Seven seems to be a very lucky number for Gladys Knight—who has had an amazing career in music, with a discography to match her list of awards and honors. That list includes seven Grammys, induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame, the Kennedy Center Honors, and a National Medal of Arts.
Knight, dubbed “The Empress of Soul,” has been singing her heart out and capturing the love of audiences around the globe for over seven decades, since the age of seven. Born on May 28, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia, the Empress celebrates her 79th birthday next Sunday. Given the amazing amount of music she has recorded—with The Pips, as a soloist, and with other music greats—it’s just not possible to properly celebrate her on just one day. Seven days seems about right, so while Knight finishes up her 78th year, I’m going to be playing her tunes every day this week—starting today. Join me!
Black Music Sunday is a weekly series highlighting all things Black music. With over 160 stories (and counting) covering performers, genres, history, and more, each featuring its own vibrant soundtrack, I hope you’ll find some familiar tunes and perhaps an introduction to something new.
Marilyn Williams and Linda Dailey Paulson wrote about her early years in Knight’s biography for Musician Guide.
Knight was born into a musical career. Her parents were singers in the Wings Over Jordan gospel choir. She began singing gospel music at the Mount Moriah Baptist Church and had her first recital in 1948. Gladys then toured southern churches with the Morris Brown Choir of Atlanta, Georgia from 1950 through 1953, and she also performed in 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."
For context, that $2000 prize would be over $23,000 in 2023 dollars. Here’s a short audio clip from that Ted Mack performance, with images from Knight’s journey to the show and childhood, courtesy of the EmpressGladys YouTube channel.
The trophy was so big, you might think that’s why tiny Gladys had to sit down to receive it.
But there’s more to that image than meets the eye. In this short clip from “Oprah’s Master Class,” Knight talks about her experience on Mack’s show, and a racially charged incident that occurred right after her victory.
Knight’s Musicians Guide bio continues after the 1953 creation of The Pips—a group of Knight’s siblings and cousins, named for cousin James “Pip” Wood. The group started out singing at supper clubs and for their congregation.
Gladys Knight and the Pips toured nationally with Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke before Gladys was 13, but their 1957 recording debut with Brunswick went nowhere. By then, the group expanded to include cousins Edward Patten and Langston George along with Gladys, Bubba and William Guest; Brenda Knight and Guest had left the group to be married. 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 and moved to number six on the R&B charts in July of 1961.
Though they recorded “Every Beat of My Heart” in 1961, the song always reminds me of earlier doo-wops from the 1950s. It was a big hit at what I’ll call “blue-lights in the basement hooky parties” in my neighborhood.
RELATED STORY: Remembering the doo-wop sounds that rang from every urban street corner
Gladys Knight and The Pips scored a major hit on the charts for Motown with “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” in 1967, which was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1966. There’s a story behind them getting to record it and see their version released ahead of the iconic version by Marvin Gaye.
Songfacts writes:
It seems like everyone in Motown heard about this song "through the grapevine" before it was finally recorded. The classic about a man who finds out his woman is cheating on him was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. Strong came up with the idea and asked Motown writers Holland-Dozier-Holland to work on it with him. They refused to credit another writer, so Strong took it to Whitfield, who helped put it together. The song eventually became a Motown classic, but it had a rough start, as executives at the company thought it was too bluesy and lacked hit potential.
Paul Sexton wrote about it for I Discover Music.
The checkered story of ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ included Gladys and the group’s R&B No.1 version, before Marvin took ownership of the song.
The first recording of the song, by the Miracles, was in the summer of 1966, but it wasn’t even deemed worthy of release. Then Gaye took his first go at it, but Whitfield’s enthusiasm for the take was not matched by that of Berry Gordy, so that also remained in the vaults. The next chapter was for Whitfield, not just a key songwriter but increasingly a producer of influence at Motown, to try the song out on Gladys and the Pips.
But as we document elsewhere, the Norman Whitfield/Barrett Strong song had been through a few incarnations before Marvin made it his own. Not to mention that it had already been an R&B No.1. On December 2, 1967, that distinction was granted to the exciting Motown interpretation of “Grapevine” by Gladys Knight and the Pips.
No one has ever explained why Berry Gordy wasn’t enthusiastic about “Grapevine.” His indifference was misplaced, as it went on to be a major hit not only for Knight and The Pips, and for Marvin Gaye, but also for Credence Clearwater Revival, among others.
I remember seeing Gladys Knight and the Pips perform it live in 1972 on “Soul Train”—a show which none of my friends ever missed.
Knight and The Pips would go on to record R&B hit after R&B hit—too many to post here—so I’ll pick one of my favorites from 1973, which won the group a Grammy in 1974.
Biography.com continues the group’s story:
Knight and the Pips hosted their own TV special in the summer of 1975, and in 1976, Knight made an appearance in the film Pipe Dreams, for which she and the Pips also recorded the soundtrack album. She later co-starred opposite comedian Flip Wilson on the 1985-86 sitcom Charlie & Co. Due to legal problems with Buddah, Knight and the Pips were forced to record separately in the last years of the 1970s, although they continued performing together in live gigs.
After signing a new contract with Columbia, the group released three reunion albums during the early 1980s, About Love (1980), Touch (1982) and Visions (1983), scoring hits with such singles as "Landlord" (produced by the ace songwriting team Ashford and Simpson), "Save the Overtime for Me" and "You're Number One".
Moving to MCA Records in 1988, Knight and the Pips released their final album together, All Our Love, which included the Grammy-winning single "Love Overboard." The next year, Knight left the Pips to launch a solo career, recording the title song for the James Bond film License to Kill (1989) and the album A Good Woman (1990), which featured guest stars Dionne Warwick and Patti Labelle.
