (1985); All Our Love (1988); The Singles Album (1989); and 17 Greatest Hits (1992). Solo albums include: Miss Gladys Knight (1979); Good Woman (1991); and Just for You (1994).

TV appearances include: co-starring role in Charlie & Co., 1985; Pipedreams, 1975; produced and appeared in HBO film Sisters in the Name of Love, 1986; role of Natalie, nightclub owner, on New York Undercover, 1994; Living Single, role of Overton’s mother, 1997; The Wayans Brothers, role of Jamie Fox’s mother, 1997.

Selected awards: Six gold singles; one gold album; one plantinum album; six Grammy awards; other awards include Clio, AGVA, NAACP Image, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Amer. Music Awards.

Addresses: Office—c/o Shakeji, Inc., 2700 East Sunset Rd., Ste. 31 D, Las Vegas, NV, 89120-3506; Agent—William Morris Agency, 2700 Sunset Rd., Ste. 310, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

The Early Days

Gladys Knight and the Pips toured nationally with Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke before Knight was 13, but their 1957 recording debut with Brunswick went nowhere. In 1960, the group produced their first Rhythm and Blues (R & B) Top-20 hit in 1961 with a version of Johnny Otis’s “Every Beat of My Heart,” which attracted national attention, moving to #6 of the R & B charts in July of 1961. George Langston retired from the group in the early sixties after two more singles, including “Letter Full of Tears,” a top 20 hit in 1962. The group faltered somewhat in the early 1960s, as Knight had two children and the Pips did studio back-ups. Once reunited as a quartet, the group was known mostly to R & B fans, with little connection to a mass audience until the mid-sixties. Although the group signed a long-term deal with Fury Records, sealing their R & B credentials, their success halted when they switched to the Maxx label in 1964.

Hit the Charts

The group’s breakthrough began tentatively in 1966, when Gladys Knight and the Pips signed to Motown’s subsidiary, Soul, teaming with producer/songwriter Norman Whitfield. As the group began their rise to prominence, Knights’ grainy alto vocals left them slightly out of the mainstream at first. By December of 1967, however, the group released their major hit single, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” which became a Motown standard, reaching #2 on the Billboard charts, where it remained for three weeks. The song remains a classic to date. Numerous hits followed successfully including, “The Nitty Gritty,” “Friendship Train,” and “If I Were Your Woman,” which became one of the label’s biggest selling releases in 1970. Also in 1970, Knight used her influence to help the Jackson 5 become discovered. While Knight wrote to label owner Berry Gordy suggesting that he check them out, credit for the group’s discovery is sometimes mistakenly given to Diana Ross.

In the early 1970s, Gladys Knight and the Pips moved slowly toward a middle-of-the-road harmony which contributed to their success in 1972 with Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Good-Bye). By 1973, the group left Motown and signed with Buddah records, just as the Weatherly-penned “Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)” mounted the charts to become the #2 hit during March of that year. The group attributed their label switch to a lack of support from Motown since moving its operations from Detroit to Hollywood. At Buddah, Knight and the Pips met with instant success as their popularity peaked. Their first album released with Buddah was Imagination, their biggest selling album to date. Not only did the album go gold, but it also produced three gold singles, “Midnight Train to Georgia;” “Ive Got To Use My Imagination;” and “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.” Although contracted with Buddah, Motown continued to release albums by Gladys Knight and the Pips, which the group claims they never received royalties for, including the single “Neither One of Us.”

Also in 1974 the group performed on Curtis Mayfield’s soundtrack for the film Claudine, which included the hit single, “On and On.” The following year, the title track of I Feel A Song yielded yet another #1 soul hit. The group successfully continued singing with a smoother approach, as evidenced by “The Way We Were/Try to Remember,” which became the centerpiece for their Second Anniversary album in 1975. During this same year, the group hosted their own U.S. television series and, the following year, Knight made her acting debut in Pipedreams, for which the group recorded a soundtrack. The subject of this film involved love among the Alaskan oil pipelines.

