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So about a month ago or so, I found out
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that this group actually had two albums outside of their
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main group with their lead singer, and I was like, really,
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I never knew that. So I went to a record store.
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I remember those, they have those out there still, and
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I picked up two. Well, I guess is solo. It's
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the three of them, two Pips albums without Gladys Knight
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had no idea played them. They actually were pretty good, actually,
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but they're more known for being part of Bad Slid
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the Pips obviously. But a week after I got the records,
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a book popped in my hands and I was like,
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wait a minute, I must be meant to talk about
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at least their story, and I mean, I'm I'm not
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even kidding, and it was just like, that's really the
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radio's kismet, right, So I love that. And my guest
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today wrote a book called and I Trained from Georgia.
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It's a great it's a pattern for It was a
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great read because you have to know one of the Pips,
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William Guest, and chronicles his life intertwined with the life
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of the band. So a lot of some of the
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status you may know because if you're a follower of
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a longtime fan of class line of pips. So I
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do some of the stuff, but are things I didn't
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know either. And then there's just memories that is going
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down memory lane. And it felt like a very friendly
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book begather. It felt like they was like it's like
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two friends and just catching stuff on their lives and
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my guest. She is currently President and CEO of Z Creators, LLC,
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Professor Emerita of Florida A and M University. She's worked
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in the field of higher education and technology for over
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thirty five years as a professor administrator, also the author
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of four books, more than sixty scholarly publications, including book chapters,
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and has produced more than one hundred videos. Another most
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video works. She's a presenter, she's a dumb talks, She's
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a multi media writer,
Load full transcript
signal Comedge, She's a multi hyphence
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much like I am. We do more than one thing.
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And and I just you know, she has many titles.
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We were laughingbout that and we came out of here.
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But I would say her, Fo'm gonna say the full tire.
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I would say doctor Lady Dianna Ziggler what we would
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call her Dianna? How are you.
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How are you? Thank you so much for that wonderful introduction.
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You were ready for that, no, but yeah, no, And
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congratulations on the book. You gave birth to a book.
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So how you feeling about it?
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Well, I'm feeling great about it. I really wanted to
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write the story because not only is it a good story,
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but I also live the story since William Guest is
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my brother in law and more my brother.
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And that was a big I was like, oh, I
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can let the real race. I'm like okay. And I
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was like that's okay. That's why she had access in
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there that was like more that was very friendly, was
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very friendly access.
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It felt like yeah, since I was since I was
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eleven years old, so I really grew up with the
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story and to be a part of their lives, you know,
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and see them evolve from the beginning because we came
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into their lives early on in their career and it
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has just been a.
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Wonderful, wonderful ride. I mean, he had so much charisma.
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I mean the whole group.
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I love them all, their family, We all became one
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big family, the zigglers, the guests in the night.
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Yes, well, you know it's fine for me. I almost forgot.
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Why was the beginning with how young LADYE was when
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she started. Yeah, she was basically a kid. I mean
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we know about that. We know about the young. When
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I say young years, I remember the sixties all that stuff.
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I was like, oh wait, Wen, she started in the fifties.
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That's right, she was young.
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Yeah, in the fifties. They started very very young. I
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always and people probably don't remember crinoline slips they used
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to wear under your gowns to make the dresses big. Well,
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she was in crinoline slips and ballerina shoes.
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I mean, very very young.
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And the guys were, you know, young too, I mean
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they started. I mean Bubba was ten when the group
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got started as a result of, you know, his tenth
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birthday party. And that's just a story in itself. Yeah,
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you know that they had he had a ten year
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birthday party.
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And you also have to remember that they were related.
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So the Knights and the gas they were cousins, and
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they were all in the same church. The parents were
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in the adult choir, the children we're sort of singing
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in the children's choir. But at this birthday party, you know,
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they were doing like some R and B. They had
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an actually record player. I mean, people probably.
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Don't remember when the kids used to have these little records.
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Oh yeah, idees and hip.
