Gladys Knight to headline show preceding UAPB game

Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight

Four-time Grammy Award-winning songstress Gladys Knight will headline the Southern Heritage Classic Concert, a performance leading to the classic between the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions and the Tennessee State University Tigers.

Knight will perform at 8 p.m. Sept. 7 at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis. Ticket sales begin Friday at Ticketmaster.com.

The football game will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 9 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, and the 34th Southern Heritage Classic Cultural Celebration will be held Sept. 7-9, all in Memphis, according to SouthernHeritageClassic.com.

"The classic concert is a fan favorite and continues to bring beloved artists year after year," according to a news release. "Classic Founder Fred Jones is happy to have Gladys Knight join them again during one of several exciting events leading up to the classic football game between HBCU's University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Tennessee State University."

Jones said Knight never disappoints.

"She puts on a high-energy show with hits we know and love. This is a big year for the classic, and it only makes sense to bring one of the best. She's stood the test of time just like the classic," said Jones.

In addition to four Grammys, in 1995, Knight received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1996, Gladys Knight & The Pips were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and in 1997, they were presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. In 2004, Knight received the Lifetime Achievement Award from BET and in 2022, her contributions as an artist and philanthropist were recognized at the Kennedy Center Honors, according to the release.

"Born in Georgia, Knight began performing at the age of four and debuted her first album as The Pips in 1960 at 16," according to the release. "The group was renamed Gladys Knight & The Pips in 1962. They have recorded some of the most memorable songs of the 60's, 70's, and 80's. Top 20 hits, like 'Every Beat of My Heart,' 'Letter Full of Tears,' 'I Heard it Through the Grapevine,' and 'If I Were Your Woman,' set the stage for an amazing run in the mid-1970s, with Top 10 gold-certified singles like 'Neither One of Us (Wants to be the First to Say Goodbye),' 'I've Got to Use My Imagination,' 'Best Thing to Ever Happen to Me' and the #1 smash 'Midnight Train to Georgia' established Gladys Knight & The Pips as one of the premiere pop/R&B vocal ensembles in the world. She later embarked on a successful solo career and has appeared on television, film, and the stage."

The Southern Heritage Classic brings fans from across the U.S. to watch HBCU football every September at the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis. This year, UAPB will face off against TSU.

"The greatness of the classic rests on how it connects kindred spirits -- young and old -- in celebration of the beauty of cultural diversity and the richness of the city's heritage," according to the release.

Details: SouthernHeritageClassic.com.

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