Gladys Knight Net Worth: Musical Legend’s Fortune

Gladys Knight net worth in 2024 is a topic many fans want to know about. As a music legend, she has touched the hearts of millions with her incredible voice. Known as the “Empress of Soul,” Gladys has built a career full of unforgettable songs and achievements. Over the years, she has earned her wealth through music, touring, and other projects. 

Let’s take a closer look at her journey and how she became such a successful artist.

What is Gladys Knight Net Worth in 2024?

Gladys Knight is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman who has an estimated net worth of $28 million as of 2024, according to TheRichest. Over her illustrious career, Knight has earned recognition for her contributions to music, film, and business, further solidifying her wealth and influence

She became famous with her group, Gladys Knight & The Pips, creating hit songs like Midnight Train to Georgia and If I Were Your Woman. These songs made her one of the biggest names in soul and R&B music.

Besides singing, she earned money from acting in movies and TV shows, performing live on tours, and releasing albums over many decades. She also wrote a book, owned restaurants, and made money from endorsements and business ventures. Her long career and ability to succeed in different areas helped her build her fortune.

Gladys Knight’s Early Life

Gladys Knight was born on May 28, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Sarah, a nurse’s aide, and Merald Sr., a postal worker. Her family loved music. Her parents sang in church and a local choir. Gladys had one sister, Brenda, and two brothers, Bubba and Billy.

Gladys grew up in a Baptist home. She started singing gospel at age four at Mount Moriah Baptist Church. At eight, she won the Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour contest singing Nat King Cole’s Too Young. Soon after, she and her siblings Bubba and Brenda, along with cousins Eleanor and William Guest, sang together at Bubba’s birthday party. They later formed a group, encouraged by Gladys’s mother. They named The Pips after their cousin and manager, Pip Woods.

The Pips sang in church, talent shows, and clubs. They opened for popular acts and signed with Brunswick Records in 1957. Gladys recorded her first hit song, Every Beat of My Heart when she was just 16. By then, the group had released their first album. Gladys paused her career to start a family with her husband, musician Jimmy Newman but soon returned to music.

Gladys went to Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta before transferring to Archer High School, where she graduated.

Gladys Knight & The Pips

Gladys Knight & the Pips joined Motown Records in 1966. They had three earlier hits, including Every Beat of My Heart and Letter Full of Tears. At first, Motown treated them as a second-tier group. However, they soon had big hits such as I Heard It Through the Grapevine, The Nitty Gritty, and Friendship Train. They also won a Grammy for Neither One of Us. Early in their Motown days, they opened for Diana Ross and the Supremes. Gladys later said Diana Ross had her removed because her performances were too popular with the audience.

In 1973, the group left Motown for Buddah Records. They found even more success there with songs like Midnight Train to Georgia, which topped the pop and R&B charts, and Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me. That same year, they worked with Curtis Mayfield on the soundtrack for the movie Claudine, featuring songs like On and On. Their music also became popular in Europe, especially in the UK. For example, Midnight Train to Georgia became a UK hit years after its U.S. success.

By the late 1970s, legal issues forced the group to record separately. Gladys released solo albums, Miss Gladys Knight and Gladys Knight. She went through a divorce and later married Barry Hankerson, having a son, Shanga Ali. Their marriage ended in a tough custody battle. In 1980, Johnny Mathis invited Gladys to record two songs with him: When a Child Is Born and The Lord’s Prayer.

Gladys Knight & the Pips returned as a group in the 1980s, signing with Columbia Records. They worked with producers Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson on albums like About Love, including the Landlord hit. They also succeeded with Save the Overtime, which reached #1 on the R&B chart in 1983 and featured early hip-hop culture in its music video.

In 1987, Gladys Knight started her solo career after recording All Our Love with the Pips. The album included the Grammy-winning hit Love Overboard. The group retired in 1988 after a farewell tour. Gladys Knight & the Pips were later honored by the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Gladys Knight’s Solo Career

Early Collaborations

Gladys Knight worked with Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, and Elton John on the song That’s What Friends Are For, a big hit. The song won a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. She also performed with Dionne Warwick and Patti LaBelle in the 1986 special Sisters in the Name of Love and received three ACE Awards. In 1988, she sang America the Beautiful at Wrestlemania 4.

In 1991, Gladys released Good Woman, her third solo album, which became her most successful. It hit No. 1 on the R&B charts. The album featured the hit song Men and the track Superwoman, which was nominated for a Grammy. That year, she also sang the national anthem at Game 1 of the World Series.

