Product Description

This immensely inspiring autobiography tells the whole, true story of Gladys Knight, a four-time Grammy winner, whose life has been rich in music, faith, love, and immense hardships. of photos.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1225107 in Books
• Published on: 1997-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 280 pages

From Kirkus Reviews
Knight, of pop's Pips, offers an event-packed autobiography--from child gospel sensation through '70s superstardom to Vegas divahood--earnestly but with little verve. First achieving national attention at age eight, in 1952, on Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour, the Atlanta- born Knight was very soon thereafter singing on the ``Chitlin' Circuit'' of black nightclubs with an early incarnation of the Pips (all siblings and cousins). The Pips toured throughout the '50s with the likes of Jackie Wilson and Joe Tex, recording only briefly and unsuccessfully. Knight's first marriage, to her high-school sweetheart, collapsed because of his drug use; her father descended into mental illness and left the family. She indicates that by 1963 the Pips were big enough to have performers at the White House, but it wasn't until the mid-'60s that they signed with Motown, finally breaking through in 1967 with ``I Heard It Through the Grapevine.'' Knight is good on the subject of Motown's feudal business practices: Second-tier groups like the Pips would seldom get a crack at the in-house songwriters' best songs, and naive performers accepted company ``gifts'' that in fact were advances against royalties, keeping the artists in debt (and thus servitude) to Motown. Only on leaving Motown did the Pips achieve top stardom with a succession of hits. On the crises in her life--including a gambling addiction and two more failed marriages, most recently to the motivational speaker Les Brown--Knight is so intent on gleaning lessons that she usually fails to render the experiences themselves particularly vividly. Anecdotes of racism and (other people's) high jinks on the road are similarly lifeless. Perhaps more tellingly than she intends, Knight notes of the world of show business: ``I have seen it all, to be sure, but rarely participated in it.'' This distance comes through clearly in her memoir. (32 pages b&w photos, not seen) (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

The Makings of a Soul Diva
Oh, just picked up the paperback to seeing her on an old 'Jeffersons' rerun (remember that). Loved this book! Gladys has always been a favorite of mine- that rich, flawless delivery underlined with down to earth truth and conviction- she is among the leading voices that brought soul music to the mainstream America in the 1960's.
I was mist intrigued by her honesty throughout the book, especially in speaking of her parenting of her children. I commended her for that. Her gambling addiction was another testament of how she overcame adversity and came out a winner, which was another source of inspiration for myself. I also really appreciated her honesty in relation to her tenure with Motown and the treatment they received while on the legendary label.
And then there was the dirt! What is the deal between she and Aretha? I always perceived that they would be good friends, especially since both encompass such mesmarizing, soulful voices.... I love Dionne, and I could not see her acting the way Patti portrayed her.
This is a inspirational, well written piece of work. I would recommend this purchase and much love and success to Ms. Knight for decades to come.

I enjoyed this very candid and inspirational book.
Gladys Knight did an exceptional job of revealing her life of pain and glory. She had me bumping into walls as I left work each day because I couldn't wait to get home to continue reading. I know that she is a gifted performer, but I now know that she is a gifted writer as well. This is a must read.

From an Early Fan
I have always admired Gladys Knight enormously as an entertainer. Ever since hits such as "Neither one of Us" and "Midnight Train", my love for her music never waned. After all of these years, she is to be commended for her longevity in such a competitive industry.

As for the book, I enjoyed it so much that I read it within a 1-day period. Admittedly, after I read the prologue in which she gave an overview of her life, I was thinking "well, what else is there to know?" However, I quickly found the book to be quick-moving, enjoyable, and replete with lessons for living. She has had a very rich life in terms of both her ups and downs---and you'll likely be inspired by both.

Whenever I read biographical books, their historical references are usually illuminating. Gladys' book provides lots of insights into the singing and recording industry of old. I'm always fascinated by Motown stories anyway.

The book is well written with clarity that makes it flow smoothly; yet sophistication that sent me to the dictionary from time to time.