Difference between revisions of "Gladys Knight"

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'''Gladys Maria Knight''' (born May 28, 1944 in Atlanta, Georgia, is an American soul singer and actress. 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]].
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[[Image:Gladys_Knight1.png|300px|thumb|<center><span style="color:#0000FF">Gladys Knight</span></center>|right]]
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[http://gladysknight.com/ Gladys Maria Knight] dubbed the "Empress of Soul" is an is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author.  
  
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== Biography ==
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She was one of seven notable figures to receive a National Medal of Arts from President Joe Biden on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at the White House in Washington, DC. Her award came alongside honors for fellow artists Bruce Springsteen and “Feliz Navidad” singer-songwriter Jose Feliciano. According to arts.gov, The National Medal of Arts is “the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the federal government.” “The National Medal of Arts recipients have helped to define and enrich our nation’s cultural legacy through their lifelong passionate commitment,” National Endowment for the Arts chair Maria Rosario Jackson said in a statement. “We are a better nation because of their contributions. Their work helps us see the world in different ways. It inspires us to reach our full potential and recognize our common humanity. I join the president in congratulating and thanking them.”[
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=== Gladys Knight & the Pips ===
 
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{{main|Gladys Knight & the Pips}}
 
  
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Gladys Knight was born to Merald Woodlow Knight and Sarah Elizabeth Woods. She first achieved minor fame by winning [[Ted Mack (television host)|Ted Mack]]'s ''Original Amateur Hour'' [[TV show]] contest at the age of 7 in [[1952]], due to her powerful singing voice. The following year, she, her brother Merald, sister Brenda, and cousins William and Elenor Guest formed a musical group called [[The Pips]]. By the end of the decade, the act had begun to tour, and had replaced Brenda Knight and Elenor Guest with Gladys Knight's cousins Edward Patten and Langston George.
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In July 2022, she was named as one of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honorees. The awards, which are given for “lifetime artistic achievements,” were handed out at the Kennedy Center’s 45th annual ceremony on December 4, 2022, and will air as a TV special during the 2022-2023 season on CBS. She was lauded for “showcasing a boundless vocal range and soulfulness that has stood the test of time.”[https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/3568667-u2-george-clooney-gladys-knight-lead-list-of-kennedy-center-honorees/]
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:“You could never have told me as a young girl starting my career that I would be honored on a stage such as this, with artists and humanitarians such as these — it just wouldn’t have seemed possible. It would have been the dream of all dreams,” she said. “I have been blessed with so much in my life and this certainly stands with those achievements at the top of that list. To be honored as a Kennedy Center Honoree is among the highlights of my career. I stand here with my fans, my family, my friends, my team and my faith in accepting such an amazing distinction. It is dedicated to all those who paved the path for me to be able to accomplish the wonderful blessings I’ve been able to receive. ... I am so very grateful for this moment.”[https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2022/12/27/23528058/gladys-knight-kennedy-lifetime-artistic-achievement-award]
  
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Gladys Knight discovered she was pregnant in [[1960]], and married her boyfriend Jimmy Newman. After a miscarriage, Knight returned to performing with the Pips. In [[1961]], [[Bobby Robinson (record producer)|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.
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Gladys was born on 28 May 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Sarah Elizabeth (née Woods) and Merald Woodlow Knight, Sr., who was a postal worker. She was raised in a sound Christian home, and both of her parents were singers in the Wings Over Jordan Gospel Choir.
  
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In [[1962]], after scoring a second hit, "Letter Full of Tears", Knight became pregnant again, and gave birth to a son, Jimmy, Jr., that year. She retired from the road to raise a family, and The Pips toured on their own. After giving birth to a daughter, Kenya, in [[1964]], Knight was forced to return to recording and the Pips in order to support her family.
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She is a seven-time Grammy Award winner (four as a solo artist and three with the Pips) and is ranked number eighteen in the 2005 Guinness Book of World Records' list of the most successful female musical artists of all time. She is also ranked number 18 on VH1 network's list of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock, and in 1995, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. She has recorded more than 38 albums and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
  
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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]]" ([[1967]]), "The Nitty Gritty" ([[1969]]),"Friendship Train" ([[1969]]), "If I Were Your Woman" ([[1970]]), "I Don't Want To Do Wrong" ([[1971]]),  the Grammy winner "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" ([[1972]]), and "Daddy Could Swear (I Declare)" ([[1973]]).
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She received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame and the BET Awards, along with a Legend Award from the Soul Train Awards.
  
