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PrintA Legendary KNight
Photographs courtesy of Shakeji, Inc.
Gladys Knight wowed her first audience at the age of 4 and entered the national spotlight at age 8 when she won the “Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour” contest. And while this Atlanta native has enjoyed six decades in the music industry — firmly establishing her standing as a legend — she maintains the humility instilled in her by her parents and shares a message of self-pride and spirituality that endear her to others.
Knight has enjoyed a long-standing, successful career, unmarred by scandal. She, her brother and cousins, The Pips, began touring as pre-teens and teens playing the Chit’lin’ Circuit, and according to Knight, their parents, the community-at-large and a number of mentors kept an eye on the quartet.
“Spirituality, integrity and the type of parenting that most African Americans grew up with kept us in line. We had a neighborhood, not just a ‘hood,’ and the neighbors looked out for us and held us accountable. My mother was a parent and a guidance counselor of sorts, but my dad, he was old school. They scrutinized our friends and always taught us to ‘be careful of the company you keep,’” Knight said. “The industry is so different now; it’s dog-eat-dog, but when we were coming up, there were people who looked out for us.”
Mentors like “Uncle B.B.” King, who always asked if they’d eaten; Tina Turner, who gave her a backstage makeover; famed choreographer Charlie Adkins, who they affectionately called Pops, were “giants with extraordinary talent,” who rallied around them, giving instruction about performing, music and “the business, while keeping us in line. It was nothing to call home and have Momma say, ‘So I heard ya’ll did so-and-so.’”
Those early days were not without challenges. In her autobiography Between Each Line of Pain and Glory: My Life Story, Knight writes about confronting racism as a 13-year-old. She entered a gas station and asked for the key to the restroom only to have the attendant refuse, using a racial slur. “We were raised in Atlanta, in the heart of ‘Jim Crow country,’ but my parents never taught us about hatred. We were taught about humanity and taught to pray for those who don’t treat you right,” she said. “It was ugly, but we didn’t internalize it, because to do so would move you off your path.”
As a mother of three, Knight passed these lessons on to her children. She feels it’s of utmost importance that young people are taught their history. “We need to keep our history alive. We need to understand who we are. African Americans are a strong people … we need to remember that.”
Knight spoke passionately of this as well as honored those who came before her — “I so admired many people in the business, like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Lena Horne, Jackie Wilson … they were consummate entertainers” — when she accepted the “Legend Award” at the 2011 Soul Train Awards ceremony.
Knight certainly qualifies as a legend. She is a seven-time Grammy-award winner and recently became the first African American woman to have a Las Vegas showroom named in her honor. Last April through October, Knight played five nights a week before delighted audiences there in her city of residence.
Mindful of her community at large, Knight supports the Boys & Girls Club of America and was a part of the hugely-successful “That’s What Friends Are For” recording to benefit the American Foundation for AIDS Research and a part of the 25th anniversary performance of that groundbreaking recording last February. Her jewelry line, the Gladys Knight Jewelry Collection, features handcrafted beads produced by artisans from West Africa and a portion of the sales benefits the Kumasi Women’s Cooperative in Ghana.
A successful businesswoman, she has a line of women’s shaping tanks and with her youngest son Shanga Hankerson and long-time friend Ron Winans developed Gladys Knight and Ron Winans’ Chicken and Waffles restaurants; there are two locations in Georgia. She has also starred in a television series; made several cameo appearances — most recently on the hit show “30 Rock”; had a successful run on Broadway in “Smokey Joe’s Café”; and graced the silver screen in a number of movies, including Tyler Perry’s smash hit “I Can Do Bad All By Myself.”
Knight, along with The Pips, became an icon bringing us hits such as: “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”; “Midnight Train to Georgia”; “Neither One of Us”; “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination”; and “Love Overboard.” In 1989, she made her world premiere as a sell-out solo artist.
Knight will soon pen another book, the second chapter of her life. “Books are another way to connect with your audience. It gives everyone an opportunity to gain insight into your life — this is especially important when you are in the public eye. People want to know you … I feel it’s only fair — they spend their hard-earned money to come see us perform. I appreciate every fan,” Knight said. The book will chronicle her life since the 1997 autobiography. “I found that people want to know what I’ve been doing … they want to know how I, a black woman, became a member of the Mormon Church,” she added, laughing.
She’ll bring her incredible talent, soulful voice and southern charm to Little Rock, Jan. 17 for Arkansas Baptist College’s (ABC) second annual Supper & Soul. The evening will begin with a 6 p.m. reception, followed by dinner and a riveting performance by Knight. Supper & Soul benefits ABC’s Growing Hope Capital Campaign for which the goal is $30 million. Dr. and Mrs. Harold and Angela Betton, philanthropists, serve as the honorary chairs for this year’s event. Tickets are $250 each; tables of 10 and sponsorship packets are available. Tickets may be purchased by calling (501) 492-0549 or via the ABC website arkansasbaptist.edu.