Temporary Separation

Despite the group’s growing success, legal problems ensued for the remainder of the decade as a result of their attempted label switch to Columbia, coupled with a previous unsettled suit by Motown. Because of these legal proceedings, Knight was not allowed to record with the Pips for three years—though they sang together live). During this time, she recorded a solo album and the Pips released two albums on Casablanca. Because of their inability to record together, the group’s popularity waned. An out of court settlement in 1980, however, resulted in a new contract for Knight and the Pips through 1985. Once reunited on Columbia, the group rapidly regained their former status with All About Love and the #3 R & B hit, “Landlord,” produced by one of the most enduring songwriting teams, Ashford and Simpson.

In November of 1982, the group performed with a variety of musicians at the first Jamaican World Music Festival in Montego Bay. Following this, Knight recorded the Grammy award winning gold single “That’s What Friends Are For” with Dionne Warwick and Elton John in support of Aids in 1986. The album Visions also produced a hit single, “Save the Overtime” and subsequent releases alternated between R & B and middle of the road tunes, where Knight’s group demonstrated their ability in each genre. In 1988, the title cut of the group’s Love Overboard album became their biggest selling single in decades. This song earned them a Grammy award in early 1989 for the best R & B performance.

On Her Own

Following the release of “Love Overboard” and its Grammy recognition, Knight and the Pips broke up to pursue different career paths, though brother Bubba stayed on as her road manager, who thereafter achieved a United Kingdom Top Ten hit with the James Bond theme song, “License to Kill.” Knight states that Bubba had always handled the business affairs of the Pips in addition to being a musician with the group.

On November 8, 1989, Knight performed without the Pips at Constitution Hall with David Peaston, a newcomer, and the pair performed incredible duets. The set was dominated by popular soul singles of the 1980s and enhanced by Knight’s gospel roots. She then released an album in late 1991, Good Woman, featuring guest stars Patti Labelle and Dionne Warwick. This recording proved that Knight and her colleagues still have what it takes to compete with younger female vocalists such as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Karyn White. Knight’s Good Woman album was consistent, with its major song, “Superwoman” performed by Knight, LaBelle and Warwick. Knight also performed another successful duet with David Peaston entitled, “Give Me A Chance.” Her gritty, compelling voice is not her only talent, as she helped to write some of the album’s more substantial songs, including the emotional ballad, “Waiting on You,” inspired by the Persian Gulf War.

In March of 1992, Knight toured again without the Pips, backed by a ten piece ensemble where she again performed to a full house at Constitution Hall. She has earned a good deal of respect as a fabulous singer and performer who relates one-on-one with her audience. While Knight has proven her solo success with her recent album, Good Woman, she does not hesitate to perform former hits released with the Pips, including “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” “Midnight Train to Georgia,” and “Every Beat of My Heart.” The audience loves these old favorites and Gladys Knight proves, both with and without the Pips, that she has the enduring power of song.

Again performing at Constitution Hall in early 1993, Knight continued to perform hits from her former Pips days, which evoked a strong audience response. Knight infuses soul, gospel, and pop with enormous feeling and energy and is accompanied by a seven piece instrumental section and three singers. During this 1993 concert, she performed the previously recorded AIDS anthem, “That’s What Friends Are For” along with hits by Smokey Robinson and the Staple Singers. In mid-spring of that year, Knight appears for the first time in public as a couple with Les Brown, known for his motivational lectures and best-seller Living Your Dreams, at a 65th birthday celebration for poet Maya Angelou. The party was hosted by Oprah Winfrey, renowned talk show hostess. Brown, a highly acclaimed speaker who lectures nationwide and appears on PBS specials, was a divorced, single parent of 14 years. Brown says that she is everything in his life, believing he has found his soulmate. Of Les Brown, Knight says, “He’s my heart,” according to Jet magazine.

