The post She Crossed The Wrong Ones: Patti & Gladys Exposed Their Nearly 40-Year Beef With Diana Ross appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Gladys Knight did a prior interview with The Insider, where she revealed that for 37 long years, Diana Ross didn’t like her. Apparently this feud stemmed from when Gladys Knight & The Pips were signed to Motown Records…and it didn’t end until 2005! Wow! They sure did a great job at keeping this beef on the hush. It wasn’t until Gladys made it public knowledge in her memoir, that folks really started finding out about it.

Knight pretty much revealed that Diana was apparently hatin’ on her voice when they went on tour together during their Motown Days. Though, Gladys also admitted that she was confused as to why Diana was hatin’ on her, being that Diana “had all the attention in the world from Mr. Gordy and everyone else.”

According to the “Midnight Train To Georgia” songstress, Motown’s founder, Berry Gordy (who was also dating Diana at the time), along with Diana, invited Gladys Knight & The Pips to open up for the Supremes on tour. However, Gladys soon realized that she, herself, was the ‘problem’…at least according to what Gordy told her about Diana at that time:

“We got a call from Mr. Gordy saying ‘Well, I hear you’re spoiling my act [The Supremes].” Gladys replied,”Well Mr. Gordy, that’s not what we’r about, you now. We’re just doing our show.”

Then Gladys says Berry gave her and The Pips the boot from the tour, without warning:

“He said ‘Well…I think you guys should just come on back home tomorrow.’ So, we went back home and that was the name of that game,” recalled Gladys Knight.

When asked if Diana Ross was ever mean to her, Gladys replied:

“Well I’m not a liar, I know that she wasn’t the happiest with me, let me put it like that.”

That response was very cordial of Gladys, wasn’t it? But find out what the real deal is, as she explained it further in her interview clip below:

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about ‘the boss Ms. Ross’ doing another singer dirty. However, let’s give a lil’ bit of the benefit of a doubt here. Sometimes, Diana may have gotten a bad wrap for being a ‘difficult’ diva, when it could have simply been a reflection of her extremely competitive nature…which could be a gift AND a curse for Diana. It’s a gift because without Diana’s competitiveness, her fans probably wouldn’t have gotten the high level of music that her competitiveness pushed her to create throughout the years. It’s a curse because along her diva journey, she made many enemies in the music game.

On the flip side, we can’t blame Gladys Knight for not wanting to put up with Diana’s alleged rudeness towards her. Most of us would have responded to it the same way. This just goes to show that Old School beef existed too. But it’s a beautiful thing to see Gladys and Diana eventually put their differences to rest.

The post Gladys Knight Revealed Why She Had A 37-Year Feud With Diana Ross appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

So often we look at icons, like Gladys Knight, as almost being super human and we sometimes forget that they endure heartaches and tragedies, just like the rest of us. Unfortunately, in 1999, Gladys Knight suffered the worst tragedy that no parent should have to face when her son passed away.

Knight’s son, who was also her manager since the mid 80’s, James “Jimmy” Newman III, died at the young age of 37 on July 10, 1999. His death happened suddenly and the shock of his passing hit his Mother and loved ones by complete surprise.

Although it was never officially confirmed, there have been several reports throughout the years, that Jimmy allegedly died of a 2-day alcohol and cocaine binge, ultimately causing him to pass away in his sleep from alleged heart failure at his Las Vegas home. It is also worth noting that there were several reports stating he died of natural causes, but for a healthy young man, that account raised some people’s eyebrows. Regardless of what caused his alleged heart failure, he sadly was just way too young and had much more life ahead of him.

Jimmy was a very intelligent brotha and his ambitious attitude is what allowed him to not only successfully manage his iconic Mother’s career after graduating from college, but also the careers of his his uncles and cousin in the Pips (of Gladys night & The Pips).

Jimmy is survived by his wife, Michelene, two daughters, three sons, a sister, and three brothers.

Embed from Getty Images

If it is accurate, that Jimmy passed away as a result of drugs and alcohol, then the pathology within his story runs really deep. You see, Jimmy’s father, James Newman II, died as a drug addict at the age of 35, only a few years after he and Knight’s divorce. James II was a jazz musician from Atlanta and he was also Knight’s first husband and her high school sweetheart. They married when Knight was 16 in 1960 and eventually divorced in 1973. During their marriage, they had two children- Jimmy and Kenya.