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Well, little Garfield had a record player. They didn't, so
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they invited Garfield, and I guess they were jamming through
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the evening and having a great time at the party
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until Garfield had to go home and take his record player.
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So they decided to just start singing some of those
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popular songs together and harmonizing. And thus that's how you know,
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the parents start listening to them. And it's important also
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for the audience to know that the group started with
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Gladys Knight, her brother Mary O Bubba Knight, her sister
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Brenda Knight, my brother in law, William Guest, and his
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sister Ellen I Guests. That was the Pips, and until
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his deathbed he always thought that that was the better
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group as far as the sound. But that was the
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original Pips, and that's how they've got to started.
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And one of the things I think is so ironic
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is that in the business or not business, in popular culture,
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they're not thrown in
the same way as other family groups.
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I mean, we all kind of knew that to relate
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on some level, but like no one really talks about them,
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like in the facily those Saint the Barge or Silvers
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or this, like they don't really say much like because
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me because their last names are different. I don't know
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what it is. But you'll see enough of you don't
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hear enough of that. They are also also a family group, right.
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I mean glad Us on the stage, she used to
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introduce him as cousin Rick. But you know, just the
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whole and you read the book, so the whole evolution
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of them being a family, because they were performing all
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around Atlanta, they didn't.
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Even have a name. They would just call the kids.
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These various clubs and stuff around Georgia. And it was
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because they were family that they had that not only
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that spiritual connection, but they had that family connection. I
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always tell people this book is about love, family, spirituality,
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and harmony, and harmony more than the blending of voices,
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but the harmony of spirit. That's what kept them together
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singing for almost four decades is because they were family,
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you know, and they had that family foundation and that
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spiritual foundation, so you know, they weren't going to go
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too far, you know, the path, although they had challenges
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just like any other group in the industry. But what
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kept them is that they prayed together. They made all
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of their decisions together, and that's was the little pen
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that kept them glued together for so long.
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One thing over here, you'll read this book. Their pathway
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through success is varied. And because we get to when
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you get to the chapter with love Overboard, I was like, oh,
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that's right. That was later I love I love that
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song for the new story by the way, but that
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was like, yeah, that one. They came back in the
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eighties from minute too, that's right. That what and they
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have broken up and back then they say they came
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back together for a couple of years later they had
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success from the pop charts from it, like it was like, really,
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it's a very thing, but I want to read this
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one point. Please a view if I may. It's an
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author's notes, like it's just very important people to unders
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I like you put this in the book. I'm gonna
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read the whole thing. That's gonna be part of it.
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While Gladys Knight continues to be a household name of
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the industry, some of the younger generation may not know
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the Pips. The following description is just a glimpse of
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the greatness of the Pips sound during that era of
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music and the contributions they made through the group success
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as a whole. The Pips were sophisticated, stylish and soulful,
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as well as providing energetic dance moves on the state.
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The Pips were integral to the sound of Gladys Knight.
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Take their signature classic The Point at Midnight Train to Georgia.
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That song is like the mom The backing vocals provided
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by the Pips are perhaps the best backing vocal ever recorded.
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They switched effortlessly between providing straight backing we call the
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oohs and ohs, to providing a calm response and they
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you said, I was like they do, tell they do
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what that song, as well as offering their own interjection
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replies as night Fields to the song's climax. It's a
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stunning example of how important backing vocalists can be to
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a song provided they're used right. The Pips truly were
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the finest, and that when you when you said I'm
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glad you said, that's that's. If you don't think anything
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of this interview, go get the books. You can hear
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more about them as part of this this group because
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you're right with that song alone, which is one of
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the most popular songs they had out, even though one
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of my favorite songs is neither Ones. Neither one of
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us did for
saying Goodbye, it's my favorite song. And
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again the backing vocals. When I was saying the win
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you said that was written, I read that. I go.
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I started hearing the song like it is. It totally
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is a call and response to certain parts, and the
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back of vocals do lift.
