Gladys Knight & the Pips facts for kids

Gladys Knight & The Pips
Gladys Knight & The Pips perform aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger on November 1, 1981. Left to right: William Guest, Edward Patten, Merald "Bubba" Knight, and Gladys Knight.
Background information
Also known as	The Pips (1952–1961)
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	R&B soul pop
Years active	1952–1989
Labels	Brunswick Fury Maxx Soul/Motown Buddah Columbia MCA
Past members	Gladys Knight Bubba Knight William Guest Edward Patten Brenda Knight Eleanor Guest Langston George

Gladys Knight & the Pips was a famous American music group. They sang R&B, soul, and pop music. The group was from Atlanta, Georgia, and they were active for over 30 years!

The group started in 1952 as just The Pips. The first members were Gladys Knight, her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight, her sister Brenda Knight, and their cousins Eleanor Guest and William Guest. They named themselves "The Pips" after a cousin's nickname. After a few years of performing, they signed with Brunswick Records in 1957. Brenda Knight and Eleanor Guest later left the group. They were replaced by another cousin, Edward Patten, and a friend, Langston George, in 1959.

This new lineup created their first hit song, "Every Beat of My Heart". In 1961, they officially changed their name to Gladys Knight & the Pips. Langston George left that same year. Gladys Knight also left for a short time in 1962 to start a family. She rejoined the group in 1964. This lineup stayed together until the group stopped performing in 1989.

The group became very successful after joining Motown Records in 1966. In 1967, they recorded a hit version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". This led to many other hit songs for Motown, like "Nitty Gritty" and "If I Were Your Woman". They also won a Grammy Award for "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)". In 1973, they left Motown and signed with Buddah Records.

At Buddah, they recorded even more hits. These included "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" and their number-one hit, "Midnight Train to Georgia". This song also won a Grammy! In 1974, they recorded the music for the movie Claudine. Later, the group had some problems with their record contracts. This meant they had to work on separate projects for a while. In 1980, they signed with Columbia Records. Their later hits included "Save the Overtime (For Me)" and the Grammy-winning song "Love Overboard". In 1989, the group decided to stop performing together. The Pips retired, and Gladys Knight started a very successful solo career.

Gladys Knight & the Pips won many Grammy and American Music Awards. They were also added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. In 2001, they joined the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

History of the Group

How Did the Group Start?

Gladys Knight was a talented singer from a young age. In 1952, when she was only eight, she won first prize on a TV show called Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour. On September 4, 1952, Gladys, her brother Bubba, her sister Brenda, and their cousins William and Eleanor Guest started singing together. This happened at Bubba's tenth birthday party when the record player stopped working!

Soon after, Gladys's mother, Elizabeth Knight, encouraged them to form a group. They decided to call themselves The Pips. This name came from their cousin James "Pip" Woods. By 1955, the group was performing in talent shows in their hometown of Atlanta. They won every show they entered! This success helped them get a record deal with Brunswick Records in 1957. They released two songs, but they didn't become hits. Still, the group got to open for famous singers like Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke.

Changes and First Big Hits

In 1959, Brunswick Records stopped working with the group. Brenda Knight and Eleanor Guest left to start their own families. Another cousin, Edward Patten, and a friend, Langston George, joined the group. In 1961, they recorded the song "Every Beat of My Heart". This song became a hit! Because they didn't have a record label at the time, a local label in Atlanta helped release it. Later, they re-recorded the song, and both versions became popular.

Before the re-release, the group changed their name to Gladys Knight & the Pips. In 1961, they released another hit song, "Letter Full of Tears". Langston George left the group in 1962. Gladys Knight also left for a short time to have her children. During this time, the Pips kept performing, and Gladys sang solo. Eventually, Gladys rejoined the Pips. They signed with a new label, Maxx Records. They had another top 40 hit with "Giving Up".

The group became known for their amazing live shows. They had exciting dance routines created by choreographer Cholly "Pops" Atkins. Gladys's powerful voice and the Pips' perfect harmonies and dance moves made their performances special.

Gladys Knight & the Pips' Motown album Everybody Needs Love (1967), which includes their hit song "I Heard It Through the Grapevine".

Joining Motown Records

By the end of 1965, Berry Gordy, the head of Motown Records, wanted to sign the group. Gladys Knight was worried that Motown would focus more on their other famous artists. But the Pips convinced her to sign. In 1966, they joined Motown's Soul Records label. This label was for artists who had more of an R&B sound.

Their first Motown song, "Just Walk in My Shoes", was a hit in England. The group didn't like that other singers were used on their songs. They asked that only the Pips sing backup on their recordings. Their third song, "Everybody Needs Love", became their first American hit in two years in 1967.

Gladys Knight later said that she felt the group was not the top priority at Motown. She said that famous groups like Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations got all the best songs. But the group finally had a huge breakthrough with their fourth Motown song, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". This song reached number 2 on the pop charts and number one on the R&B charts. It became Motown's best-selling song at that time! Interestingly, Marvin Gaye released his own version of the song later, which also became a huge hit.

