As she recently appeared confused while onstage, Gladys Knight will be “easing into fewer performances.”
Now 82-years of age, the legendary soul singer had fans concerned during a recent show when she was seen staring to the side during a song, and letting the backup singers perform instead.
According to a Billboard review “She barely got through this show, and only by leaning heavily on her backup singers. Artists need to know when it’s time to bow out gracefully.”
Following her latest performance, Gladys released the following statement:
“After much soul searching I’ve decided that I will be easing into fewer performances while focusing on transitioning into the next stage of my career and life moving forward.” “I’ll be spending more time on projects with my husband and visiting with my grandbabies and am looking forward to this new era.””I’d like to take a moment, in advance, to thank all my fans over this last three quarters of a century for making a little girl’s dream come true and supporting her every step of the way. I am immensely grateful to all of you and send my eternal love back to you. I hope to see your smiling faces out and about and on the road. God bless all of you and hope to see you soon.”
In a recent interview with TMZ, Knight’s husband/manager, William McDowell, said that the singer wants to continue performing, However, while people working on the tour believe the star is “showing symptoms of dementia,” she’s yet to be evaluated by a doctor, adding that if she has a “rough night” at her next show on September 5, he will cancel her upcoming performances.
In 2025, Knight’s son, Shanga Hankerson, claimed his mother was being “emotionally and financially abused” and being forced to perform by McDowell. Gladys Knight denied the claims.
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Author: Al Dente
Photo: The White House – Public Domain