Knight made her singing debut (at the age of 4) in church. Three years later, she won a $2000 first prize singing Nat "King" Cole's "Too Young" on Ted Mack's Original AmateurHour.
Her backing group, The Pips, were originally brother Merald "Bubba" Knight, sister Brenda Knight, and cousins William and Eleanor Guest. They got their name from another cousin, James "Pip" Wood, who became their manager. The two women were replaced by cousins Edwards Patten and Langston George in 1959. George left in 1962, Gladys Knight and the Pips stayed a quartet for the rest of its existence.
In 1965, they signed with Motown and recorded for the Soul label. After "Just Walk in My Shoes," #98 "Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me," and #39 "Everybody Needs Love" came the group's breakthrough, the #2 "I Heard It Through the Grapevine."
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