Legendary singer Gladys Knight will be honored at the Kennedy Center Honors this December, reports the New York Times.
The Kennedy Center Honors, presented by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, “are bestowed upon artists with exemplary bodies of work across different fields.”
Along with Knight, the other inductees are George Clooney, Amy Grant, Tania León and the band U2.
“Y’all blowing my mind,” Knight said of her recognition by the Kennedy Center.
"For nearly a half-century, the Kennedy Center Honors has represented the very best of America's creative culture," said Deborah F. Rutter in a statement. "Now, as the Center completes its yearlong 50th anniversary celebration, I cannot help but think that the Kennedy Center's namesake would surely smile at this celebration that brings us closer to his vision of 'an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft.'"
In her illustrious career, the "Empress of Soul" has won a total of seven Grammys. Her group, Gladys Knight and The Pips, would become one of the preeminent acts of R&B and soul for almost three decades beginning in the 1950s. They charted numerous Billboard hits including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "Nitty Gritty," "Friendship Train," "If I Were Your Woman," "I Don't Want to Do Wrong," "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye),” and their signature song “Midnight Train to Georgia.” In 1996, the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The ceremony will take place on December 4, 2022 and will air on CBS at a later date.
