Does Gladys Knight Have A Husband? – Celebrity
Matthew Wilson
Updated on January 17, 2026
Gladys Knight has been married four times; she was married to James Newman from 1960-1973, Barry Hankerson from 1974-1979, Les Brown from 1995-1997, and has been married to current husband William McDowell since 2001. When Knight was married to Newman, they had two children together, Kenya and James III.
Legendary singer Gladys Knight is still going strong with her husband after more than 20 years of marriage. The “Midnight Train to Georgia” singer married William McDowell, a corporate consultant, in April 2001. According to Biography, Knight had met McDowell ten years earlier, but married him in 2001 after only three months of dating.
Finally, for the fourth time, Knight married her husband, William McDowell. Early Life Of Gladys Knight Gladys Knight was born on 28 May 1944 in Atlanta, Georgia to Sarah Elizabeth and Merald Woodlow Knight Sr. She has a sister named Brenda Knight and a brother named Merald Knight Jr.
Gladys Knight and husband William McDowell in 2013. Picture: Getty Gladys Knight has been married four times and has three children in total. At 16 years old, she became pregnant and married musician James ‘Jimmy’ Newman in 1960.
Gladys Knight’s spouse, William McDowell and the singer have had a beautiful romance for more than two decades now. The marriage has survived through thick and thin and has left many curious about the mystery behind their love story. The duo who keeps their affairs under wraps has maintained such credibility.
After divorcing James Newman II in 1973, Knight married Barry Hankerson (uncle of future hip/hop, R&B singer Aaliyah), then Detroit mayor Coleman Young ‘s executive aide. Knight and Hankerson remained married for four years, during which time they had a son, Shanga Ali.
As a third husband Knight married motivational speaker, Bandleader and composer Les Brown but they separated and divorced in 1997. For the fourth time in her life she was married with this guy. Now the couple seems to be living a happy married life.
Iconic soul singer Gladys Knight has been married to her fourth husband William McDowell, who she married for 18 years, and is blissfully happy despite their age difference. Gladys revealed that her secret to happiness is that she never stopped believing in love In 2001, Gladys met Wiliam, and the two fell in love.
Facts of Gladys Knight Date of Birth : May 28 , 1944 Affair with William McDowell Boyfriend William McDowell Married Yes Married to James Newman (m. 1960�1973) ,Les Brown ( 22 more rows
After divorcing James Newman II in 1973, Knight married Barry Hankerson (uncle of future hip/hop, R&B singer Aaliyah ), then Detroit mayor Coleman Young ‘s executive aide. Knight and Hankerson remained married for four years, during which time they had a son, Shanga Ali.
Who was Gladys Knight’s first husband?
Gladys’ first husband was musician James Newman, whom she married when she was 16. He fathered two of her children , Kenya and James III, then abandoned her after he became addicted to drugs. Gladys was just 20. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Gladys Knight (@msgladysknight)
Gladys went on to marry Barry Hankerson, the uncle of the late R&B singer Aaliyah, and the founder of Blackground Records. They had one son together, Shanga, and divorced after 5 years of marriage.
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GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS. Gladys Knight was just 17 when she began singing with her siblings, Merald and Brenda, and cousins, Elenor and William Guest and formed a group they called “The Pips.”. At 17 Gladys was already a seasoned veteran of the stage, having won her first TV contest, The Original Amateur Hour at the age of 7.
William, who is 14 years younger than the Empress of Soul, was the man she had been looking for all her life. Gladys was 57 when she met William, so having a child together was not an option, but they both dote on the singer’s seventeen grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. View this post on Instagram.
Gladys Knight’s marriage to William McDowell is still going strong after 18 years. Iconic soul singer Gladys Knight has been married to her fourth husband William McDowell, who she married for 18 years, and is blissfully happy despite their age difference. Gladys revealed that her secret to happiness is that she never stopped believing in love…
Who was Gladys Knight married to?
of her husbands were members of her R&B group Gladys Knight and the Pips. She married James “Jimmy” Newman in 1960 at 16. The couple had two children, but he was a drug addict and abandoned Gladys and the kids when she was 20. In 1974, she marred Barry Hankerson. They had one son and divored in 1979.
Well, after The Masked Singer and the Super Bowl, the 74-year-old icon is having a heck of a year so far. Next up, she can sit back and watch Destiny’s Child’s Kelly Rowland play her in the new BET series American Soul, which tells the story of Don Cornelius and the creation of the show Soul Train. Back in the early days of the show, Gladys Knight gave it credibiity by appearing on the show. Knight also has a number of concerts on her upcoming schedule. She is scheduled to play 29 concerts starting March 1 in Reno, Nevada and criss-crossing the US and Europe.
