Gladys Maria Knight, dubbed the “Empress of Soul,” was born in America on May 28, 1944. She is also an actress, entrepreneur, singer, and composer. Seven-time Grammy Award winner Gladys Knight and the Pips, which also included her brother Merald “Bubba” Knight, cousins William Guest, and Edward Patten, recorded popular songs during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
In addition to eleven number-one R&B singles and six number-one R&B albums, Knight has two number-one Billboard Hot 100 songs (“Midnight Train to Georgia” and “That’s What Friends Are For”), eleven number-one R&B singles, and a number-one R&B album. Along with The Pips, she is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. She has received seven Grammy Awards—four as a solo artist and three with the Pips. I Heard It Through the Grapevine and Midnight Train to Georgia, two of her songs, were included in the Grammy Hall of Fame for their “historical, artistic, and significant” worth.
Additionally, she sang the song for the 1989 James Bond movie Licence to Kill. Knight was listed as one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine.