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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]]" (their only #1 pop hit), "I've Got to Use My Imagination", and "[[Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me]]".
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==Gladys Knight's Early Career==
  
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During this period of greater recognition, Gladys 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 Globes Best New Actress nomination.
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Gladys’ extraordinary music career began at the age of four when she began singing in a Baptist church choir. Her mother told her God had given her an amazing voice and that He meant for her to share it. When she was seven, she moved to a larger stage, winning the Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour contest on television. The following year, in 1953, when she was about eight, she, her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight, her sister Brenda, and her cousins Eleanor and William Guest started a group called The Pips. The group was named after their manager and cousin, James Woods, nicknamed Pips. In 1961, they had their first hit.  
  
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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. During this period, Knight divorced Jimmy Newman, and in [[1976]] married record producer [[Barry Hankerson]] (future uncle of R&B singer [[Aaliyah]]). 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.
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The group went through many changes as various members left and others joined. The group altered its name to Gladys Knight & the Pips. However, Gladys left the group after their second hit to be a stay-at-home mother, and the group continued without her until she returned later to support her family.
  
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In the early [[1980s]], Gladys was invited to record two duets with her friend and superstar [[Johnny Mathis]] who is one of the largest record sellers in the world. The songs were ''When A Child Is Born'' (previously a mega hit for Mathis) and ''The Lord's Prayer'' which have become Christmas chestnuts.
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==Gladys Knight Sensational Career and Search for Truth==
  
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After a dry spell, they returned to the charts in the [[1980s]] with the #1 R&B hits "Save the Overtime (For Me)" ([[1983]]) and another Grammy winner--"Love Overboard" ([[1987]]). During this period, Knight became addicted to [[gambling]] and the game [[baccarat]].  She finally called [[Gamblers Anonymous]] when she lost $45,000 in one night and was near [[bankruptcy]].  
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Gladys became best known for her soulful recordings on both the Motown and Buddah Record labels during the 1960s and 1970s with her group Gladys Knight & the Pips. Songs which she and the Pips recorded such as "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "Neither One of Us," "Midnight Train to Georgia," "If I Were Your Woman," and "You Are the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me" are classics by all rights.  
  
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After a successful [[1988]] tour, the Pips retired and Gladys Knight began a career as a solo artist. Gladys Knight & the Pips were later inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in [[1996]].
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Gladys faced a great many trials in her life, including several divorces and a gambling addiction battle. In 1989, she left the Pips and embarked on a solo career. Despite being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, and enjoying many of the perks of success, including #1 hits on the R&B charts over the years, she understood something was missing. She wanted to be better than she was. She had been raised in a religious home and she went on her own search for faith, exploring a variety of religions. She wanted to live forever with God but wondered what happened after you reached that milestone. No one could tell her, and she was frustrated.
  
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=== Solo career ===
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==Her Children Introduce Her to the Gospel==
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While still with The Pips, Knight also 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.
 
  
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Knight made guest-starring television appearances throughout the eighties and nineties with roles on ''[[Benson (TV series)|Benson]]'', ''[[The Jeffersons]]'', ''[[A Different World (TV series)|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.
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She had no idea the foundation for her to receive that answer was quietly being laid for her. Her oldest son, Jimmy, and his wife became members of [http://comeuntochrist.org The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]. Initially, they didn’t tell the rest of the family about this dramatic change in their lives. However, one day Jimmy opened his scriptures on an airplane as he sat next to his sister, Kenya. When he told her that he was reading his scriptures, she was puzzled because what he was reading was not the Bible. The Bible is a part of the Latter-day Saint religion, but on this day, Jimmy was reading the [[Book of Mormon]]. He began to share his new faith with his sister, who, with her husband, soon joined the Church as well.
  