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Her up right, right, right exactly. I mean, they were
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more than background singers. First of all, I think it's
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important for the audience to know that they were all
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lead singers themselves. Okay, first of all, Gladys was put
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out there as Gladys Knight and the Pips to separate
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two songs, Every Beat of my Heart the first one
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that was put out illegally, Yes, but you know there
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was a lot of ripping off in those Yeah, that
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song was put out and sold. I mean it's ironic,
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you know where he tells the story that you know
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they would just invited over to use some recording equipment, so.
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They're over there, you know.
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And I grew up sort of an industry, so I
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know how important and how that could happen. So they
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go over to record. The next thing, they know this
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person has not only recorded this song, put it out,
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sold it to a record company, and all of a sudden,
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my brother in laws walking down the street passing a
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record shop, the old record shop with the music used
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to be playing on the street and heard the song
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and called Bob and said, our song is out and
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he says, no, I just.
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Heard it on the radio.
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So by the time they went through that and Bobby
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Robinson in New York because the song started spiraling up,
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it started becoming a hit, and got in touch with
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Ali Patton, who was a DJ in Georgia, very very popular,
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saying how can I get a hold of these young people,
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the young artists, And Bobby Robinson flew them up to
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New York with the parents and said I want to
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sign them. And then he wanted to record that song
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over again because he knows they did not give any permission.
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So during those days, I would say, the dirty days
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of the industry, they were able to re record the
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second the version of it, and to separate the two,
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they decided to call that one Gladys Night in the
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Pips to separate it from the Pips. Now, ironically, about
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three weeks ago I heard the version on the radio
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where they just said the Pips and these two recordings
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are still out like that, and that was like, you know,
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that just sort of flipped me around. But you know,
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to to get back also to that call and response,
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what if people remember their songs and sing it was
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a call and response. The round was as important as
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the lead vocal many of those songs. Yes at harmony,
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I mean, and that's what they're they're they're known for.
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So even though they push Gladys out there, and you
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mentioned the two albums that you found where you.
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Saw the guys different guys.
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Primarily William and Bubba, you know, doing the lead voices.
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So that was an important time of how that group
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became Gladys Knight and the Pips. And it's important that
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they didn't have a name when they started as kids,
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as we were talking earlier, but they were being carried
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around by their parents and their cousin Pip, and because
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they didn't have a name and they were getting so popular,
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they decided that they would name themselves the Pips, after
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their cousins. Since he was their road manager the road dog,
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so to speak. And that's how that came about.
241
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The thing is people are going to stand to you
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or those who don't remember or remember back then, studios
243
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ran everything most of the time. It was very it
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was a little shade going on back then. Names of
245
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groups for a reason, Dina Ross Supremes. Later things like
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things were things were named for a reason. And I'll
247
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tell you
it's funny you say about the songs getting
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released people ship or being redone by somebody else, because
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the last the Pips had no situation. Later I heard
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through the right. Now, I'm sorry, it's funny. Now both
251
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versions are very popular. They're very different versions. But back
252
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so you can take a strictly went through that too
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at Motown.
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Yeah, but even before and I'll get to Motown because
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Bobby Robinson is real important talking about shape, you know.
256
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Because that shape got very dark.
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He brought them up, you know, to New York and
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you know, started putting out these records and stuff, and
259
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they and and and and you read about the whole
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hotels Teresa in the Apollo Theater. So that was the scene.
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I mean to grow up in New York. I was
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born one block from the Apollo. Oh okay, yes, my
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mother my father was the lead singer of the Morning
264
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Dove's Gospel Quartet. Okay, my mother and father, especially my
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mother were very Apollo goers. So my mother would take
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us to the Apollo on Wednesday night amateur.
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Hour, yesh.
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And we always were in the right box seat, well
269
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from the stage would be the left, but the right
270
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box seat close to the stage because that's when the
271
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kids used to jump and go on stage and all
272
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of that stuff. So we grew up in the Apollo.