As Musician Guide notes, Knight’s solo career—launched at the age of 55—was also a success.
Knight first performed without the Pips at Constitution Hall on November 8, 1989, with newcomer David Peaston, and the pair performed incredible duets. The set consisted of popular soul singles of the 1980s and also included songs from Knight's gospel roots. Knight then released an album in late 1991, Good Woman, featuring guest stars Patti LaBelle and Dionne Warwick. This recording proved Knight and her colleagues still could compete head-to-head with younger female vocalists such as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Karyn White. Good Woman 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." Knight also contributed to writing several songs on the album, including the emotional ballad, "Waiting on You," said to have been inspired by the Persian Gulf War.
RELATED STORY: Tina, Dionne, and Gladys won more than Grammys—they won our hearts
In 1997, President Bill Clinton invited Knight to perform at the White House.
From YouTuber David Jackson’s video notes:
Recorded on June 17, 1997. Gladys Knight performs songs such as Love Overboard, Make Yours A Happy Home, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, The Tracks of My Tears, Nether One of Us, and many more of her hits, ending with a wonderful medley of "Georgia" songs, culminating with Midnight Train to Georgia. Also features Serena Henry.
Like life itself, not every performance was a time of joy, of course. In 2018, Knight joined many of her fellow musicians in Detroit to pay tribute to Aretha Franklin at her funeral, singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
Many people are only familiar with Knight in the R&B or soul vein, but in 2006—and in her 60s—she embarked upon a different musical journey entirely, which Chris Walker explored for MiX.
A look at the recording of Gladys Knight’s tribute album to great women jazz singers, Before Me
Before Gladys Knight became one of the most successful soul singers in America — fronting The Pips for a string of immortal classics, and then venturing out as a solo act — she was a jazz singer in her high school big band in her native Atlanta, learning at the knee of a man named Lloyd Terry, who in addition to being an educator, also led the top jazz group in the city. Terry’s and Knight’s career paths diverged early on, but the singer never forgot her first mentor, and three years ago, they got together to begin work on a dream project for Knight: an album of her singing songs popularized by some of the great women singers who had inspired her. Unfortunately, Terry died before the album could be made. But now we have Knight’s Before Me, which undoubtedly has Terry smiling in the Great Beyond. Produced by Grammy-winners Tommy LiPuma and Phil Ramone, it features Knight at her very best, singing songs by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Nina Simone, Lena Horne and Mahalia Jackson.
Knight stresses that the project was not an attempt to get on what she calls “the standards bandwagon” nor is it just some jazz experiment. “I wanted something from all the ladies, but more personal,” she says. “Such as, ‘Listen to these women, listen to their music, look where they’ve been and look how they’re music has survived.’ I wanted all that to come out through this music. I got a chance to meet and work with every single one of them, except Billie Holiday [who died in 1959]. They were all very encouraging and told me how proud they were of me.” (The album features standards by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billie Holiday and more.)
This short video takes you into the process of making the album.
Here she is performing one of my favorites from the album: Duke Ellington’s “Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me.”
In 2022, Knight was one of the people celebrated at the 45th Annual Kennedy Center Honors. Here’s Patti LaBelle, Mickey Guyton, Garth Brooks, and Ariana DeBose performing “That’s What Friends Are For.”
President Joe Biden also made remarks to honor her, summarizing her musical journey in less than two-and-a-half minutes—with some background on “That’s What Friends Are For,” and its impact.
The official White House transcript:
In “We the People,” we also hear goodness and grace of the one and only [Empress] of Soul, Gladys Knight. God love you. (Applause.)
A daughter of Atlanta who grew up in a church choir. Began performing with her brother, sister, and cousins — a group that became known as “Glady Knight and the Pips.” You’re (inaudible). (Applause.)
After over 6 decades, 7 Grammy’s, 20 nominations, including the best Gospel album; 11 number one R&B singles — singles; 6 number one R&B albums; 2 number one top Billboard hits. Grammy Hall of Fame. Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame. Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame.
She’s performed on the biggest stages. But — but a point of personal privilege, I think her performance in [2019] at the 100th anniversary of the Delaware State Fair was pretty special. (Laughter.) They’re still talking about it, Gladys. Not a joke. Not a joke. And down at the fair, they speak like y’all do down in Atlanta, you know what I mean? (Laughter.)
Just a few days ago, we observed World AIDS Day — a much different day than during the worst of the epidemic in the ‘80s.
Back then, Gladys joined Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick and the benefit — in a benefit record to sing “That’s What Friends Are For.” It reached number one on the charts, shattering the stigma and opening hearts.
The title of her autobiography is “You were there between each line of my pain and glory.” Gladys, your voice — your voice has spoken to what breaks our hearts, what tears us apart, what lifts our spirits, what brings us together, what makes us human. Gladys, you’re truly one of the best things ever to happen to any of us. (Applause.)
So, if you don’t mind me saying it, we’re going to get on that midnight train, because I think — (laughter) — I speak for all of America when I say, “We’d rather live in your world than be without you in ours.” (Applause.)
Just two months ago, in March, Biden presented Knight with the National Medal of Arts. It’s a really sweet moment.
Happy (almost) birthday, Ms. Gladys! Thank you for the gifts you have given us over all these years, and providing the soundtrack for this coming week.
Join me below for more, and please do post your favorite songs from the Empress of Soul—her official YouTube channel is a great place to start, as is her full discography. I look forward to hearing your plan for your seven-day celebration of Gladys Knight—even if you’re just going to listen to the same song every day!