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Gladys Knight's third solo LP, ''Good Woman'', was released in [[1991]]. It rose to #1 on the R&B album chart and featured the #2 R&B hit "Men". Her fourth solo LP, ''Just for You'', went [[RIAA certification|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 (motivational speaker)|Les Brown]]. It was also during this period that tragedy struck: in [[1999]], her eldest son, Jimmy, Jr., died in his sleep at the age of 36. [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_9_96/ai_55398781]
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Jimmy and Kenya soon began sharing their new-found knowledge of the gospel with their mother who was still deep in her own personal search for religion. She agreed to meet with the missionaries, who had the answer to the question she had been asking in every church, and in 1997, [http://www.ldsliving.com/How-Gladys-Knight-Became-a-Mormon/s/76709 Gladys Knight was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]. She has said, "You know me, I was raised to love Christ and His Gospel, I would not believe something that doesn’t testify of Him."
  
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== Awards ==
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People have been noticing a change in Gladys Knight since she became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Since I joined the Church, I desire to be more and more obedient to God. As I do so, many people say to me, 'I see a light in you more than ever before. What is it?' … During one performance at Disney world … [a member of the audience asked,] 'Could you please tell us . . . how you got that light?' The question was direct. So, I gave a direct answer: 'I have become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.' To the surprise of some of my friends watching the show, the audience suddenly burst into applause" (''Why I Believe'', Bookcraft, 2002, quoted on [http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/background-information/experiences-of-african-american-church-members LDS.org Newsroom]).
  
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Knight's [[2001]] LP, ''At Last'', won the [[2002]] [[Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance]].
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She performed with the Tabernacle at Temple Square as a guest artist for the Christmas concert in 2000 and as a featured guest with “Music & the Spoken Word” in 2012. She also sang at the 90th and 95th birthday celebrations for President [[Gordon B. Hinckley]].
  
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In [[2005]], Knight won a Grammy for Best Gospel Performance for "Heaven Help Us All," her duet with [[Ray Charles]], taken from Charles' album, ''[[Genius Loves Company]]''.  She was also among the 25 [[African-American]] women honored for their accomplishments and influence by daytime television star [[Oprah Winfrey]] at a "Legends Ball."  In that same year Knight was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the [[Black Entertainment Television|BET]] cable network.
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==Marriage to William McDowell and the Start of Saints Unified Voices==
  
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In [[2006]], Knight won her seventh Grammy award in the category of Best Gospel Choir or Gospel Chorus for the "One Voice" CD with the Saints Unified Voices.
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[[Image:Gladys-Knight-and-William-McDowell.png|200px|thumb|<center><span style="color:#0000FF">Gladys Knight and William McDowell</span></center>|right]]
  
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In [[2006]], Knight was honored with a Legendary Award by the [[Las Vegas Music Awards]].
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Gladys married William McDowell in 2001. Despite his initial determination not to be converted, he joined the Church as well, keeping his studies of her faith a secret from her until the very day before his baptism. It was a surprise only to her, however, as everyone else was aware of his quiet investigation and his decision.
  
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== Trivia ==
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[[Image:Gladys-Knight-and-the-Saints-Unified-Voices.jpg|300px|thumb|<center><span style="color:#0000FF">Gladys Knight and the Saint Unified Voices</span></center>|left]]
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{{toomuchtrivia}}
 
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*Knight is ranked number eighteen in the 2005 [[Guinness Book of World Records]]' list of the most successful female musical artists of all time.
 
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*Knight is ranked number eighteen on VH1 network's list of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock.
 
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*In [[1995]], Knight was awarded a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in Los Angeles.
 
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*Gladys Knight sang "Georgia On My Mind" at the opening ceremony of the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] in Atlanta, GA.
 
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*Knight owns a chain of [[chicken and waffles]] restaurants based in Atlanta.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gladysandron.com/|title=Official Gladys Knight & Ron Winans Chicken and Waffles website}}</ref> 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]].
 
