GLADYS KNIGHT

Known as the “Empress of Soul,” Gladys is a multifaceted singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, and author. A seven-time Grammy Award recipient, she is known for the hits she recorded in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her group, Gladys Knight & Pips, including her brother Merald “Bubba” Knight and cousins William Guest and Edward Patten. Knight is a big supporter of clean living, which she says is her secret to timeless beauty.

Knight has received seven Grammy Awards (four from her solo work and three with Pips) and is an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Vocal Group Hall of Fame along with The Pips. She has two number-one Billboard Hot 100 singles to her credit, eleven number-one R&B singles, and six number-one R&B albums. Two of her songs, I Heard It Through the Grapevine and Midnight Train to Georgia earned a spot in the Grammy Hall of Fame. She also recorded the theme song for the 1989 James Bond movie License to Kill. Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Knight as one of the 100 best singers of all time.