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Gladys Knight and The Saints Unified Voices

Updated on April 3, 2013

Gladys has a voice that is a gift from God.

It took Gladys Knight nearly five decades to figure out the reason she was given her musical talent, but now that she has, she has "hit the floor running!"

Gladys first started her musical journey when she was four years old, beginning to sing with her Baptist church choir in Atlanta. Her mother knew then her voice was a gift from God. By the time she was seven years old she had won top prizes at amateur singing competitions, and eventually formed the group "The Pips." At that time "The Pips" consisted of her brother, sister, and two cousins, and gained the name from her cousin, James "Pip" Woods.

You Are The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me

Name Change to Gladys Knight and The Pips

"The Pips" changed their name to "Gladys Knight & the Pips", and signed with Motown in 1966. Their first hit "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" rose to number two on the charts, with others to follow like, "If I Were Your Woman", "I Don't Want To Do Wrong", and "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First To Say Goodbye)" topping the charts also. This group enjoyed continued success throughout the 1960s, ‘70's and ‘80's.

Gladys Knight and The Pips

Hall of Famers, Gladys Knight and The Pips

Recording with Motown ended in 1973 for a contract with Buddah Records, which resulted in Grammy hits, "Midnight Train to Georgia", "I've Got to Use My Imagination", and "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me."

The Pips retired in 1988 and Gladys started her career as a solo artist. Gladys Knight and The Pips were inducted into both the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Gladys has a life filled with success

As a solo artist Gladys rose to # 1 on the R&B charts, and her fourth solo LP went gold, resulting in a nomination at the 1995 Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album.

She also has appeared on television, on shows like VH1 Divas Live, and as a guest judge on American Idol. She has been in motion pictures, written books, and even starred as the headliner for the "number one show in Vegas" at the Flamingo Hotel.

She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is a humanitarian and philanthropist, devoted to many worthy causes including the American Diabetes Association. She is a wife, a mother of three children, and a grandmother of eleven grandchildren.

Dancing with the Stars

Not only can Gladys Knight sing, she has proved that she can dance too. Gladys Knight is probably the biggest star to appear in the 2012 season of Dancing With The Stars. She and her partner Tristan MacManus have kept up with the group even though Gladys is considerably older than the rest of the competition.

As always Gladys Knight is one class act.

Gladys Knight on Dancing With the Stars

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, The Mormons and Gladys

Of all these accomplishments in her life and all that she has experienced, Gladys states, "nothing has affected my life as much as the joy I feel as a result of finally finding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Without a doubt, this is the best thing that has ever happened to me!"

GLADYS KNIGHT-HE LIVES-2005

Director of The Saints Unified Voices Choir

After joining the church, Gladys formed a choir that was completely unique for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, called the Saints Unified Voices, or as she fondly calls it, the SUV Choir.

This gospel choir, with 100 members from several cultural backgrounds, find it their mission to break down cultural barriers and increase over all faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is certainly a choir reflecting the cultural diversity of a world wide church, such as the Mormon Church.

No Musical Notes, Just Words

Organized in 2002, the SUV Choir has become a powerful platform for sharing the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ through music and testimony.

The choir never receives any sheet music, only words typed in paragraph form, Gladys says, "They have to feel this music."

Originating in the Las Vegas, Nevada area this choir performs for "firesides" (evening religious presentations) all over the world, including California, Georgia, England, and Hawaii. In 2003 they were asked to perform at the Mormon Tabernacle at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, in celebration of the anniversary of the priesthood being available to all worthy men.

Best Gospel Choir Album, One Voice

The SUV Choir is best known for their album "One Voice" that was released in 2005 as a labor of love, which won the Grammy for Best Gospel Choir Album in 2006. This album was followed up by the release of "A Christmas Celebration" in 2006.

Gladys Knight and The SUV Choir

Gladys Knights Testimony

"We, the 100 members of this choir, count it our greatest privilege to share the message of the restored gospel through music and through the testimonies we bear during each fireside," says Gladys. "Everyone involved with this choir make sacrifices. They've got the vision and understanding of our calling as a missionary effort, and they are dedicated to the work."

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