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*Knight joined [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] in [[1997]]. She has occasionally teased the LDS Prophet, [[Gordon B. Hinckley]], that his flock needs to inject some "pep" into their [[music]]. Ms. Knight created and now directs the [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|LDS (Mormon)]] choir [[Saints Unified Voices]] [http://www.suvchoir.org]. SUV has released a Grammy Award-winning CD entitled ''One Voice'', and occasionally performs at LDS [[Stake (Mormonism)|stake]] [[Fireside (Mormonism)|fireside]]s.
 
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*Knight is an honorary member of [[Alpha Kappa Alpha]] Sorority, Incorporated.
 
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*Following a turn as a celebrity guest-judge on the popular TV talent show ''[[American Idol]]'', Knight served as one of three regular judges on the spin-off ''[[American Juniors]]'' for the [[Fox television network]] in the summer of [[2003]].
 
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*From [[February 2002]] until [[November 2005]], Knight performed five nights per week as headliner of her own showroom at the Flamingo Hotel in [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]]. The show was voted Best Show on the [[Las Vegas Strip]] in [[2003]] by the ''Las Vegas Review-Journal''.
 
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*Knight is late singer Aaliyah's aunt by marriage. After Aaliyah died in a plane crash in [[August 2001]], Knight was devastated.
 
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*In [[2006]], Gladys Knight performed on Fox's TV show Celebrity Duets with Jai Rodriguez and Hal Sparks.
 
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*In [[2007]], Gladys Knight performed at the [[Orange Bowl (game)|Orange Bowl]] [[halftime show|halftime]] in [[Miami, Florida]] with [[Taylor Hicks]].
 
  
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== Solo discography ==
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In 2002, she formed the [https://www.saintsunifiedvoices.com/ Saints Unified Voices], or, as she likes to call it, the SUV Choir in Las Vegas. The group, a multi-cultural choir that predominately shares the rich African American heritage of music along with music from other cultures, released a Grammy Award-winning CD entitled ''One Voice'', and performs gospel music in free concerts held in Latter-day Saint meetinghouses and on television, and records music as well.
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=== Singles ===
 
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* [[1978]]: "It's A Better Than Good Time"
 
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* [[1979]]: "Am I Too Late"
 
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* [[1983]]: "Save The Overtime For Me"
 
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* [[1985]]: "[[That's What Friends Are For]]" (with [[Dionne Warwick]], [[Elton John]] & [[Stevie Wonder]]) (US #1, UK #16, R&B #1)
 
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* [[1989]]: "[[License to Kill]]" (#6 UK)
 
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* [[1990]]: "If I Knew Then What I Knew Now" (with [[Kenny Rogers]]) (US AC #9)
 
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* [[1991]]: "Meet Me in the Middle"
 
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* [[1991]]: "Men" (R&B #2)
 
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* [[1992]]: "Where Would I Be"
 
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* [[1994]]: "End of the Road" Medley: "If You Don't Know Me by Now"/"Love Don't Love Nobody"
 
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* [[1994]]: "I Don't Want to Know" (R&B #32)
 
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* [[1995]]: "Next Time" (R&B #30)
 
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* [[2003]]: "Feelin' Good (Vacilon)" (Jazz/Salsa/R&B)
 
  
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=== Albums ===
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Jimmy, the son who gave Gladys the gospel, died in the late 1990s. She told the ''Ottawa Citizen'', "He brought me to my Church and I just grew immensely from his example. I am happy in my spirit for where I know for sure he is. That (death) is something we all must go through, it’s not our time and place to dictate when, where or what, it’s not our business. It belongs to the Lord and that’s how I've dealt with it. I know I'll see him again." (Ottawa Citizen)
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* [[1978]]: ''Miss Gladys Knight''
 
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* [[1979]]: ''Gladys Knight''
 
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* [[1991]]: ''Good Woman''
 
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* [[1994]]: ''Just For You''
 
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* [[1998]]: ''Many Different Roads''
 
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* [[2001]]: ''At Last''
 
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* [[2005]]: ''One Voice'' (with Saints Unified Voices)
 
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* [[2006]]: ''Before Me''
 
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* [[2006]]: ''A Christmas Celebration'' (with Saints Unified Voices)
 
