Gladys Maria Knight's Bio

Gladys Maria Knight is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She is best known as the lead singer of the group Gladys Knight & The Pips, which also included her brother Merald “Bubba” Knight and her cousins Edward Patten and William Guest. She's a seven-time Grammy Award-winner who has sold more than 28 million records worldwide. She is ranked number 77 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Early Life

Knight was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 28, 1944. Her father Merald Woodlow Knight was a postal worker and her mother Sarah Elizabeth was a housewife. Gladys' first performance with The Pips came in 1952 at the age of eight when they sang at the Mount Mariah Baptist Church in their hometown of Atlanta. By the time she was 16 years old, she had recorded five songs and released her first single, “Every Beat of My Heart”.

Career

In 1957 The Pips signed with Vee Jay Records and released their first single “Bye Bye Baby”. They went on to have major hits with “Midnight Train to Georgia” (1973), and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1967). In 1973 they moved to Buddah Records where they had further success with “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me” (1974). In 1979 they left Buddah Records and signed with Columbia Records where they released their last album together as a group called “All Our Love”. In 1989 Gladys launched her solo career with two albums for MCA Records, “Good Woman” (1991) and “Just for You” (1994). Her career continued to flourish as she moved from label to label, releasing several successful albums including “At Last” (2001), “One Voice” (2004), and “Where My Heart Belongs” (2014).

Collaborations

Throughout her career, Gladys has collaborated with many other notable artists including Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations and Diana Ross. She has also appeared in films such as “The Bucket List” (2007) and television shows like “American Idol” (2002-2016).

Awards & Accolades

Gladys has won seven Grammy Awards throughout her career including Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for “Midnight Train to Georgia” (1974) and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “That's What Friends Are For” (1986). In 1996 she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Gladys Knight & The Pips. In 2018 she was honored with the Marian Anderson Award for her contribution to music.