Gladys Knight and the Pips were founded in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1953. As long as the R&B act performed, Gladys Knight was its lead singer. She had a number of back-up singers over the years, many of whom were related. The longest-lived variation of the Pips included Gladys' brother, Merald "Bubba" Knight and their cousins, William Guest and Edward Patten.
The group was formed a year after Gladys won Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour contest on television in 1952. She was only seven years old at the time. The original line-up consisted of Gladys, her brother Bubba, her sister Brenda, and their cousins, Eleanor and William Guest.
The group's name, "The Pips," was taken from another cousin, James Woods, whose nickname had been Pip.
In 1959, the group started touring and at that time, replaced Brenda and Eleanor with two other cousins, Edward Patten and Langston George.
The Pips had their first hit in 1961 with a cover of "Every Beat of My Heart," originally recorded by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters. The song was originally sold to Vee-Jay Records in Atlanta, where the group was cut out of the song's profits. Shortly thereafter, the group re-recorded the song for producer Bobby Robinson and it hit No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 6 on the pop charts.
After the success of their first hit single, Langston George left the group. The remaining members then started billing themselves as Gladys Knight and the Pips. After their next hit, "Letter Full of Tears," in 1962, Gladys left the group to start a family with her husband, James Newman. With Gladys gone, the group continued to tour once again as The Pips. In 1964, Gladys returned to the line-up and with the help of choreographer Cholly Atkins, the group became recognized for its polished live performances and dance routines.
Gladys Knight and the Pips had a minor hit in 1964 with their song, "Giving Up," but it wasn't until they signed with Motown in 1966 that they began to experience widespread success. While at Motown, the group released a string of Top 40 hit singles including "Everybody Needs Love," "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," "The Nitty Gritty," "Friendship Train," and "If I Were Your Woman."
The group's biggest hit with Motown was in 1972 when they released "Neither One of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)." The song hit No. 1 on the R&B charts and No. 2 on the pop charts. It garnered Gladys Knight and the Pips their first Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus.
In 1973, Gladys Knight and the Pips left Motown and signed on with Buddah Records. In the early to mid-1970s, the group rose to notoriety with their hits, "I've Got to Use My Imagination," "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" and "Midnight Train to Georgia." The latter song became their first and only No. 1 pop chart single and was awarded the Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals in 1973.
In 1975, the group was awarded its own one-hour variety show for NBC titled, "The Gladys Knight and the Pips Show." It was featured as a mid-season replacement and ran for only four episodes.
While the group continued to have success through the 1980s, due to legal problems with Buddha Records, Gladys Knight was forced to record and perform separately from The Pips. Between 1978 and 1980, Knight and The Pips each released two separate albums on their own. Also in 1980, the group reteamed as both Knight and The Pips signed on with Columbia Records. Their first release under that banner was the album "About Love."
In 1987, Gladys Knight and the Pips released their last studio album titled, "All Our Love" on MCA Records. The album had a No. 1 hit with the song, "Love Overboard," which also won the band a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. In 1988, the group was recognized with a Soul Train Music Award for Career Achievement.
After their tour wrapped in 1988, the Pips decided it was time to retire while Knight pursued a solo career.
* In 1968, while at Motown, Gladys Knight encouraged Berry Gordy to sign The Jackson 5.
* According to Knight's autobiography, "Between Each Line of Pain and Glory: My Life," in 1968, Diana Ross had Gladys Knight and the Pips removed from their tour as the Supreme's opening act because they were "too good."
* During their height of popularity in the seventies, many of the hits performed by Gladys Knight and the Pips were written by country songwriter, Jim Weatherly.
* Midnight Train to Georgia was given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award which signifies it as a recording of historical significance.
* In 2005, Gladys Knight won a Grammy for Best Gospel Choir or Chorus album for "One Voice," which she recorded with The saints Unified Voices.