In her book, Between Each Line of Pain and Glory: My Life Story, it was implied that Knight’s success was too much for two of her husbands to handle (she’s been married four times total). Neither her ex, James II, nor her second husband, music exec Barry Hankerson, could allegedly deal with her superstardom.

Gladys’ marriage to her third husband, motivational speaker Les Brown, was a whole ‘notha story. She said that between his roaming eyes for female attention other than her’s, and the oftentimes long distance relationship they had to endure because of their professions, their marriage was doomed.

Today, Gladys Knight has found a way to cope with the never-ending pain of losing her son, Jimmy. She and her remaining children have moved forward and at one point, were they both in business with their mother.

The gold in Gladys Knight’s story is that perseverance can carry you a long way- even through the most unbearable pain; and that pathologies-whether good or bad- can not only affect one’s life, but also loved ones’ lives forever. Gladys Knight has been through hell and back and she’s turned out to be an excellent display of what strength looks like. She’s 74 years young now, she’s been happily married to her husband, corporate consultant William McDowell since 2001, and she’s still pushing past pain, haters, and odds successfully.

Source1, Source2, Source3

The post Gladys Knight’s Son Passed Away Years Ago, The Details Are Heart-Wrenching appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Gladys Knight finally realized she had a problem back in the day, that she wanted to come clean about and she’s sharing her story with anyone willing to listen. It was an addiction that started a little over 30 years ago and she revealed how she eventually reached her breaking point.

Addiction- it can happen to any one of us, even your favorite entertainers. Gladys Knight is a soul music icon, but there was a time when she was caught in the horrific grip of gambling, specifically blackjack. Below are the details of some of the things Gladys said she did as a result of her addiction:

Via MichronicleOnlie: Knight realized she had a hit a new low one night when, not cognizant of the hours passing, suddenly realized that it was morning — and she should have been at home getting her son ready for school.

This was her wake-up call.
“I got into gambling when I was playing a casino,” Knight recalled. “One day a friend said, ‘Do you want to play some Blackjack?’ So I played and enjoyed it. You think you can win everything but you won’t.”

“[At that time] I was broke and yes, I had to go to work double-time, but it was OK with me.

When [my kids] got to college, it was really hard for me, so if they called me for something — like, ‘I need books’ — I would play, and I would win. And you should never win. Winning is how they get you. Because you think you’ll win everything, and you won’t. And I just woke up one day and said this don’t make no sense. I had gotten $2,000. And within 25, 30 minutes, I had won 60 grand. And I sat right at that table and gave every dime of it back. And I just got sick at the table. And I got up, went to the phone and called Gamblers Anonymous. And the lady on the phone said, “Where are you? We’ll come get you.” That was about 15, 20 years ago. And I went to one meeting. That was all I had to go to.”

“I have a faith that is unbeatable,” she said. “As far as my Lord and Savior is concerned, I try to go the way I’m supposed to, and when I fall short, I ask for help.”

Like we always say here at ILoveOldSchoolMusic, we think the lives/legacies of our favorite entertainers are something that we can truly learn from- regardless of if the story is good, bad, or ugly. Gladys Knight’s story of addiction is a prime example of that and we salute her for exposing such a vulnerable side of her life with the world.

The message in her story is simple: Whenever we know we have a problem of any kind, we should first recognize the problem, then simply do one thing and never take it for granted: Simply ask for help.

The post Gladys Knight Explained How Her Prior Addiction Almost Cost Her Everything appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Gladys Knight did a prior interview with The Insider, where she revealed that for 37 long years, Diana Ross didn’t like her. Apparently this feud stemmed from when Gladys Knight & The Pips were signed to Motown Records…and it didn’t end until 2005! Wow! They sure did a great job at keeping this beef on the hush. It wasn’t until Gladys made it public knowledge in her memoir, that folks really started finding out about it. *Scroll down for video*

Knight pretty much revealed that Diana was apparently hatin’ on her voice when they went on tour together during their Motown Days. Though, Gladys also admitted that she was confused as to why Diana was hatin’ on her, being that Diana “had all the attention in the world from Mr. Gordy and everyone else.”

