Not long after, she won a prize for her performance on the televised Ted Mack Amateur Hour. She made her solo debut at the age of 4, singing at the Mount Mariah Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Singer and actress Gladys Knight was born Gladys Maria Knight on May 28, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia, and started out on the road to success at an early age.
Today, she's known fondly as the 'Empress of Soul.' Early Years As Gladys Knight and the Pips, they recorded their signature song, 'Midnight Train to Georgia.' Knight left the Pips behind in 1989, and continued to perform and record as a solo artist. Gladys Knight began singing with her siblings at age 8, calling themselves 'the Pips.' The group opened for R&B legends in the 1950s, then headed to Motown and crossed over to pop music.
