R&B

Saturday, June 9, 2012 8:00PM

Special Long Island performance!

The one and only Gladys Knight performs Saturday, June 9, 2012 at 8pm at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury. Also on the bill, is special guest Brian McKnight!

Recognized by audiences and performing artists as one of the most comfortable, friendly, and acoustically-inviting theatres in the greater New York metro area, the NYCB Theatre at Westbury presents a broad range of acclaimed performers geared to virtually every entertainment
taste and interest.

Don’t miss this classic artist LIVE on Long Island, performing in the round at NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury, NY 11590.

Produced by Live Nation in association with Marquee Concerts.

ABOUT GLADYS KNIGHT:

At the age of 8, Gladys Knight began singing with her siblings and cousins, calling themselves “The Pips.” The group opened for R&B legends in the 1950s and then headed to Motown, later crossing over to pop music. As Gladys Knight and the Pips, they recorded their signature song, “Midnight Train to Georgia.” In 1989, Gladys left the Pips to perform and record as a solo artist.

Very few singers over the last fifty years have matched her unassailable artistry. This seven-time Grammy winner has enjoyed #1 hits in pop, R&B and Adult Contemporary, and has triumphed in film, television and live performance.

A longtime Las Vegas resident, in 2011 Gladys returned to the Strip for a “Welcome Home” special engagement at the famed Tropicana Hotel in the newly named Gladys Knight Theater (formerly the Tiffany Theater), where the “Empress of Soul” reigned supreme, showcasing fan favorites and newer hits alongside an 11-piece band and her always entertaining brother Bubba, one of the original Pips. An incredibly popular hometown performer, Knight was a top draw at the Flamingo for 5 years in the early 2000s, where her show was repeatedly named the Las Vegas Review Journal’s “Show of the Year.”

In 1995, Knight earned her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the next year, Gladys Knight & The Pips were inducted into the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame. In 1997, she published an autobiography, “Between Each Line of Pain and Glory” (a line taken from her million selling recording “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me”) and in 1998, she and The Pips were presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. In 2004, Knight received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the annual BET Awards ceremony.

All told, Gladys Knight has recorded more than 38 albums over the years, including the solo albums “Good Woman” (1991); “Just for You” (1994); the inspirational “Many Different Roads” (1999); and “At Last” (2001). “At Last” showed the world that she still has what it takes to record a hit album, employing the talents of contemporary producers like Randy Jackson, Gary Brown and James D.C. Williams III, Jon John, Jamey Jaz, Keith Thomas, Tom Dowd and Tiger Roberts. “At Last” won a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album in 2002 and adding to her already impressive collection, Knight won another Grammy for her duet with the late Ray Charles on his posthumous album “Genius Loves Company” in 2005.

Last fall she was seen both honoring and being honored, first at a Michael Jackson tribute concert, and then at the 2011 Soul Train Awards. In October, she appeared at Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, joining performers such as the Black Eyed Peas, Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce, and Smokey Robinson in a tribute to the legendary King of Pop in a concert event called “Michael Forever.” Then in November 2011, she was honored with “Legend Award” alongside fellow recipients Earth, Wind & Fire on the BET broadcast of the 3rd annual Soul Train Awards.

A humanitarian and philanthropist, Knight has devoted to various worthy causes, including the American Diabetes Association – for which she is a national spokesperson, the American Cancer Society, the Minority AIDS Project, amFAR and Crisis Intervention. She has been honored by numerous organizations as well, including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), B’Nai Brith, and is a recent recipient of BET’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

A tireless performer who still wows audiences around the country and the world, Gladys Knight also finds the time to make forays into film and television. Most recently, she appeared in the Tyler Perry film I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF, and in a cameo on the Emmy-winning NBC hit comedy “30 Rock.”

ABOUT BRIAN MCKNIGHT:
Earning himself a place in contemporary music history selling over 20 million albums worldwide, Brian McKnight has released more than a dozen albums to date, with many going double and triple platinum.

In addition to being a singer, songwriter and producer, he is also a multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, guitar, bass drums, percussions, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn, and trumpet.

Brian has established an enviable record of chart consistency, has toured successfully for more than a decade, and has collaborated with an array of top performers spanning the genres, including Quincy Jones, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, Willie Nelson, Diddy, Kenny G, and more!