Gladys Knight (Singer known as the Empress of Soul)
Profession: Singer known as the Empress of Soul
Biography: Gladys Knight is an American singer-songwriter and actress, often referred to as the "Empress of Soul." She gained fame as the lead vocalist of Gladys Knight & the Pips, a soul and R&B group.
The group included Knight's brother Merald "Bubba" Knight and cousins Edward Patten and William Guest. They formed in the 1950s and went on to significant commercial success in the 1960s and 1970s with hits such as I Heard It Through the Grapevine (1967) and Midnight Train to Georgia (1973). The latter earned the group two Grammy Awards and has since become an iconic anthem.
Gladys Knight & the Pips were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, and Knight herself has received numerous accolades, including seven Grammy Awards. The group disbanded in 1989, but Knight continued her career as a solo artist, scoring hits like License to Kill, the title theme for the 1989 James Bond film of the same name.
Knight has also made her mark in television and on Broadway. She starred in the sitcom Charlie & Co. in the mid-1980s and appeared as a guest on various television shows, including The Jeffersons and A Different World. In 1988, she made her Broadway debut in the musical Smokey Joe's Cafe.
In 2012, Knight competed on the 14th season of Dancing with the Stars, making it to the Top 8 before being eliminated.
Born: May 28, 1944
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia
Age: 80 years old
Generation: Silent Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Monkey
Star Sign: Gemini
Career Highlights
- 1967-09-29 Gladys Knight & Pips are the first to release Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong's "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"
- 1975-07-10 Gladys Knight and Pips Summer Series premieres on NBC-TV
- 1986-01-18 AIDS charity record "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne Warwick with Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder, hits #1
- 1987-09-28 Gladys Knight and Smokey Robinson appear on TV game show "The $10,000 Pyramid"
- 1996-01-17 11th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: David Bowie; Jefferson Airplane; Little Willie John; Gladys Knight and the Pips; Pink Floyd; The Shirelles; The Velvet Underground; Pete Seeger; and Tom Donahue
- 2000-04-13 Rock for the Rainforest benefit concert held at Carnegie Hall, NYC; performers include: Sting, Elton John, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Ricky Martin, Billy Joel, Gladys Knight, Percy Sledge, Tom Jones, Martha Reeves, Macy Gray, Sam Moore, and The Impressions
Famous Singers
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7sLrToaCsnJGue6S7zGinnqegobJws8uam7KrXaC7qrPHrQ%3D%3D