Gladys Knight Is Coming To Lake Charles
They call her the "Empress of Soul" for good reason. When it comes to soul music, Gladys Knight, wrote the dictionary on it! She is an absolute living music legend and I am so happy to inform you, that she is coming to perform in Lake Charles early next year.
Tuesday the Golden Nugget Lake Charles released details that the iconic singer, songwriter, and actress is scheduled to hit the stage at the Grand Event Center, on February 16, 2024, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale, on Friday, November 10, 2023, at 10 a.m., and I am almost certain this show is going to sell out.
When you have an opportunity to see an artist of the level of Gladys Knight, you don't pass it up. Because you may not, get a chance to see her again, especially in SWLA. The 7-time Grammy Award-winning "Empress of Soul", began her music career in the 60s and is showing no signs of slowing down. She is currently touring 3 countries and has 28 upcoming shows booked through 2024, including her stop in Lake Charles.
As we repair to welcome the "Empress of Soul" back to Southwest Louisiana. Here are six fun facts to help you get to know her a little better:
She has a sister, Brenda, one living brother, Merald "Bubba" Knight, Jr., and one deceased brother, David "Billy" Knight. Throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s, she sang in the church choir. She won Ted Mack's The Original Amateur Hour TV show contest on July 1, 1952, at the age of eight.
1.) She has three siblings. Two brothers, Merlad "Bubba" Knight, JR., and David "Billy" Knight (deceased), and one sister Brenda Knight.
2.) On July 1, 1952, she won the talent competition on “Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour. She was only 8 years old at the time.
3.) That same year, Gladys, her brother Merald, sister Brenda, and cousins William and Elenor Guest formed their group The Pips (named after another cousin, James 'Pip' Woods). In 1959 they changed the name to Gladys Knight & the Pips. Brenda Knight and Eleanor Guest were replaced by cousin Edward Patten and friend Langston George(59-1961). In 1964, her cousin William Guest joined the group.
In 1997, Eleanor Guest died of heart failure. Edward Patten passed away due to complications with diabetes in 2005, and in 2015, William Guest died from congestive heart failure.
4.) Gladys Knight and the Pips were the first to release the song 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine," in 1967. That was before Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970) and Marvin Gaye covered it. Mind you, the song was recorded first by the Miracles in 1966 and second by Marvin Gaye who recorded a new arrangement of the song that same year. However, both recordings were shelved at the time and the song was given to Gladys and she and the Pips made it a hit! In the summer of 1968, Marvin re-recorded the track and finally found gold.
5.) Knight's performance in her debut film in 1976, "Pipe Dreams," earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe.
6.) She sang “The Lord’s Prayer” and “His Eye is on the Sparrow” at Michael Jackson’s funeral in 2009.
Gladys Knight is 79 years young, still touring, still singing like an angel and as you can see her voice is still amazing!