According to the “Midnight Train To Georgia” songstress, Motown’s founder, Berry Gordy (who was also dating Diana at the time), along with Diana, invited Gladys Knight & The Pips to open up for the Supremes on tour. However, Gladys soon realized that she, herself, was the ‘problem’…at least according to what Gordy told her about Diana at that time:

“We got a call from Mr. Gordy saying ‘Well, I hear you’re spoiling my act [The Supremes].” Gladys replied,”Well Mr. Gordy, that’s not what we’r about, you now. We’re just doing our show.”

Then Gladys says Berry gave her and The Pips the boot from the tour, without warning:

“He said ‘Well…I think you guys should just come on back home tomorrow.’ So, we went back home and that was the name of that game,” recalled Gladys Knight.

When asked if Diana Ross was ever mean to her, Gladys replied:

“Well I’m not a liar, I know that she wasn’t the happiest with me, let me put it like that.”

That response was very cordial of Gladys, wasn’t it? But find out what the real deal is, as she explained it further in her interview clip below:

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about ‘the boss Ms. Ross’ doing another singer dirty. However, let’s give a lil’ bit of the benefit of a doubt here. Sometimes, Diana may have gotten a bad wrap for being a ‘difficult’ diva, when it could have simply been a reflection of her extremely competitive nature…which could be a gift AND a curse for Diana. It’s a gift because without Diana’s competitiveness, her fans probably wouldn’t have gotten the high level of music that her competitiveness pushed her to create throughout the years. It’s a curse because along her diva journey, she made many enemies in the music game.

On the flip side, we can’t blame Gladys Knight for not wanting to put up with Diana’s rudeness towards her. Most of us would have responded to it the same way.

This just goes to show that Old School beef existed too. It’s a beautiful thing to see Gladys and Diana eventually put their differences to rest.

The post Gladys Knight Explained Why She Had A 37-Year Feud With Diana Ross appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Gladys Knight finally realized she had a problem back in the day, that she wanted to come clean about and she’s sharing her story with anyone willing to listen. It was an addiction that started a little over 30 years ago and she revealed how she eventually reached her breaking point.

Addiction- it can happen to any one of us, even your favorite entertainers. Gladys Knight is a soul music icon, but there was a time when she was caught in the horrific grip of gambling, specifically blackjack. Below are the details of some of the things Gladys said she did as a result of her addiction:

Via MichronicleOnlie: Knight realized she had a hit a new low one night when, not cognizant of the hours passing, suddenly realized that it was morning — and she should have been at home getting her son ready for school.

This was her wake-up call.
“I got into gambling when I was playing a casino,” Knight recalled. “One day a friend said, ‘Do you want to play some Blackjack?’ So I played and enjoyed it. You think you can win everything but you won’t.”

“[At that time] I was broke and yes, I had to go to work double-time, but it was OK with me.

When [my kids] got to college, it was really hard for me, so if they called me for something — like, ‘I need books’ — I would play, and I would win. And you should never win. Winning is how they get you. Because you think you’ll win everything, and you won’t. And I just woke up one day and said this don’t make no sense. I had gotten $2,000. And within 25, 30 minutes, I had won 60 grand. And I sat right at that table and gave every dime of it back. And I just got sick at the table. And I got up, went to the phone and called Gamblers Anonymous. And the lady on the phone said, “Where are you? We’ll come get you.” That was about 15, 20 years ago. And I went to one meeting. That was all I had to go to.”

“I have a faith that is unbeatable,” she said. “As far as my Lord and Savior is concerned, I try to go the way I’m supposed to, and when I fall short, I ask for help.”

Like we always say here at ILoveOldSchoolMusic, we think the lives/legacies of our favorite entertainers are something that we can truly learn from- regardless of if the story is good, bad, or ugly. Gladys Knight’s story of addiction is a prime example of that and we salute her for exposing such a vulnerable side of her life with the world.

The message in her story is simple: Whenever we know we have a problem of any kind, we should first recognize the problem, then simply do one thing and never take it for granted: Simply ask for help.

The post Gladys Knight Explains How Her Addiction Almost Cost Her Everything appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

So often we look at icons, like Gladys Knight, as almost being super human and we sometimes forget that they endure heartaches and tragedies, just like the rest of us. Unfortunately, in 1999, Gladys Knight suffered the worst tragedy that no parent should have to face when her son passed away.

Knight’s son, who was also her manager since the mid 80’s, James “Jimmy” Newman III, died at the young age of 37 on July 10, 1999. His death happened suddenly and the shock of his passing hit his Mother and loved ones by complete surprise.