  
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== Filmography ==
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In addition to her performing career, she is also the author of several books - ''At Home with Gladys Knight - A Cookbook'', 2001, ''Many Different Roads: A Common Path'', by Jock W. Rolfe, Gladys Knight, 1998, and ''Between Each Line of Pain and Glory: My Life Story'' - Biography and Autobiography, 1997. ''Where My Heart Belongs'' received an Image Award for Outstanding Gospel Album at the 46th NAACP Image Awards on 6 February 2015. The album features ten gospel songs and was originally intended to be a Christmas CD, but Gladys said, "Why should we have to wait until Christmas when Christ is here all the time?" She had previously won an Image Award in 2007 for Outstanding Jazz Artist.
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*''[[Save the Children]]'' ([[1973]]) (documentary)
 
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*''Pipe Dreams'' ([[1976]])
 
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*''[[Twenty Bucks]]'' ([[1993]])
 
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*''Hollywood Homicide'' ([[2003]])
 
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*''Unbeatable Harold'' ([[2005]]) (still without distributor)
 
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* ''[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GNOHDC The Young Messiah - Messiah XXI]'' ([[2006]]) ([[DVD]])
 
  
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== References ==
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She performed on “Dancing with the Stars” at age 67 in 2012. She performed the national anthem at Super Bowl LIII in 2019.
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<references/>
 
  
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== External links ==
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==External Links==
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* [http://www.mcarecords.com/artistMain.asp?artistid=50 Official website]
 
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* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0460912/ Gladys Knight] at the [[Internet Movie Database]]
 
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* [http://www.suvchoir.org/ Saints Unified Voices]
 
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* [http://www.suvchoir.org/storyarticle.html Article explaining the creation of Saints Unified Voices]
 
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* [http://www.meridianmagazine.com/people/050609knight.html Sharing the Gospel Through Music]
 
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{{sequence|
 
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prev=[[A-ha|a-ha]]<br><small>[[The Living Daylights]], [[1987]]</small>|
 
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next=[[Tina Turner]]<br><small>[[GoldenEye]] [[GoldenEye (song)|(song)]], [[1995]]|
 
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list=''[[James Bond music]]''<br>Gladys Knight<br><small>[[License to Kill]], [[1989]]</small>|
 
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}}
 
  
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{{James Bond themes}}
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*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladys_Knight Wikipedia article, includes discography and filmography]
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*[http://www.ldsliving.com/story/76899-see-gladys-knights-one-of-a-kind-ctr-ring-6-other-things-you-never-knew-about-her?utm_source=ldsliving&utm_medium=email LDS Living: Things you didn't know about Gladys Knight]
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*[http://www.ldsliving.com/How-Gladys-Knight-Became-a-Mormon/s/76709 How Gladys Knight Became a Mormon]
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:'''More at [https://mormonmusic.org MormonMusic.org]'''
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==Follow Gladys Knight on Social Media==
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*'''[http://gladysknight.com/ Gladys Knight's Official Website]'''
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*'''[http://www.suvchoir.org/ Saints Unified Voices Directed by Gladys Knight]'''
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*'''[https://www.facebook.com/msgladysknight Facebook]'''
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*'''[https://twitter.com/MsGladysKnight Twitter]'''
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*'''[https://instagram.com/msgladysknight/ Instagram]
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*'''[https://soundcloud.com/gladys-knight-official SoundCloud]
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*'''[https://www.pandora.com/artist/gladys-knight-saints-unified-voices/ARb2dJJtqJ2b2V4 Pandora]
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*'''[https://open.spotify.com/artist/0TF2NxkJZPQoX1H53rEFM1 Spotify]
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==Music Videos by Gladys Knight==
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<embedvideo service="youtube" urlargs="rel=0" dimensions="400x225" alignment="inline">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSXLOQPozOc&rel=0</embedvideo>
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<embedvideo service="youtube" urlargs="rel=0" dimensions="400x225" alignment="inline">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilscb1jrR58&rel=0</embedvideo>
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<embedvideo service="youtube" urlargs="rel=0" dimensions="400x225" alignment="inline">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX2F1lNd5e0&rel=0</embedvideo>
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<embedvideo service="youtube" urlargs="rel=0" dimensions="400x225" alignment="inline">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5AW0rMhnnc&feature=emb_imp_woyt&rel=0</embedvideo>
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<embedvideo service="youtube" urlargs="rel=0" dimensions="400x225" alignment="inline">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oDRGQ-B3zE&feature=emb_imp_woyt&rel=0</embedvideo>
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<embedvideo service="youtube" urlargs="rel=0" dimensions="400x225" alignment="inline">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzByym5ztuM&rel=0</embedvideo>
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[[Category:Famous Mormons]]
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[[Category:Music and the Arts]]
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[[Category:Women in Mormonism]]
  
