With young Gladys supplying the throaty vocals and the Pips providing impressive harmonies and inspired dance routines, the group soon earned a following on the so-called 'Chitlin Circuit' in the South, opening for popular acts such as Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke. In 1952, an 8-year-old Knight formed 'the Pips' with her brother and sister, Merald ('Bubba') and Brenda, and two cousins, Elenor and William Guest (another cousin, Edward Patten, and Langston George later joined the group, after Brenda and Elenor left to get married George left by 1960). 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.

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