273
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So and she knew Bobby Robinson. That's yeah, that's how
274
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my sister met William.
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She took.
276
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My sister was only about fourteen fifteen then and they
277
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were recording.
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I was too young.
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They left me home. You know, I missed out on
280
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some of the early stuff. But she knew Bobby and
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went over to recording session. That's how they met, and
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you know, exchanged little numbers.
283
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That's when you had the little ballop phones that the
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parents used.
285
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To put the locks on. So you know, that's how
286
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it came about. So when they came back, because it's
287
00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:40.519
important before Motown to get to how they left Bobby Robinson,
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because Bobby Robinson they didn't make any money. They had
289
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hit records all over the place. But Bobby used to say, well,
290
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remember those clothes and those nice suits and stuff. I
291
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me mean something had to pay for that. So they
292
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were going around staying in the hotels and stuff, but
293
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they weren't making any money. Decided that because Jimmy Newman,
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the saxophone player, they got married and she got pregnant
295
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a baby. She decided she wanted to go back home.
296
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So that's that wasn't Those albums that You've got were
297
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not the first time the Pips recorded by They recorded
298
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by themselves in the late fifties and early sixties before
299
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getting to Motown.
300
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But it was the brilliance.
301
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That polishing up you're at that second, that particular chapter.
302
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Marguerite Mays was very important to their style and to
303
00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:43.960
their dance steps. Marguerite Mays and a lot of people
304
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don't know about her, but she was first married to
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the leader of the Ink Spots, which was a group
306
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way back in the day. Then she married Willie Mays,
307
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the great baseball player. So she was the white of
308
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Willie Mays. Okay, when they came back, the guys decided
309
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they wanted to come back to New York. Because they
310
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went back home, Gladys date. The guys came back. My
311
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brother in law met little Margherita who was her niece, okay,
312
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and they were sort of dating a little bit. They introduced.
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She introduced them to Marguerite, who knew about the group,
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and said, wow, you know you guys. She first moved
315
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them out. Well, she had them called Gladys, and she
316
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told them, you know, you're okay by yourselves, but you
317
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all would be a much better group if.
318
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You got Gladys back.
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Yeah, so she.
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Called Gladys, taught Gladys back in the coming New
York.
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She moved them out of Harlem over to the Island.
322
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And what was masterful in her thinking, because I always said,
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she polished them up into a class act. She got
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them with Charlie Atkins cold Honey Cole. Honey Cold you
325
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stone the Apollo, but Honey Cole and Charlie Atkins, they
326
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were the great tap dancers back in the forties. She
327
00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:23.920
took them over to Charlie Atkins and said, I want
328
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you to teach them how to dance. Charlie Atkins started.
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He just got a tin can and a stick and
330
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just started hitting this tin can and having them dance
331
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the Pips precisely on those beats. He taught them that
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precision of steps and beats.
333
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And by the.
334
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Time they got tapped by Barry Gordy, Barry Gordy wanted
335
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Charlie Atkins too.
336
00:20:54.839 --> 00:20:58.960
Why he had the tamps, he had the fourth top.
337
00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:00.960
Yeah, yeah, other groups.
338
00:21:01.000 --> 00:21:04.279
But Charlie Atkins says, I will only come if I
339
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continue to work with Gladys Knight and the Pips. So
340
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they got ripped off Bobby Robinson.
341
00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:15.000
Marguerite Mays. Really I give.
342
00:21:14.839 --> 00:21:18.319
Her credit for because again I lived the story for
343
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shaping them into that class act because they were they
344
00:21:22.599 --> 00:21:27.920
were sort of mimicking other group steps. But Charlie Atkins,
345
00:21:27.960 --> 00:21:31.039
if you say, when their legs went up high and
346
00:21:31.160 --> 00:21:34.279
came back down, they were hitting those steps and that
347
00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:37.440
was because of the genius of him. And yeah, when
348
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they went to Motown, Gladys another thing, did not want
349
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to go to Motown. The guys wanted to go to Motown.