Although it was never officially confirmed, there have been several reports throughout the years, that Jimmy allegedly died of a 2-day alcohol and cocaine binge, ultimately causing him to pass away in his sleep from alleged heart failure at his Las Vegas home. It is also worth noting that there were several reports stating he died of natural causes, but for a healthy young man, that account raised some people’s eyebrows. Regardless of what caused his alleged heart failure, he sadly was just way too young and had much more life ahead of him.

Jimmy was a very intelligent brotha and his ambitious attitude is what allowed him to not only successfully manage his iconic Mother’s career after graduating from college, but also the careers of his his uncles and cousin in the Pips (of Gladys night & The Pips).

Jimmy is survived by his wife, Michelene, two daughters, three sons, a sister, and three brothers.

Embed from Getty Images

If it is accurate, that Jimmy passed away as a result of drugs and alcohol, then the pathology within his story runs really deep. You see, Jimmy’s father, James Newman II, died as a drug addict at the age of 35, only a few years after he and Knight’s divorce. James II was a jazz musician from Atlanta and he was also Knight’s first husband and her high school sweetheart. They married when Knight was 16 in 1960 and eventually divorced in 1973. During their marriage, they had two children- Jimmy and Kenya.

In her book, Between Each Line of Pain and Glory: My Life Story, it was implied that Knight’s success was too much for two of her husbands to handle (she’s been married four times total). Neither her ex, James II, nor her second husband, music exec Barry Hankerson, could allegedly deal with her superstardom.

Gladys’ marriage to her third husband, motivational speaker Les Brown, was a whole ‘notha story. She said that between his roaming eyes for female attention other than her’s, and the oftentimes long distance relationship they had to endure because of their professions, their marriage was doomed.

Today, Gladys Knight has found a way to cope with the never-ending pain of losing her son, Jimmy. She and her remaining children have moved forward and at one point, were they both in business with their mother.

The gold in Gladys Knight’s story is that perseverance can carry you a long way- even through the most unbearable pain; and that pathologies-whether good or bad- can not only affect one’s life, but also loved ones’ lives forever. Gladys Knight has been through hell and back and she’s turned out to be an excellent display of what strength looks like. She’s 74 years young now, she’s been happily married to her husband, corporate consultant William McDowell since 2001, and she’s still pushing past pain, haters, and odds successfully.

Source1, Source2, Source3

The post Heartbreaking, Many Never Knew Gladys Knight’s Son Tragically Passed Away As A Young Man appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Gladys Knight did a prior interview with The Insider, where she revealed that for 37 long years, Diana Ross didn’t like her. Apparently this feud stemmed from when Gladys Knight & The Pips were signed to Motown Records…and it didn’t end until 2005! Wow! They sure did a great job at keeping this beef on the hush. It wasn’t until Gladys made it public knowledge in her memoir, that folks really started finding out about it. *Scroll down for video*

Knight pretty much revealed that Diana was apparently hatin’ on her voice when they went on tour together during their Motown Days. Though, Gladys also admitted that she was confused as to why Diana was hatin’ on her, being that Diana “had all the attention in the world from Mr. Gordy and everyone else.”

According to the “Midnight Train To Georgia” songstress, Motown’s founder, Berry Gordy (who was also dating Diana at the time), along with Diana, invited Gladys Knight & The Pips to open up for the Supremes on tour. However, Gladys soon realized that she, herself, was the ‘problem’…at least according to what Gordy told her about Diana at that time:

“We got a call from Mr. Gordy saying ‘Well, I hear you’re spoiling my act [The Supremes].” Gladys replied,”Well Mr. Gordy, that’s not what we’r about, you now. We’re just doing our show.”

Then Gladys says Berry gave her and The Pips the boot from the tour, without warning:

“He said ‘Well…I think you guys should just come on back home tomorrow.’ So, we went back home and that was the name of that game,” recalled Gladys Knight.

When asked if Diana Ross was ever mean to her, Gladys replied:

“Well I’m not a liar, I know that she wasn’t the happiest with me, let me put it like that.”