 
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Latest revision as of 17:40, 12 April 2023

Gladys Knight

Gladys Maria Knight dubbed the "Empress of Soul" is an is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author.

She was one of seven notable figures to receive a National Medal of Arts from President Joe Biden on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at the White House in Washington, DC. Her award came alongside honors for fellow artists Bruce Springsteen and “Feliz Navidad” singer-songwriter Jose Feliciano. According to arts.gov, The National Medal of Arts is “the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the federal government.” “The National Medal of Arts recipients have helped to define and enrich our nation’s cultural legacy through their lifelong passionate commitment,” National Endowment for the Arts chair Maria Rosario Jackson said in a statement. “We are a better nation because of their contributions. Their work helps us see the world in different ways. It inspires us to reach our full potential and recognize our common humanity. I join the president in congratulating and thanking them.”[

In July 2022, she was named as one of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honorees. The awards, which are given for “lifetime artistic achievements,” were handed out at the Kennedy Center’s 45th annual ceremony on December 4, 2022, and will air as a TV special during the 2022-2023 season on CBS. She was lauded for “showcasing a boundless vocal range and soulfulness that has stood the test of time.”[1]

“You could never have told me as a young girl starting my career that I would be honored on a stage such as this, with artists and humanitarians such as these — it just wouldn’t have seemed possible. It would have been the dream of all dreams,” she said. “I have been blessed with so much in my life and this certainly stands with those achievements at the top of that list. To be honored as a Kennedy Center Honoree is among the highlights of my career. I stand here with my fans, my family, my friends, my team and my faith in accepting such an amazing distinction. It is dedicated to all those who paved the path for me to be able to accomplish the wonderful blessings I’ve been able to receive. ... I am so very grateful for this moment.”[2]

Gladys was born on 28 May 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Sarah Elizabeth (née Woods) and Merald Woodlow Knight, Sr., who was a postal worker. She was raised in a sound Christian home, and both of her parents were singers in the Wings Over Jordan Gospel Choir.

She is a seven-time Grammy Award winner (four as a solo artist and three with the Pips) and is ranked number eighteen in the 2005 Guinness Book of World Records' list of the most successful female musical artists of all time. She is also ranked number 18 on VH1 network's list of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock, and in 1995, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. She has recorded more than 38 albums and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

She received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame and the BET Awards, along with a Legend Award from the Soul Train Awards.

Gladys Knight's Early Career

Gladys’ extraordinary music career began at the age of four when she began singing in a Baptist church choir. Her mother told her God had given her an amazing voice and that He meant for her to share it. When she was seven, she moved to a larger stage, winning the Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour contest on television. The following year, in 1953, when she was about eight, she, her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight, her sister Brenda, and her cousins Eleanor and William Guest started a group called The Pips. The group was named after their manager and cousin, James Woods, nicknamed Pips. In 1961, they had their first hit.

The group went through many changes as various members left and others joined. The group altered its name to Gladys Knight & the Pips. However, Gladys left the group after their second hit to be a stay-at-home mother, and the group continued without her until she returned later to support her family.

Gladys Knight Sensational Career and Search for Truth

Gladys became best known for her soulful recordings on both the Motown and Buddah Record labels during the 1960s and 1970s with her group Gladys Knight & the Pips. Songs which she and the Pips recorded such as "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "Neither One of Us," "Midnight Train to Georgia," "If I Were Your Woman," and "You Are the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me" are classics by all rights.

