Gladys Knight

Gladys Knight

Gladys Knight is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter and actress from Atlanta, Georgia. Born in 1944, she is best known for recording hit singles in the 1960s and 1970s with Gladys Knight & the Pips, the group with which she is most closely associated.

Gladys Knight & the Pips

Gladys Knight & the Pips records for Motown and Buddah Records. The most widely known line-up includes Knight, her brother Merald “Bubba” Knight, and her cousins Edward Patten and William Guest. Her work with the group establishes her as a major figure in soul and pop music.

Solo work

Knight begins recording solo material after legal issues require her and the Pips to record separately. Her solo debut, Miss Gladys Knight, appears in 1978, followed by Gladys Knight on Columbia Records. She sings the title song for the James Bond film Licence to Kill, which reaches number 6 in the UK. Her third solo album, Good Woman, is released in 1991 on MCA Records and reaches number 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart; its lead single, “Men”, reaches number 2 on the R&B chart. The 1995 album Just for You goes gold. Her ninth studio album, Before Me, is released in 2006.

Associated acts and styles

Her associated acts include Gladys Knight and the Saints Unified Voices, Dionne & Friends, and The Queens. Her recorded work spans doo-wop, funk, gospel, Motown, smooth soul, and soft rock.