Gladys Maria Knight was born on 28 May 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia USA, and through a successful career as a soul music singer, but also featuring sounds from other music genres, such as soft rock, gospel, funk, doo-wop and R&B, became known as the Empress of Soul, being regarded as one of the most powerful and influential music stars of the 20th century. Gladys is also known as an author and songwriter, and furthermore, she is a great businesswoman and humanitarian. All these sources have played important roles in the accumulation of Gladys’ net worth.
So just how rich is Gladys Knight? Sources have estimated that Gladys’ net worth reaches $28 million, earned largely through her singing career spanning more than 50 years.
Gladys Knight Net Worth $28 Million
Gladys Knight was born to parents Sarah Elizabeth Woods and Merald Woodlow Knight, Sr. She became interested in music at a very young age, and at seven she won the television contest named ‘Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour TV’. Gladys and relatives then formed ‘The Pips’, and had mild success during their teenage years. From 1961 onwards, the group acheived internatinal success, and reached the heights by winning Grammy Awards for the songs ‘Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)’in 1972, ‘Midnight Train to Georgia’ in 1973, and ‘Love Overboard’ in 1987. Due to great popularity, Knight was invited to play a leading role in the drama ‘Pipe Dreams’ directed by Stephen F. Verona. However, the film was not very popular among cinema-goers, although Knight received positive critics’ evaluation and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as the Best New Actress, this way adding to Gladys’ net worth, too.
During Knight’s career in the band, she has also collaborated with Dionne Warwick, Elton John and Stevie Wonder in a song ‘That’s What Friends Are For’ written by Burt Bacharach. winning a Grammy Award for the Best Pop Performance by a Duo or a Group without Vocal in 1986. In 1988, after the disbandment of ‘The Pips’, Gladys Knight began her successful solo career, which has played important role in the rise of her net worth. As a solo singer she has released ten studio albums and seventeen singles. Her sixth album ‘At Last’ won a Grammy Award for the Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album in 2001.
Overall, Gladys Knight has won Grammy Awards seven times, which has also significantly increased her net worth. In addition to this, Gladys has been inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, Hit Parade Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Gladys Knight’s net worth rose even more after she was awarded for her lifetime achievements by the BET cable network, Las Vegas Music Awards, 16th Annual Ella Award by the Society of Singers, Stardust Music Awards and Soul Train Music Awards.
Gladys Knight appeared in various television series during the 1980s 90s, without conspicuous success, and has also made television cameo appearances. In 2012, she began a role in the syndicated sitcom ‘The First Family’. Also in 2012, Gladys competed in the 14th season of ABC’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’, partnered by Tristan MacManus, but they were eliminated, unfortunately during the show’s ‘Motown Week.’
Aside from being a great singer, Knight has increased her net worth publishing books as ‘At Home with Gladys Knight’, and ‘Between Each Line of Pain and Glory: My Life Story’.
In her personal life, Gladys Knight has had four marriages. She first married James Newman (1960-73), with whom she had a son who died in 1999, and a daughter Kenya Newman. Gladys then married Barry Hankerson (1974-81) and they have a son Shanga-Ali Hankerson. Thirdly she married Les Brown(1995-97), and now she has been married to William McDowell since 2001.
