Gladys Knight lit up Henley Festival last night for her final UK performance (Picture: Harvey Williams Fairley)
Gladys Knight took to the stage at Henley Festival last night for her final ever UK performance.
The seven-time Grammy Award-winner, 80, belted out her greatest hits from her 60-year career on the festival’s Floating Stage, including Midnight Train to Georgia, License to Kill and If I Were Your Woman.
The Empress of Soul looked incredibly sharp in a navy suit jacket with a fabulous shimmering collar. She wore her hair in a choppy short do, and rocked some gorgeous hoops earrings.
Singing with her name lit up in a blue and purple-hued smoky backdrop, Gladys looked delighted to be performing at the well-to-do festival, known for its strict black tie dress code.
Gladys’ appearance at Henley Festival ties up her farewell UK tour, which saw the soul legend perform at the Royal Albert Hall, and in cities including Glasgow, Birmingham, Swansea, Bournemouth, Nottingham and Southend.
The star was also spotted enjoying Wimbledon earlier this week alongside Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh.
The legendary singer just tied up her farewell UK tour (Picture: Harvey Williams Fairley)
She sang some of her greatest songs, including Midnight Train to Georgia (Picture: Harvey Williams Fairley)
Gladys attended Wimbledon alongside Adjoa Andoh ahead of her performance (Picture: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Emirates)
Elsewhere on Friday at the festival, Rylan put on a club set at Pure Heaven stage for revellers after Gladys’ performance.
Today, Sara Pascoe is heading to the Henley-on-Thames event for a comedy set, while House Gospel Choir fills the Floating Stage slot tonight, with a night of Ibiza anthems to follow with Ministry of Sound.
Sunday’s line-up also has comedy great Dara O’Briain warming up the evening, with Sam Ryder as a headliner.
On Wednesday, former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger performed her hits wearing a dress to match the occasion – a floor-length baby pink number, with a dramatic furry shawl.
Gladys Knight & The Pips began their careers at a very young age (Picture: Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
She’s an absolute icon (Picture: Harvey Williams Fairley)
Gladys was undoubtedly the biggest legend on the lineup though, as she was responsible for some of the 60s, 70s, and 80s biggest hits, alongside her group Gladys Knight & the Pips, which included her brother Merland Knight and cousins, William Guest and Edward Patten.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Gladys began singing gospel music in church from an early age. At just eight she won TV singing competition The Original Amateur Hour, in which she sang Nat King Cole’s Too Young.
The family started the band after performing together as children, and the inspiration for ‘The Pips’ came from their cousin and manager, who was called James ‘Pip’ Woods. They were signed in 1957 by Brunswick Records.
Gladys was just 16 when the group’s first album was released, and they later joined Motown Records.
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