The seven-time Grammy winner said she’s “looking forward to this new era”
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NEED TO KNOW
- Gladys Knight announced she will reduce performances after more than 75 years in the music industry
- She plans to focus on family, projects with her husband, and transitioning into a new phase of life
- Her announcement follows past family tensions over her touring schedule, which she previously addressed as misrepresented
Gladys Knight is taking a step back from the stage.
The “Midnight Train to Georgia” singer, 82, announced in an Instagram post on Thursday, Aug. 27 that she will take a break from performing after more than 75 years.
“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,” her statement began. “I’ll be spending more time on projects with my husband and visiting with my grandbabies and am looking forward to this new era.”
Knight married her fourth husband, William McDowell, in 2001. Knight is a mother to three children from her past marriages: sons James “Jimmy” Gaston Newman III and Shanga Ali Hankerson, and daughter Kenya Maria Newman. (James died from heart failure in 1999, per the Las Vegas Sun.) Together, they have 17 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren from previous relationships, as of 2024, per Parade.
Credit: Scott Legato/WireImage
Knight continued by thanking her 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,” she wrote, before concluding, “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.”
Her announcement comes amid her ongoing 2026 tour and the conclusion of The Queens Tour, which she performed in 2025 alongside fellow legends Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, and Stephanie Mills.
In August 2025, during The Queens Tour, her son Shanga Hankerson expressed concern for his mother in an interview with PEOPLE, claiming her busy touring schedule was “detrimental” to her health, and came largely at the behest of her husband.
Credit: Gladys Knight/Instagram
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However, Knight refuted the claims in a statement shared with PEOPLE at the time, saying she has enjoyed her time on the road and is doing well. “I’m sorry that my health and performances have been misrepresented,” she said at the time, adding, “I’m healthy and happy and visiting friends and family these last few months.”
Her publicist, Laura Herlovich, told PEOPLE that the musician was “greatly saddened by Shanga’s unfounded allegations.”
Herlovich alleged that Shanga “has had no substantial contact” with his mother. Herlovich also said Knight’s attorneys are exploring “any and all legal remedies due to Shanga’s defamatory comments.”
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