Gladys Maria Knight, dubbed the “Empress of Soul,” was born in America on May 28, 1944. She is also an actress, businesswoman, singer, and songwriter. Seven-time Grammy Award winner Gladys Knight and her family group, the Pips, which also included her brother Merald “Bubba” Knight and cousins William Guest and Edward Patten, recorded popular songs in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
Knight has two Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles (“Midnight Train to Georgia” and “That’s What Friends Are For,” both with Dionne Warwick, Sir Elton John, and Stevie Wonder), eleven number-one R&B singles, and six number-one R&B albums to her credit. She has seven Grammy Awards (four as a solo artist and three with the Pips) and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well as the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
Two of her songs, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Midnight Train to Georgia,” were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for their “historical, artistic, and significant” value.
She also wrote the theme song for the James Bond film Licence to Kill, which was released in 1989. Knight was named one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine.
Who is Gladys Knight’s husband James Newman?
Gladys’ first marriage was to James Newman, better known as Jimmy. From 1960 to 1973, the union lasted 13 years. She married at the age of 16 after becoming pregnant with Jimmy. Sadly, the pregnancy ended in miscarriage.
