Gladys Maria Knight turned 75 today.

Born in Atlanta on May 28, 1944, Knight made her solo debut at the ripe old age of 4, singing at the Mount Mariah Baptist Church. She started singing with her siblings at age 8, calling themselves the Pips. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Knight posted a beautiful photo of herself on Twitter, thanking her fans for all their well-wishes throughout the day.

This has been an incredible year for Knight. In addition to turning 75, she sang the national anthem at Atlanta's Super Bowl in early February, and later that month appeared on the hit Fox show "The Masked Singer." Knight, dressed as the Bee, finished third in the singing competition. All the judges had figured out it was her, AJC columnist Rodney Ho wrote, but it was still an emotional moment when she took off the mask. Host Nick Cannon said she was the first famous entertainer he met and she gave him encouragement.

» Atlanta native Gladys Knight is having a great 2019. Here's why.

» Super Bowl 53: Gladys Knight, Chloe x Halle flawless in game performances

Knight wasn’t the only one to mark her milestone on Twitter. Fans posted tributes to the Empress of Soul throughout the day.

» Photos: Gladys Knight through the years

» Photos: Gladys Knight honored by Apollo Theater

» Gladys Knight comments on the death of Pips member William Guest

About the Author

Keep Reading

Foo Fighters closed out Shaky Knees 2024 at Central Park with extended versions of their biggest hits. The indie rock festival has moved to Piedmont Park for this weekend's event. (Ryan Fleisher for the AJC)

Credit: Ryan Fleisher

Featured

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT