Up until the late 1970s, Knight and the Pips continued to put out popular singles. However, they were forced to record independently due to legal concerns, which resulted in Knight’s debut solo albums, Miss Gladys Knight (1978) on Buddah Records, and Gladys Knight (1979) on Columbia Records.
Knight married Barry Hankerson, the uncle of future hip-hop and R&B star Aaliyah, in 1973 after divorcing James Newman II. Hankerson worked as Coleman Young’s executive assistant in Detroit.
After four years of marriage, Knight and Hankerson welcomed a son they named Shanga Ali. But as they became involved in a protracted custody dispute for Shanga Ali, their relationship deteriorated.
Johnny Mathis requested Knight to work with him on two duets in 1980: “The Lord’s Prayer” and “When A Child Is Born,” which had previously been a hit for Mathis.
Gladys Knight & the Pips reunited as a foursome in 1980 after signing a record deal with Columbia Records, and they started producing new music. Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, renowned Motown producers, worked with them on their first two albums: About Love (1980),
How old was Gladys Knight when she got married?
The pair wed in 1960 when Gladys was only 16 years old. AmoMama regrettably adds that James left her after she helped him overcome his heroin addiction, and the couple’s marriage ended in divorce. The couple’s two children were Kenya Newman, who is now 60 years old, and James Newman III, who passed away unexpectedly in 1999.
How many biological children does Gladys Knight have?
Knight has three biological children and has been married four times. She got pregnant at age 16 and wed James “Jimmy” Newman, a guitarist from Atlanta, in 1960.