Editing Gladys Knight (section)

==Success with the Pips==
{{Main|The Pips (band)}}
[[File:Gladys Knight 1974.jpg|thumb|Knight in 1974]]
Gladys Knight & the Pips joined the [[Motown Records]] roster in 1966 (with only three hits to their credit - "[[Every Beat of My Heart (Gladys Knight & the Pips song)|Every Beat of My Heart]]", "[[Giving Up]]" and "[[Letter Full of Tears]]"),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.biography.com/people/gladys-knight-9542334 |title=The Pips lacked a certified hit before Gladys Knight |access-date=July 9, 2017}}</ref> and, although initially regarded as a second-string act by the label, scored several major hit singles, including "[[I Heard It Through the Grapevine]]" (#1 in 1967) (released later by [[Marvin Gaye]]), "[[The Nitty Gritty (song)|The Nitty Gritty]]" (1969), "Friendship Train" (1969), "[[If I Were Your Woman (song)|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.<ref>Knight, Gladys. ''Between Each Line of Pain and Glory: My Life Story''. Hyperion, New York, NY 1997, p. 179.</ref>

The act left Motown for a better deal with [[Buddah Records]] in 1973, and achieved even greater mainstream success that year with hits such as the Grammy-winning "[[Midnight Train to Georgia]]" (#1 on the pop and R&B chart), "[[I've Got to Use My Imagination]]", "The Way We Were/Try To Remember" and "[[You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me|Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me]]". In the summer of 1974, Knight and the Pips recorded the [[Claudine (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] to the film ''[[Claudine (film)|Claudine]]'' with producer [[Curtis Mayfield]], which included the songs "[[On and On (Gladys Knight & the Pips song)|On and On]]", "The Makings of You" and "Make Yours a Happy Home". 

The act was particularly successful in Europe, and especially the United Kingdom. A number of the Buddah singles became hits in the UK several years after their release in the US. For example, "Midnight Train to Georgia" hit the Top 5 of the UK singles chart in the summer of 1976, a full three years after its success in the U.S.

Knight and the Pips continued to have hits until the late 1970s, when they were forced to record separately due to legal issues, resulting in Knight's first solo LP recordings—''Miss Gladys Knight'' (1978) on Buddah and ''Gladys Knight'' (1979) on [[Columbia Records]]. After divorcing James Newman II in 1973, Knight married [[Barry Hankerson]], 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. Hankerson and Knight became embroiled in a heated custody battle over Shanga Ali. In 1980, [[Johnny Mathis]] invited Knight to record two duets— "When A Child Is Born" (previously a hit for Mathis) and "The Lord's Prayer".

[[File:Gladys Knight aboard USS Ranger (CV-61), 1981.JPEG|upright|thumb|Knight and the Pips perform aboard the aircraft carrier USS ''Ranger'' in November 1981]]
Signing with [[Columbia Records]] in 1980 and restored to its familiar quartet form, Gladys Knight & the Pips began releasing new material. The act enlisted former Motown producers [[Ashford & Simpson|Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson]] for their first two albums: ''About Love'' (1980), which included the hit "Landlord" and ''Touch'' (1981).

In 1983, Gladys Knight and the Pips scored again with the hit "[[Save the Overtime (For Me)]]". The song, under the artistic direction of Leon Sylvers III (known for collaborating on Shalamar hits), was done in a soulful boogie style. The single was released from their LP "Visions" and reached number sixty-six on the Hot 100, but was more successful on the R&B where it hit number one for a single week in mid 1983. The single was the first time the group hit number one on the R&B chart since 1974. The video accompanying the song became among the earliest R&B videos to incorporate elements of [[hip hop]] culture.  The album also included the R&B hit "You're Number One (In My Book)". 

In 1987, Knight decided to pursue a solo career, and she and the Pips recorded their final LP together, ''All Our Love'' (1987), for [[MCA Records]]. Its infectious lead single, "[[Love Overboard]]", was a number-one R&B hit and won another Grammy for the act as well. 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]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.georgiamusicstore.com/artist/P4698/ |title=The Georgia Music Hall of Fame Music Store |website=Georgiamusicstore.com |access-date=August 18, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022053824/http://www.georgiamusicstore.com/artist/P4698/ |archive-date=October 22, 2016 }}</ref> in 1989, into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rockhall.com/inductees/gladys-knight-and-the-pips |title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Gladys Knight and The Pips |website=Rockhall.com |access-date=August 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517081558/https://rockhall.com/inductees/gladys-knight-and-the-pips/ |archive-date=May 17, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> in 1996 and the [[Vocal Group Hall of Fame]] in 2001.