350
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She didn't because she thought she would get lost. Of
351
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course hello, but she got out voted. Remember they prayed
352
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and they voted, so it was three to one. So
353
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they went to Motown. But Yeah, Barry Gore Gordie with
354
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all of his genius and everything he did was also
355
00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:10.160
a rip off. A lot of people did not get
356
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those royalties and things.
357
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That they deserved. But they continued.
358
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GLADYSNEI the Pips continued to do their own thing on
359
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the side, you know. And they by that time sim Seidenberg,
360
00:22:24.200 --> 00:22:28.400
who would also managed BB King, who was their accountant,
361
00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:32.880
became their manager. So that helped them, you know, sort
362
00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:40.279
of navigate their path. But Motown was also responsible again
363
00:22:41.359 --> 00:22:46.799
for creating that culture because I would give it to them.
364
00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:50.599
The women had to go to charm school.
365
00:22:50.920 --> 00:22:54.640
The guys that they're you know, they're dancing and stuff
366
00:22:54.720 --> 00:23:00.119
with the professionals. They also had cultural activities picnics. I
367
00:23:00.119 --> 00:23:04.480
remember the picnics and they played baseball, football and all
368
00:23:04.519 --> 00:23:05.039
of that.
369
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Which she created a family that's close. They are still close.
370
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I was just.
371
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In Detroit October.
372
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I didn't go this Christmas. I stay with my mom, but.
373
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My niece and nephew they still meet the Motown children.
374
00:23:26.039 --> 00:23:28.480
I went hanging out with them, you know. We went
375
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to a little.
376
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Place where they did.
377
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The house music and I was hanging out and they went,
378
00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:35.759
oh this is so and so you know, one of
379
00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:38.519
the four top son this so and so they still
380
00:23:38.599 --> 00:23:45.440
hang out together. Katherine Schriffer, who was part of the Marvelette,
381
00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:51.640
her daughter Keisha had is still doing the yearly gathering
382
00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:54.599
that her mother did, So we went over there. So
383
00:23:54.599 --> 00:23:58.279
it's wonderful to still see the next generation of the
384
00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:03.640
generation after that Motown children still staying together. But yeah,
385
00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:08.079
it was it was a rough, rough road, and you know,
386
00:24:08.440 --> 00:24:11.559
along with all of that greatness that said, there was
387
00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:14.359
some shady things going on. But I will not take
388
00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:17.279
anything away from the brother because he was a genius
389
00:24:17.640 --> 00:24:22.480
and creating that culture and that gigantic history of music
390
00:24:22.599 --> 00:24:23.880
that we still hold onto.
391
00:24:24.519 --> 00:24:26.279
Well, I mean, you know, I agree with you. And
392
00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:28.599
what I'll just say about that as you put it
393
00:24:28.680 --> 00:24:33.960
on that that section is that it's no one's one dimensional.
394
00:24:34.039 -->
00:24:36.519
Let's say it that way. And you know, let you
395
00:24:36.519 --> 00:24:38.640
know what I mean by that. So no one's one dimensional.
396
00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:43.359
And the family aspect in family, there are favorites in family,
397
00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:47.799
there are things, I mean, things happen in family. So
398
00:24:47.799 --> 00:24:49.480
so I looked, I looked, I look at it. It's funny
399
00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:53.240
because I've talked to like other people, other Motown stars,
400
00:24:53.359 --> 00:24:55.640
people are people who worked there and they say something
401
00:24:55.640 --> 00:24:57.319
like you, it's like, yeah, he did he did, he
402
00:24:57.440 --> 00:25:00.640
done did this, he done did that. But I wouldn't
403
00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:03.039
be and you and you really and it's one of
404
00:25:03.079 --> 00:25:05.119
those things I think as you get older too, we
405
00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:09.519
realize you can separate certain things. You go, okay for
406
00:25:09.799 --> 00:25:13.480
that stuff over here, there's some really good stuff over here.
