![]() ![]() In 1965, Gladys Knight and the Pips (by now Merald Knight, William Guest, and their cousin Edward Patten) joined Motown Records, home of the black close harmony sound. One reason is that the background voices -the ‘oohs and ahs ’ against the powerful lines I ’m singing -work on the subconscious. People don ’t know why the picture is being painted so beautifully. Because my voice is out front most of the time, they tend to want to separate that personality. In a 1983 interview in the New York Times, she defended the unified sound of the group: “Throughout our career, people have tried to break us up. The creative dance routines and exquisite harmonies of the Pips evolved in time, along with Knight ’s own voice, influenced by the song stylists whom she heard on recordings. Knight told Ebony that her status as lead vocalist developed by accident, but theirs was a contemporary sound in the early 1960s, when male and female close harmony groups were popular. Their first hit, “Every Beat of My Heart, ” although reaching the Top 20 Rhythm and Blues chart, was pirated and earned them no money. Their first single, “Whistle My Love, ” was released by Brunswick in 1957. They performed pop music as the Pips, opening for such soul stars are Sam Cooke, and maintained the gospel audience by singing as the Fontaineers. Knight told the New York Times that their first professional engagement was singing “Canadian Summer ” and “In the Still of the Night ” at a Y.M.C.A. ![]() The Pips were invented when she joined with her bother Merald ( ”Bub-ba ”) and cousin William Guest to perform at a family party. She was a prize winner on the Ted Mack “Amateur Hour ” in 1952, singing popular solos. Her debut was made at the Mount Mariah Baptist Church in Atlanta at the age of four. Together, Gladys Knight and the Pips are one of the classic R&B and crossover groups whose sound has grown in popularity from the heyday of Motown in the early 1960s to the present day.īorn in Alabama in 1944, Gladys Knight was a gospel singer from childhood. ” Vince Aletti ’s praise for the vocal power of Gladys Knight is only one of the many such descriptions that she has received over her more than thirty years of performing and recording with the Pips. From the beginning, Knight ’s was a strikingly seasoned voice, dark and smokey, intense but contained, more glowing than explosive. Knight ’s husky, raw honey vocals are full of heat and miles deep. Let’s get to know who Gladys Knight’s three children are below.Įditorial note: The net worth listed in this piece is a speculative estimate drawn from a variety of online sources.“Of all the voices in the pop pantheon, one of the richest, warmest and most comforting belongs to Gladys Knight …. She’s also a devoted mother and grandmother. Gladys Knight hasn’t just left behind some legendary songs. With such a legendary career, it’s no wonder that your favorite auntie’s favorite singer has earned a most impressive $28 million net worth, according to Celebrity Net Worth. ![]() In recent years, Knight has been introduced to the younger generation thanks to her popular Verzuz with Patti Labelle. After working with artists like Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson, the group released a string of hits including “Midnight Train to Georgia,” “Neither One of Us,” and “You’re The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me.”Įventually, too, Knight branched out into acting, with diverse roles in everything from “Hawaii Five-O” to “Hollywood Homicide,” per IMDb. Gladys Knight is one of the originators of the modern soul sound.Īs the lead singer of Gladys Knight and The Pips, the Georgia native got her start in the church before working her way out to the legendary Motown Records. ![]()
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