Behind the Music

Episode Synopsis

Her career spans more than 50 years, 37 of which were spent headlining "Gladys Knight and the Pips." She has collected four Grammys, 12 gold records and a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Gladys Knight's life has never been easy. On this episode, the other Queen of Soul reveals the hardships she has battled since her career took off at the age of seven, and why, in spite of them all, she has always come out on top.In "GLADYS KNIGHT: BEHIND THE MUSIC," Knight candidly discusses the ordeals that have turned so many of her successes bittersweet, beginning with her first brush with racism after winning a televised singing competition at the age of seven. Knight goes on to recount more personal as well as professional trials: her near rape at age 15; her unplanned pregnancy and miscarriage at age 16; the pain of three failed marriages; the custody battle that cost her youngest son; her legal battle with Motown; and the ten year gambling addiction that cost her hundreds of thousands of dollars. Interviews with Little Richard, friend Dionne Warwick and Knight's children also shed light on how a woman who suffered through so much can continue to rise to such heights.