407
00:25:13.519 --> 00:25:15.559
He did too, and he changed the face of music,
408
00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:19.640
very Gordy changed. He just did, uh and like you said,
409
00:25:19.640 --> 00:25:23.279
and his style has been People have tried to duplicate
410
00:25:23.319 --> 00:25:26.759
that later, not to great success, but they were trying to.
411
00:25:26.799 --> 00:25:29.319
But he but he really did that. I mean I
412
00:25:29.319 --> 00:25:31.640
think later on you say, probably say the boy bands
413
00:25:31.680 --> 00:25:35.519
kind of are a similar situation, but like not the
414
00:25:35.559 --> 00:25:38.079
way I mean they he really did like clean up
415
00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:39.519
might just say it that way. But he got kids
416
00:25:39.519 --> 00:25:42.680
who are on the streets and the projects and the
417
00:25:42.759 --> 00:25:45.400
stars made them pot and they had okay, folks, we're
418
00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:48.319
not gonna not gonna should cook this part. Because they
419
00:25:48.319 --> 00:25:52.480
were black, they had to be polished in terms of
420
00:25:52.480 --> 00:25:56.200
the audience because it could be just we couldn't be
421
00:25:56.240 --> 00:25:58.079
the hip hop and all that that we're doing now.
422
00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:00.000
Back then we.
423
00:26:01.839 --> 00:26:04.920
Had to be I mean if you saw I don't
424
00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:09.519
know if you've watched the At Sullivan documentary.
425
00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:12.480
Okay, Gladys Knight.
426
00:26:12.279 --> 00:26:16.440
And the Pips was one of the first groups on
427
00:26:16.599 --> 00:26:20.279
that show. Okay, it didn't have anything really to do
428
00:26:20.359 --> 00:26:24.759
with Motown because what what What was happening with Gladys
429
00:26:24.839 --> 00:26:28.319
Knight and the Pips is again because they kind of
430
00:26:28.359 --> 00:26:31.480
went They didn't do the Motown reviews. They went on
431
00:26:31.559 --> 00:26:37.160
their little side roads and they eventually started crossing.
432
00:26:36.839 --> 00:26:38.359
Over to pop.
433
00:26:38.559 --> 00:26:44.960
They did, their audience became gigantic, you know, so by
434
00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:49.519
the time and and the reason why they left Motown.
435
00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:53.400
Remember Gladys didn't want to go there in the first place. Okay,
436
00:26:53.480 --> 00:26:58.759
so they by the time they met Cecil Hollingsworth, an
437
00:26:58.880 --> 00:27:00.160
art cast and all of them.
438
00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:01.519
From Boder Records.
439
00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:07.359
Booter Records gave them the contract they wanted body, I mean,
440
00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:10.720
Barry Gordy did not want to give.
441
00:27:10.599 --> 00:27:14.240
Them the money they wanted. And then but Buddha was smart.
442
00:27:14.519 --> 00:27:17.240
Buddha put them on a different kind of platform.
443
00:27:17.799 --> 00:27:21.880
They crossed over the Pop Midnight train from to Georgia,
444
00:27:22.799 --> 00:27:26.799
came under Booder Records. That's when they started winning the
445
00:27:26.839 --> 00:27:28.440
American Music Awards.
446
00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:32.599
The Grammy Awards. I mean they were, you know.
447
00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:36.240
Inducted into the Hall of Fame early again and then
448
00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:40.799
that was again that that period became like the third separation.
449
00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:45.799
But those Buddha days is what really put them into
450
00:27:45.960 --> 00:27:51.319
global superstars. They were on private planes, performing at the
451
00:27:51.319 --> 00:27:52.839
White House, et cetera.