Grammy Wins and New Projects

Her fourth album, Just for You, went Gold and was nominated for a Grammy. Her fifth album, At Last, earned her her first Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Album in 2000. In 2004, Gladys co-headlined a benefit concert with artists like Ashanti and Patti LaBelle.

Gladys has performed for charity many times. In 2008, she joined stars like Chaka Khan and Patti LaBelle at a concert for cardiac research. She also sang at Michael Jackson’s funeral in 2009. In 2013, she recorded a song for the movie The Butler.

Later Years and Recognition

Gladys released Where My Heart Belongs in 2014, which became her 30th top-40 R&B album. In 2019, she performed the national anthem at the Super Bowl, despite some criticism. That same year, she performed at the Delaware State Fair’s 100th anniversary. In 2022, she was honored with the Kennedy Center Honor by President Joe Biden.

Farewell Tours

In 2009, Gladys began her farewell tour in the UK with Tito Jackson as a special guest. Though it was her farewell, she continued to perform in the UK for several more years. She announced a farewell tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2024.

Gladys Knight’s Acting Career

Film Career

Gladys Knight started her acting career in the movie Pipe Dreams. She played the lead role and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year. In Hollywood Homicide, she had a small role alongside Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett. Later, she acted in Tyler Perry’s movie I Can Do Bad All by Myself. She also sang The Need To Be, a song from her album I Feel a Song.

Television Roles

Gladys Knight had her variety show, The Gladys Knight and the Pips Show, in 1975. Sadly, it ended after four episodes. She appeared in TV shows like Benson, The Jeffersons, A Different World, Living Single, and The Jamie Foxx Show. She co-starred in the sitcom Charlie & Co. with Flip Wilson, but it lasted only one season.

In 2005, she played a singer in JAG. On Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, she was a special guest and sang a song. She had cameos in shows like Las Vegas and 30 Rock. She also played a recurring role in the sitcom The First Family.

Dancing and Competition

In 2012, Gladys joined Dancing with the Stars. Her partner was Tristan MacManus. They were eliminated during Motown Week after a dance duel with Disney star Roshon Fegan.

Gladys appeared in the TV series Star in 2017. In 2018, she acted as Ella Grover, Captain Lou Grover’s mother, in Hawaii Five-0.

Gladys Knight’s Personal Life

Family and Marriages

In 1960, Gladys Knight married James “Jimmy” Newman, a musician from Atlanta. They had two children: a son, James “Jimmy” Gaston Newman III, and a daughter, Kenya Maria Newman. The family moved to Detroit in the early 1960s. Gladys stayed home to raise the children while the Pips toured. However, Newman struggled with drug addiction and they separated after 12 years. They divorced in 1973, and he passed away a few years later.

In 1974, Gladys married Barry Hankerson, the founder of Blackground Records. They had a son, Shanga Ali Hankerson, in 1976. They moved to Las Vegas but divorced in 1979 after a custody battle. Gladys spent a lot of money trying to find Shanga when he was kidnapped. In 1995, she married motivational speaker Les Brown, but they divorced in 1997.

Religious Life

Gladys grew up as a Baptist but later became Catholic. In 1997, she was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, inspired by her children. She even helped create a gospel choir called the Saints Unified Voices, which performed at many events. In 2018, Gladys led the Be One Choir at a special event in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Later Marriages

In 2001, Gladys married William McDowell. Together, they have 17 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. They live in Fairview, North Carolina, where they own a community center.

Charity

In 2017, Gladys helped raise $400,000 for the Children’s Learning Centers of Fairfield County. She had a gambling problem for over ten years but overcame it with help from Gamblers Anonymous after losing $60,000 in one night.

Gladys Knight’s Business ventures

Gladys Knight’s son, Shanga Hankerson, runs a restaurant chain named after her. The chain, Gladys Knight & Ron Winans’ Chicken & Waffles, has three locations in Atlanta. One of the restaurants appeared on the Travel Channel’s Man v. Food.

In 2016, Georgia authorities raided two restaurants and their headquarters. This happened because of issues with unpaid taxes, penalties, and interest.

The investigation only focused on Shanga Hankerson. Jeff Mitchell, from Georgia’s Department of Revenue, said it did not involve Gladys Knight.

Gladys Knight’s Real Estate

Home in Las Vegas

In 1997, Gladys bought a home in Las Vegas for $695,000. She sold it in 2018 for $720,000. The house was hard to sell because it had custom features, like a recording studio in the basement. Gladys and her family still own a home on a golf course in Henderson, Nevada.

The Farm in North Carolina

In 2007, Gladys purchased a 20-acre farm in Fairview, North Carolina. This property is another part of her life outside of music.