Gladys Knight Announces Plans to Perform Less at 82
After more than seven decades of performing, Gladys Knight says she is ready to slow things down.
The 82-year-old music legend announced Thursday that she plans to reduce the number of live performances she accepts while focusing more attention on family and other projects.
“After much soul searching,” Knight said she would be “easing into fewer performances” while transitioning into the next chapter of her career and life. She also said she plans to spend more time working on projects with her husband, William McDowell, and visiting her grandchildren.
The announcement comes amid renewed discussion about Knight’s health and ability to maintain her touring schedule. Recent performances prompted some fans and critics to express concern after Knight appeared to struggle at points onstage. However, no diagnosis of dementia or another cognitive condition has been publicly confirmed.
These concerns also have a complicated family history.
In 2025, Knight’s son Shanga Hankerson publicly accused McDowell, who also managed Knight, of pushing his mother to continue performing despite what he believed were cognitive and health problems. Hankerson alleged his mother was being financially and emotionally exploited and said he contacted North Carolina authorities with his concerns.
Knight strongly disputed her son’s allegations, saying at the time that she was “healthy and happy” and that her condition and performances had been misrepresented. Her publicist also said Hankerson had little substantive contact with his mother and described his accusations as unfounded.
McDowell has more recently acknowledged that Knight has good and bad days while maintaining that she wants to perform. He also said she will undergo a medical evaluation.
Knight is not announcing a full retirement. She still has performances scheduled, but after 75 years in show business, the Empress of Soul is making it clear that the pace is changing.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI.