That response was very cordial of Gladys, wasn’t it? But find out what the real deal is, as she explained it further in her interview clip below:

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about ‘the boss Ms. Ross’ doing another singer dirty. However, let’s give a lil’ bit of the benefit of a doubt here. Sometimes, Diana may have gotten a bad wrap for being a ‘difficult’ diva, when it could have simply been a reflection of her extremely competitive nature…which could be a gift AND a curse for Diana. It’s a gift because without Diana’s competitiveness, her fans probably wouldn’t have gotten the high level of music that her competitiveness pushed her to create throughout the years. It’s a curse because along her diva journey, she made many enemies in the music game.

On the flip side, we can’t blame Gladys Knight for not wanting to put up with Diana’s rudeness towards her. Most of us would have responded to it the same way.

This just goes to show that Old School beef existed too. It’s a beautiful thing to see Gladys and Diana eventually put their differences to rest.

The post Gladys Knight Exposed Why She Had A 37 Year Feud With Diana Ross appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Gladys Knight finally realized she had a problem back in the day, that she wanted to come clean about and she’s sharing her story with anyone willing to listen. It was an addiction that started a little over 30 years ago and she revealed how she eventually reached her breaking point.

Addiction- it can happen to any one of us, even your favorite entertainers. Gladys Knight is a soul music icon, but there was a time when she was caught in the horrific grip of gambling, specifically blackjack. Below are the details of some of the things Gladys said she did as a result of her addiction:

Via MichronicleOnlie: Knight realized she had a hit a new low one night when, not cognizant of the hours passing, suddenly realized that it was morning — and she should have been at home getting her son ready for school.

This was her wake-up call.
“I got into gambling when I was playing a casino,” Knight recalled. “One day a friend said, ‘Do you want to play some Blackjack?’ So I played and enjoyed it. You think you can win everything but you won’t.”

“[At that time] I was broke and yes, I had to go to work double-time, but it was OK with me.

When [my kids] got to college, it was really hard for me, so if they called me for something — like, ‘I need books’ — I would play, and I would win. And you should never win. Winning is how they get you. Because you think you’ll win everything, and you won’t. And I just woke up one day and said this don’t make no sense. I had gotten $2,000. And within 25, 30 minutes, I had won 60 grand. And I sat right at that table and gave every dime of it back. And I just got sick at the table. And I got up, went to the phone and called Gamblers Anonymous. And the lady on the phone said, “Where are you? We’ll come get you.” That was about 15, 20 years ago. And I went to one meeting. That was all I had to go to.”

“I have a faith that is unbeatable,” she said. “As far as my Lord and Savior is concerned, I try to go the way I’m supposed to, and when I fall short, I ask for help.”

Like we always say here at ILoveOldSchoolMusic, we think the lives/legacies of our favorite entertainers are something that we can truly learn from- regardless of if the story is good, bad, or ugly. Gladys Knight’s story of addiction is a prime example of that and we salute her for exposing such a vulnerable side of her life with the world.

The message in her story is simple: Whenever we know we have a problem of any kind, we should first recognize the problem, then simply do one thing and never take it for granted: Simply ask for help.

The post Gladys Knight Explains How Her Addiction Almost Cost Her Everything appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

We always knew the “Midnight Train To Georgia” icon could SANG. We even knew she’s been aging very gracefully for years. However, we were today years old when we found out that at 75 years young, Gladys has mad skills on the court- two courts to be exact: the tennis and basketball courts. See what we mean below…and by the way, we’ve included Gladys’ rarely seen daughter (scroll to bottom) just for the hell of it…

Gladys Knight Cuts UP On The Tennis Court…

“If you know me, you know where to find me… on the court. 🎾☺️ I’ll be 75 in 8 days, but I feel so much younger. God is good! ❤️ Also, I had the best tennis partners this weekend!!”

While at it, she let these youngins out here know what it looks like to be fabulous and fit at 75…

Ms. Knight Has Skills With A Basketball Too…
In addition to Knight’s love of tennis, she clearly has an appreciation for basketball as well, because the following video footage of her shooting a b-ball from the free-throw line was likely NOT just a stroke of luck…

https://twitter.com/MsGladysKnight/status/1111465356596371456

To say Gladys Knight’s fitness levels at 75 are goals, is most definitely an understatement…

Meet Gladys Knight’s Daughter, Who Hasn’t Been Seen In Ages>>>

The post At Age 75, Gladys Knight Stuns Fans After Showing Off Jaw-Dropping Tennis & Basketball Skills appeared first on I Love Old School Music.