Gladys Knight | 1944

Gladys Knight is a singer and songwriter who made her solo music debut at the tender age of 4, performing at a church in Atlanta, Georgia. At eight years old, she began singing with her siblings in a group they called The Pips. The musical group went on to open for R&B greats such as Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson and enjoyed a career under Motown Records before shifting to Buddah Records in the early ’70s, where they successfully transitioned to pop music.

During the late ’80s, Knight launched a solo career and recorded the title song for the Bond movie License to Kill, along with guest stars Patti Labelle and Dionne Warwick. She has made investments in several albums as a solo artist, including Good Woman, which reached the Billboard album charts. Knight now directs a church choir called Saints Unified Voices.