In 1968, Gladys Knight was one of the first people to suggest that Berry Gordy sign a new group called The Jackson Five.

After "Grapevine", the group worked with producer Norman Whitfield. He helped them create more hits like "The End of Our Road" and "Nitty Gritty". Their song "If I Were Your Woman" became another million-selling hit in 1970. In late 1971, they released a soulful version of "Help Me Make It Through the Night", which was a hit around the world.

In December 1972, they released "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)". This song became their biggest hit at Motown, reaching number two on the pop charts. It also won them a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group. While this song was popular, the group tried to get a better contract with Motown. When negotiations didn't work out, they left Motown in February 1973 and signed with Buddah Records.

Gladys Knight (1974)

The "Midnight Train" to Buddah Records

After joining Buddah Records, the group released "Where Peaceful Waters Flow". Then came the song that would become their most famous: "Midnight Train to Georgia" in August 1973. This song quickly became number one on both the pop and R&B charts! It is still known as their signature song.

They followed this hit with their album Imagination. This album had two more top ten songs: "I've Got to Use My Imagination" and "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me". Imagination was the first of several million-selling albums for Buddah Records. These included the music for the movie Claudine and the album I Feel a Song.

In 1975, the group even had their own TV show, The Gladys Knight & the Pips Show, on NBC. During this time, they recorded more hit songs like "I Feel a Song (In My Heart)" and "The Way We Were/Try to Remember".

By 1977, the group had problems with their contracts at both Motown and Buddah Records. They asked to leave Buddah, but the label made them record separate projects while the issues were sorted out. Between 1978 and 1980, Gladys released two solo albums, and the Pips released two albums without her. Even so, the group still performed together. In 1980, they signed with Columbia Records.

Later Years and the End of the Group

At Columbia Records, the group worked with their old Motown friends, Ashford & Simpson. They released the album About Love in 1980, which included songs like "Landlord". They continued working with Ashford & Simpson on their next album, Touch, in 1981. Also in 1981, the group sang backup vocals for Kenny Rogers on his song "Share Your Love with Me".

After touring around the world, the group recorded their album Visions in 1983. The main song, "Save the Overtime (For Me)", became their first number one R&B hit in eight years! The music video for this song was one of the first R&B videos to include elements of hip-hop.

Gladys Knight then worked on some solo projects, including a number one hit song called "That's What Friends Are For". After this, the group signed with MCA Records. They released their last album, All Our Love. This album sold very well and included their Grammy-winning number-one song, "Love Overboard". In 1988, the group also won a Soul Train Music Award for Career Achievement.

Gladys Knight & the Pips went on their final tour in 1988. After the tour, the group officially disbanded. Gladys Knight decided to focus on her solo career, bringing an end to their 37 years together as a group.

Top 20 Singles

These songs reached the Top 20 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart or the United Kingdom Pop Singles Chart.

Studio Albums

• Letter Full of Tears (1962)
• Gladys Knight and the Pips (1965)
• Everybody Needs Love (1967)
• Feelin' Bluesy (1968)
• Silk 'n' Soul (1968)
• All In A Knight's Work (1968)
• Nitty Gritty (1969)
• All The Greatest Hits (1970)
• If I Were Your Woman (1971)
• Standing Ovation (1971)
• Neither One of Us (1973)
• Anthology (1973)
• Imagination (1973)
• Original Soundtrack for the Motion Picture Claudine (1974)
• I Feel a Song (1974)
• Bless This House (1975)
• 2nd Anniversary (1975)
• Original Soundtrack for the Motion Picture Pipe Dreams (1976)
• Still Together (1977)
• The One and Only (1978)
• About Love (1980)
• Touch (1981)
• That Special Time of Year (1982)
• Visions (1983)
• Life (1985)
• All Our Love (1987)

Film and TV Appearances

Concert Films

• 1977: Gladys Knight & the Pips Feat. Ray Charles: Live at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles

Compilations

• 1973: Burt Sugarman's Midnight Special – Legendary Performances 1973
• 2004: Kenny Rogers Rollin' Vol. 1
• 2006: Flashbacks: Soul Sensation

Awards and Achievements

American Music Awards

Grammy Awards

Gladys Knight has won four more Grammy Awards as a solo artist or in collaborations.

Other Awards and Honors

• 1988: Gladys Knight & the Pips received the Heritage Award (now called the Quincy Jones Award for Career Achievement) at the Soul Train Music Awards.
• 1989: Gladys Knight & the Pips were added to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
• 1996: Gladys Knight & the Pips were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• 1998: Gladys Knight & the Pips received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
• 1999: Gladys Knight & the Pips were inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame for "Midnight Train to Georgia".
• 2001: Gladys Knight & the Pips were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
• 2006: Gladys Knight & the Pips were inducted into the Apollo Theater's Hall of Fame.
• 2009: Gladys Knight & the Pips were inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
• 2018: Gladys Knight & The Pips were again inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "I Heard It Through The Grapevine".

See also

In Spanish: Gladys Knight & the Pips para niños