Gladys is having a heck of a good year. The Midnight Train to Georgia star’s voice is as strong as ever at age 74. She’s also fresh off singing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl in Atlanta: her hometown. This got us wondering about the Empress of Soul’s personal life.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.
When did Gladys Knight retire?
After a successful 1988 tour, the Pips retired and Knight began her solo career. Gladys Knight & the Pips were inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1989, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.
Knight was born in Atlanta the daughter of Merald Woodlow Knight Sr., a postal worker, and Sarah Elizabeth (née Woods). She has an older sister, Brenda, one living brother, Merald “Bubba” Jr. and one deceased brother, David. Throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s, she would sing in the church choir. She first achieved minor fame by winning Ted Mack’s The Original Amateur Hour TV show contest at the age of eight in 1952. That same year, Gladys, her brother Bubba, sister Brenda , and their cousins Eleanor and William Guest began performing together during Bubba’s tenth birthday party after a record player malfunctioned. Shortly, the quintet agreed to form a group under the insistence of Gladys’ mother Elizabeth Knight. They settled on the name The Pips, inspired by the nickname of their cousin James “Pip” Woods. By 1955, the group began performing on the talent show circuit in their hometown of Atlanta, winning each talent show they entered. This success allowed them to get a record contract with Brunswick Records in 1957. At Brunswick, the group released two recordings that failed to chart. Despite this, the group was now opening for top recording acts such as Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke. By 1959, Brunswick dropped the group, and both Brenda Knight and Eleanor Guest left the group to begin families. They were replaced by another cousin, Edward Patten, and a friend, Langston George.
In 1975, Knight starred in a variety show, The Gladys Knight and the Pips Show, which was canceled after four episodes. She also guest-starred on several TV series throughout the 1980s and 1990s, appearing on Benson, The Jeffersons, A Different World, Living Single, The Jamie Foxx Show, and New York Undercover. In 1985, she co-starred on the CBS sitcom Charlie & Co., alongside comedian Flip Wilson, which lasted for one season.
Gladys Knight & the Pips joined the Motown Records roster in 1966 (while the band had no “sure hit”), and, although initially regarded as a second-string act by the label, scored several major hit singles, including “ I Heard It Through the Grapevine ” (1967) (released later by Marvin Gaye ), “ Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me ” (1967), ” The Nitty Gritty ” (1969), “Friendship Train” (1969), ” If I Were Your Woman ” (1970), ” I Don’t Want To Do Wrong ” (1971), the Grammy Award –winning ” Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye) ” (1972), and “Daddy Could Swear (I Declare)” (1973). In their early Motown career, Gladys Knight and the Pips toured as the opening act for Diana Ross and The Supremes. Gladys Knight stated in her memoirs that Ross kicked her off the tour because the audience’s reception to Knight’s soulful performance overshadowed her. Berry Gordy later told Knight that she was giving his act a hard time.
Gladys Knight stated in her memoirs that Ross kicked her off the tour because the audience’s reception to Knight’s soulful performance overshadowed her.
In 2009 Knight sang “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” and “The Lord’s Prayer” at the funeral service for Michael Jackson. In March 2010, Randy Jackson mentioned on a new episode of the same show that he is back in the studio with Gladys Knight working on a new album. In December 2010, Knight released the single “Settle”.
Knight and the Pips perform aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger on November 1, 1981. Signing with Columbia Records in 1980 and restored to its familiar quartet form, Gladys Knight & the Pips began releasing new material.
Where is Gladys Knight from?
Gladys Knight was born on 28 May 1944 in Atlanta, Georgia to Sarah Elizabeth and Merald Woodlow Knight Sr. She has a sister named Brenda Knight and a brother named Merald Knight Jr. Her brother named David Knight died at an early age.
Her singles ‘That’s What Friends Are For’ and ‘Midnight Train to Georgia’ peaked at number one in the Billboard Hot 100. Gladys Knight. Source: The Hollywood Reporter. She was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with The Pips. She received seven Grammy Awards in total.
Knight married Blackground Records founder and producer Barry Hankerson in 1974. The couple welcomed their son, Shanga Hankerson but the couple divorced in 1979. They had a prolonged custody battle for their only child.