By the end of 1994, Knight was still happy with her relationship with Brown, as well as being a secure diva. She was secure about her talent, her accomplishments, her future plans, and her successful album, Just For You. Though pressured in the past to perform a certain type of music for audience appeal, Knight says she did not do so with this album because she was beyond worrying about competing for charts, believing that it suppresses creativity. Celebrating her 40th anniversary in show business with this album, Knight says the title refers to the people she performs for, those family members and fans who have always been there, as well as her latest fans. In addition to her merit as a vocalist and songwriter, she continued to prove successful in her recurring role as Natalie, a nightclub owner, on television’s “New York Undercover.” Knight spoke freely about her career and the music industry in general, claiming that today’s music scene is heavily influenced by the music of the past, with over 60% of records being remakes, including certain rap groups which utilize remakes.

Late Life Ventures

Knight is involved in a number of successful business ventures outside of her music career, including being spokeswoman for Aunt Jemima pancake products, for whom she has featured in a commercial with her own grandchildren. She takes insult to those who have insinuated that she hurts the black cause through such advertisement, as she has always loved and helped the black population. Knight emphasized that she pitched for Aunt Jemima because she values the products, not the money derived from advertising. She further recalled when she refused to perform in South Africa during the height of apartheid even though she was offered four times the amount of money she makes from Aunt Jemima commercials. Some of Knight’s other ventures include joining her daughter Kenya Love in 1995 to open a celebrity bakery in Las Vegas called “Kenya’s Cakes of the Stars.” Additionally, Knight supported American Greeting card company’s “Birthday Song Writing Contest” which is a national search for an original happy birthday greeting in song form.

Knight made an appearance at Constitution Hall in March of 1995, which is now an annual event; she performed from her latest album, Just For You. Her gospel-trained voice is described as possessing gritty stubbornness on this album, which includes songs entitled, “Next Time,” and “I Don’t Want To Know.” Knight acknowledged her African American feminism in “Guilty” and stated in the Washington Post that, “There are two strikes against me when I come up to bat: one strike for being female, one strike for being black.” Highlights of Just for You include “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” “Love Don’t Love Nobody,” and “End of the Road,” previously recorded by other artists. According to a reporter who attended the 1995 Constitution Hall concert, Knight remained possessed of an “instantly identifiable voice, smooth and raspy, like sand in honey, with her signature vocal catch somewhere between a chuckle and a sob, according to The Washington Post. She performed this 1995 concert in front of another sold-out crowd, as she has long been an icon of pop-soul royalty, known for her generosity toward young singers. Knight performed with background vocalists and her own trio of singers, never oversinging, always passionate, yet relaxed. Her audiences remain fond of former Pips hits and sing along with her in concerts to famous tunes such as “Midnight Train to Georgia.”

In May of 1995, Knight received the Whitney M. Young Award from John Mack, president of the Los Angeles Urban League. John Mack says that Knight is, “… a very caring, decent human being. Gladys is a superstar off stage and on. She hasn’t forgotten from whence she came, according to Jet. The 22nd annual black tie dinner commemorating this event was held at the Century Plaza Hotel and raised nearly $700,000 for numerous employment and educational programs supported by the Urban League.

To further add to Knight’s happiness in her later years, she and Brown, wed in a private ceremony in Las Vegas. When Knight performed her 1994 hit, “You’re Number One (In My Book)” at the American Black Achievement Awards, she was referring to Brown. The couple were a constant twosome during their three year engagement, which led to their wedding one another on August 29, 1995 at a private ceremony in a Las Vegas chapel. Knight and Brown, both previously married were very happy together. Knight explained that they just happened to meet one night at Chicago’s Regal Theatre and hit it off immediately. Unfortunately, the couple has since divorced. She told Ebony, “I thought he was on the same spiritual plane that I was. But, it turns out he was on a difference plane.”

The crowning glory of Knight’s incredible achievements were realized in New York on January 17, 1996, at the Waldorf-Astoria Grand Ballroom. Here, the 11th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony included the long-due induction of Gladys Knight and the Pips, having 48 years in show business, 43 of which were with the Pips. Knight and the Pips were inducted by popular vocalist Mariah Carey, who recalled, “sneaking a radio under the bed covers to listen to a singer as real as it gets. All she has to do is stand there and sing and she’ll blow you away,” according to the Washington Post. By 1996, even though Knight felt that the music industry and radio stations ignore veteran recording stars in favor of recent singers, she continued to have a large following who admired her music and treasure her songs.