Gladys faced a great many trials in her life, including several divorces and a gambling addiction battle. In 1989, she left the Pips and embarked on a solo career. Despite being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, and enjoying many of the perks of success, including #1 hits on the R&B charts over the years, she understood something was missing. She wanted to be better than she was. She had been raised in a religious home and she went on her own search for faith, exploring a variety of religions. She wanted to live forever with God but wondered what happened after you reached that milestone. No one could tell her, and she was frustrated.

Her Children Introduce Her to the Gospel

She had no idea the foundation for her to receive that answer was quietly being laid for her. Her oldest son, Jimmy, and his wife became members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Initially, they didn’t tell the rest of the family about this dramatic change in their lives. However, one day Jimmy opened his scriptures on an airplane as he sat next to his sister, Kenya. When he told her that he was reading his scriptures, she was puzzled because what he was reading was not the Bible. The Bible is a part of the Latter-day Saint religion, but on this day, Jimmy was reading the Book of Mormon. He began to share his new faith with his sister, who, with her husband, soon joined the Church as well.

Jimmy and Kenya soon began sharing their new-found knowledge of the gospel with their mother who was still deep in her own personal search for religion. She agreed to meet with the missionaries, who had the answer to the question she had been asking in every church, and in 1997, Gladys Knight was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has said, "You know me, I was raised to love Christ and His Gospel, I would not believe something that doesn’t testify of Him."

People have been noticing a change in Gladys Knight since she became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Since I joined the Church, I desire to be more and more obedient to God. As I do so, many people say to me, 'I see a light in you more than ever before. What is it?' … During one performance at Disney world … [a member of the audience asked,] 'Could you please tell us . . . how you got that light?' The question was direct. So, I gave a direct answer: 'I have become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.' To the surprise of some of my friends watching the show, the audience suddenly burst into applause" (Why I Believe, Bookcraft, 2002, quoted on LDS.org Newsroom).

She performed with the Tabernacle at Temple Square as a guest artist for the Christmas concert in 2000 and as a featured guest with “Music & the Spoken Word” in 2012. She also sang at the 90th and 95th birthday celebrations for President Gordon B. Hinckley.

Marriage to William McDowell and the Start of Saints Unified Voices

Gladys Knight and William McDowell

Gladys married William McDowell in 2001. Despite his initial determination not to be converted, he joined the Church as well, keeping his studies of her faith a secret from her until the very day before his baptism. It was a surprise only to her, however, as everyone else was aware of his quiet investigation and his decision.

Gladys Knight and the Saint Unified Voices

In 2002, she formed the Saints Unified Voices, or, as she likes to call it, the SUV Choir in Las Vegas. The group, a multi-cultural choir that predominately shares the rich African American heritage of music along with music from other cultures, released a Grammy Award-winning CD entitled One Voice, and performs gospel music in free concerts held in Latter-day Saint meetinghouses and on television, and records music as well.

Jimmy, the son who gave Gladys the gospel, died in the late 1990s. She told the Ottawa Citizen, "He brought me to my Church and I just grew immensely from his example. I am happy in my spirit for where I know for sure he is. That (death) is something we all must go through, it’s not our time and place to dictate when, where or what, it’s not our business. It belongs to the Lord and that’s how I've dealt with it. I know I'll see him again." (Ottawa Citizen)

In addition to her performing career, she is also the author of several books - At Home with Gladys Knight - A Cookbook, 2001, Many Different Roads: A Common Path, by Jock W. Rolfe, Gladys Knight, 1998, and Between Each Line of Pain and Glory: My Life Story - Biography and Autobiography, 1997. Where My Heart Belongs received an Image Award for Outstanding Gospel Album at the 46th NAACP Image Awards on 6 February 2015. The album features ten gospel songs and was originally intended to be a Christmas CD, but Gladys said, "Why should we have to wait until Christmas when Christ is here all the time?" She had previously won an Image Award in 2007 for Outstanding Jazz Artist.

She performed on “Dancing with the Stars” at age 67 in 2012. She performed the national anthem at Super Bowl LIII in 2019.

External Links

More at MormonMusic.org

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Music Videos by Gladys Knight

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