| Real Name/Full Name | Gladys Maria Knight |
| Nick Name/Celebrated Name: | Gladys Knight |
| Birth Place: | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Date Of Birth/Birthday: | 28 May 1944 |
| Age/How Old: | 79 years old |
| Height/How Tall: | In Centimetres – 161cm In Feet and Inches – 5′ 3″ |
| Weight: | In Kilograms – 55 Kg In Pounds – 121 lbs |
| Eye Color: | Brown |
| Hair Color: | Medium Brown |
| Parents Name: | Father –Merald Woodlow Knight Sr Mother –Sarah Elizabeth |
| Siblings: | Brenda Knight, David Knight & Merald Jr. |
| School: | N/A |
| College: | Shaw University |
| Religion: | Christian |
| Nationality: | American |
| Zodiac Sign: | Gemini |
| Gender: | Female |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Boyfriend: | N/A |
| Husband/Spouse Name: | William McDowell |
| Kids/Children Name: | Kenya Newman, Shanga Hankerson and James Newman II |
| Profession: | Songwriter, singer, businesswoman & author |
| Net Worth: | $35 million |
| Last Updated: | September 2023 |
Gladys Maria Knight, popularly known as the “Empress of Soul,” is a singer, actress, songwriter, author, and businesswoman. She is a seven-time Grammy awardee who rose to fame thanks to her 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s hits. Gladys worked with talented individuals, including Merald Knight, William Guest, and Edward Patten.
All the members have blood relations. She has recorded two singles that have risen to the Billboard Hot 100 at position 1. Knight is also an inductee in both the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1989, the Rolling Stone Magazine stated Gladys Knight as one of the top 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Well, how well do you know about Gladys Knight? If not much, we have compiled all you need to know about Gladys Knight’s net worth in 2023, her age, height, weight, boyfriend, husband, kids, biography and complete details about her life. Well, if you’re all set, here is what we know about Gladys Knight to date.
Biography and Early Life
Gladys Maria Knight was born on 1944, 28 May. Her place of birth in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States of America. She is Sarah Elizabeth and Merald Woodlow Knight Sr’s daughter. Her dad worked as a postal worker. Gladys has an elder sister, Brenda Knight, two brothers Merald Knight Jr and David Knight, where the latter is deceased. In her early years, Gladys was an active member of the church choir.
She first rose to fame at a very young age after participating in Ted Mack’s The Original Amateur Hour TV Show and winning when she was eight years old. The same year, her family members started performing together for Merald’s birthday. After the performance, with her mother’s insistence, they all decided to form a group named Pips.
In 1955, Pips was able to perform in different talent shows, winning every show. Two years later, they got a record contract under Brunswick Records. However, their two first recordings were a failure. Brunswick Records dropped them, and some of their family members quit, including Brenda Knight, to start their families.
In 1961, they released the “Every Beat of My Heart” song, which gained a lot of fame and got them a deal with Bobby Robinson’s Fury Records.
Age, Height, Weight & Body Measurement
So, how old is Gladys Knight in 2023 and what is her height and weight? Well, Gladys Knight’s age is 79 years old as of today’s date 29th September 2023 having been born on 28 May 1944. Though, she is 5′ 3″ in feet and inches and 161 cm in Centimetres tall, she weighs about 121 lbs in Pound and 55kg in Kilograms. Her eye color is Brown and hair color is Medium Brown.
Education
Gladys Knight has no information available about her early school days and which school she attended. However, she joined Shaw University, where she graduated with honors. Details about the course she pursued are unavailable.
Personal Life: Dating, Boyfriends, Husband, Kids
Gladys Knight has been in four marriages. And she is a mother to three children. Her first marriage was in 1960 when she was sixteen years old after becoming pregnant by her boyfriend, James Newman. James was her classmate, and he was also in the music industry.
Later, she faced a miscarriage, but they had two children. Her son James Gaston Newman was born in 1962. In the following year, November, she gave birth to their daughter, Kenya Maria Newman. When she was twenty, Newton left the family due to drug addiction issues.
Newman and Knight stayed married for twelve years before finalizing their divorce in 1973. And Newman passed away after a few years. After her divorce, in the following year, Knight tied the knot with Barry Hankerson, the founder of the Blackground Records. The couple has a son, Shanga Ali Hankerson. However, their marriage also ended in 1979. The duel went through a lengthy custody battle, and her son later went missing.
Sixteen years later, she was able to find love again and got married to Les Brown, a motivational speaker. But they separated two years later. She has also had gambling issues over the years, which she struggled with for years.
Her son Jimmy died in 1999, 10 July leaving behind his wife and children. In 2001, Gladys tied the knot with William McDowell. The couple resides in North Carolina and have seventeen grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
Is Gladys Knight Lesbian?
Gladys Knight is straight. This music icon has been in four marriages so far. The 79-year old celebrity has been in four unions, and all her partners are male, which confirms Gladys Knight’s sexual orientation to be straight. Currently, she resides in North Carolina with his almost two-decade husband, William McDowell.
Professional Career
Gladys Knight started his career at a young age as a part of a music group, Pips. However, it was not until 1961 that they recorded their first successful single. In 1966, the group joined Motowm Records, where they managed to score top hits from their work. Five years later, their song won a Grammy Award. Knight and the pips joined in the Vocal Group of Fame.
Gladys has also worked with multiple fantastic music artists on hit singles that hit up to No. 1 in different charts. She has released numerous albums and solos, which have received various nominations and awards.
Awards
Gladys Knight is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, three in the Pips Group and four as a solo music artist. She and the Pips Group has undergone an induction in the Vocal Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll hall of fame. Later Gladys received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has also received other awards and is among the greatest singers of all time.
Net Worth, Salary & Earning of Gladys Knight in 2023
As of 2023, Gladys Knight has a net worth of $35 million. She has amassed this enormous net worth from her over sixty years in the music industry. Also, Knight has received multiple awards, including seven Grammys. Her music singles and albums have been a hit in the years resulting in her rank in the Greatest Singers of the all-time chart.
Some Interesting facts you need to know
- Despite the rumors on social media, Gladys is cancer-free
- She has seventeen grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren
- Her brother was also part of the Pips
- Gladys has a star in the Hollywood Hall of Fame
Gladys Knight is among the greatest singers of all time. She has earned that title thanks to her outstanding contribution. Her 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s albums and singers are legends worth listening up to date. Gladys is a perfect example of a great music artist with outstanding skills.