One of the most prolific groups in the history of American rhythm and blues and pop music, Gladys Knight and the Pips made national charts for the first time in 1961 and were there consistently until the group disbanded, with 55 chart entries in all. Following is a chronological listing of most of their recordings, with those receiving 11+ weeks coverage marked with an asterisk.

Selected discography

Every Beat of My Heart (Vee jay)

Letter Full of Tears (Fury)

Giving Up (Maxx)

Lovers Always Forgive (Maxx)

Everybody Needs Love (Soul)

I Heard It Through the Grapevine (Soul)

The End of the Road (Soul)

It Should Have Been Me (Soul)

I Wish It Would Rain (Soul)

Didn’t You Know (Soul)

The Nitty Gritty (Soul)

Friendship Train (Soul)

You Need Love Like I Do (Soul)

If I Were Your Woman (Soul) *

I Don’t Want to Do Wrong (Soul)

Make Me the Woman that You Go Home To (Soul)

Help Me Make It Through The Night (Soul)

Neither One Of Us (Soul) *

Daddy Could Swear, I Declare (Soul)

Where Peaceful Waters Flow (Buddah)

All I Need Is Time (Buddah)

Midnight Train To Georgia (Buddah) *

I’ve Got To Use My Imagination (Buddah) *

Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me (Buddah)*

On and On (Buddah) *

Between Her Goodbye and My Hello (Buddah)

I Feel A Song (Buddah)

Love Finds Its Own Way (Buddah)

The Way We Were/Try To Remember (Buddah)

Money (Buddah)

Part Time Love (Buddah)

Make Yours A Happy Home (Buddah)

So Sad the Song (Buddah)

Baby Don’t Change Your Mind (Buddah)

Sorry Doesn’t Always Make It Right (Buddah)

The One and Only (Buddah)

It’s a Better Than Good Time (Buddah)

Landlord (Columbia)

Taste of Bitter Love (Columbia)

Bourgie Bourgie (Columbia)

Forever Yesterday

If That’ll Make You Happy

I Will Fight

A Friend of Mine

Save the Overtime

You’re Number One

Hero

When You’re Far Away

My Time

Keep Givin’ Me Love

“Till I See You Again”

Send It To Me

Love Overboard (MCA Records)

Lovin’ On Next to Nothin’ (MCA Records)

It’s Gonna Take All Our Love (MCA Records)

Selected writings

Between Each Line of Pain and Glory, Hyperion, 1997.

Sources

Books

African American Almanac, 6th edition, Gale Research, 1994, 7th edition, 1995.

Bronson, Fred, The Billboard Book of Number One Hits, Billboard Publications, New York, 1985, p. 347.

Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: 1995 to Present, p. 159.

The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, volume 1, second edition, ed. by Colin Larkin. Guinness Publishing, Middlesex, 1995, volume 3, 1995, pp. 2342-2343.

The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, Jon Pereles and Patricia Romanowski, editors. New

The Story of Rock ’n’ Roll: The Year-By-Year Illustrated Chronicle, Paul Du Noyer, consulting editor. Schirmer Books: New York, 1995, pp. 95, 115, 193.

Periodicals

Ebony, October 6, 1997, pp. 58-63.

Jet, May 15, 1995, p. 40; July 29, 1996, p. 61; November 27, 1995, pp. 58-60; November 7, 1994, pp. 56-59; April 19, 1993, pp. 56-58.

Washington Post, November 9,1989, p. Fl7; October 23,1991, p. B7; March 23,1992, p. D12; February 27, 1993, p. D8; March 31, 1995, p. WW13; April 3, 1995, p. D4; January 18, 1996, p. C1.

—Marilyn Williams

Contemporary Black Biography