The group later
received a recording contract and soon after scored
its first hit with the ballad 'Every Beat of My Heart.'
The Pips followed this with other top tunes, including
'Letter Full of Tears,' 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine'
and Grammy-winners 'Midnight Train to Georgia,' 'Neither
One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)' and
'Lover Overboard.'
Knight and the Pips went their separate ways 11 years
ago. Since then, she's performed in venues around the
world, starred in plays and films, received a star on
the Hollywood Walk of Fame and collaborated with Chaka
Khan, Brandi and Tamia to record the minor hit 'Missing
You.'
Knight pens many of her songs. "When I write,"
she says, "I try to paint a picture in my mind
rather than come up with words that rhyme. I could never
do a song that I didn't believe in."
Gladys Knight (born May 28, 1944) is a legendary American
pop and soul singer. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Knight
first launched to fame with The Pips in 1961, with "Every
Beat of My Heart". In spite of a few more hits,
Knight did not achieve widespread success until 1966,
after signing to Motown. "Friendship Train",
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "If
I Were Your Woman" became huge hits, though her
biggest was "Neither One of Us". In the mid
1970s, the group hit its popular and critical peak with
"Midnight Train to Georgia", "I've Got
to Use My Imagination" and "Best Thing that
Ever Happened to Me". She also joined with Dionne
Warwick, Stevie Wonder, and Elton John on the 1986 AIDS
benefit single, "That's What Friends Are For".
In 1987, Knight acknowledged a gambling addiction to
the game baccarat. She finally called Gamblers Anonymous
when she lost $45,000 in one night.
In 1989 she recorded the title track to the James Bond
movie License to Kill. Along with the Pips, Knight was
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
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.
Gladys Knight has continued touring and recording occasionally,
though the Pips have retired.
Gladys Knight was married to Barry Hankerson, uncle
of singer Aaliyah.
External links
Official
website