452
00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:55.400
So I want to mention that, you bo, this is
453
00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:59.799
a good segue right into this. So the honesty is
454
00:27:59.839 --> 00:28:02.400
not lying to you because I remembering this somewhere else
455
00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:07.640
last night of Pips for the first black group at
456
00:28:07.640 --> 00:28:12.920
the Grammys to win in one year the same ceremony
457
00:28:12.279 --> 00:28:17.119
and seventy three Best Pop Vocal by a duo group
458
00:28:17.160 --> 00:28:19.640
of chorus from my song neither One of Us, What's
459
00:28:19.759 --> 00:28:24.240
Your First? Say by? And Best r and Bing Vocal
460
00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:27.319
Performance by a dual or group or chorus. May I
461
00:28:27.359 --> 00:28:30.839
Trained to Georgia. They were the first. They won, and
462
00:28:31.079 --> 00:28:33.359
so basically what we're saying is they won the White
463
00:28:33.400 --> 00:28:42.319
Award and the Black Award. Say I would say, I
464
00:28:42.400 --> 00:28:44.960
just feel like, why aren't we talking about that? They
465
00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:48.640
they crossed the f over and that's when cross cross
466
00:28:49.920 --> 00:28:53.680
big
not yet, not yet, it was not and it
467
00:28:53.839 --> 00:28:56.400
become like that they wanted two categories. I mean the
468
00:28:56.480 --> 00:29:01.440
voters voted for them. I'm times the way it is
469
00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:05.839
the white category and the black one and two different
470
00:29:05.880 --> 00:29:07.559
songs that is one song.
471
00:29:07.640 --> 00:29:13.559
Two songs, you know, and and again crossing over that
472
00:29:13.559 --> 00:29:19.519
that was a magnificent achievement that the other group's motown wasn't.
473
00:29:19.319 --> 00:29:23.599
Doing that they do it the first Yeah. Yeah, so
474
00:29:24.359 --> 00:29:25.920
you know again.
475
00:29:27.079 --> 00:29:32.200
That little those steps that they made through all of
476
00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:35.440
the people that helped them, the Marguerite Mays, the Charlie
477
00:29:35.480 --> 00:29:41.400
Atkins and themselves. But because they were always called them
478
00:29:41.720 --> 00:29:45.680
sort of like the bubble gum pop group, you know,
479
00:29:45.960 --> 00:29:51.759
because they were young enough, they were appealing enough, they
480
00:29:51.799 --> 00:29:55.480
crossed all of these different audiences. You know, they were
481
00:29:55.519 --> 00:29:58.559
doing Dick Clark, they were doing Soul Trained, but they
482
00:29:58.559 --> 00:30:04.839
were out there appeal to masses of people global and
483
00:30:04.920 --> 00:30:09.720
then you know, moving into the movie song tracks Claudine
484
00:30:09.960 --> 00:30:15.319
et cetera, et cetera. So their contribution I think that
485
00:30:16.599 --> 00:30:19.440
a lot of people they think about that midnight train
486
00:30:19.559 --> 00:30:23.559
to Georgia, but they don't think about the historic aspect
487
00:30:24.279 --> 00:30:27.799
of what they achieved in their career.
488
00:30:28.440 --> 00:30:28.640
You know.
489
00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:33.599
That's why it was important, but not only important from
490
00:30:34.519 --> 00:30:35.720
Gladys standpoint.
491
00:30:35.799 --> 00:30:37.480
But the importance of.
492
00:30:37.480 --> 00:30:43.240
The pips because you go back to again that era
493
00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:46.319
at that time, and they, you know, they had that
494
00:30:46.480 --> 00:30:47.640
ten years of going.
495
00:30:48.119 --> 00:30:51.319
You know, things blew up crazy and they got.
496
00:30:51.079 --> 00:30:56.319
So big, and you know, then other things start coming
497
00:30:56.359 --> 00:30:59.440
in and people want to do things differently. Okay, well
498
00:30:59.440 --> 00:31:04.039
that that happens, all right. So you know, Gladys wanted
499
00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:08.200
to do her thing a little bit. The guys were
500
00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:11.119
doing their thing a little bit, you know, Patent and
501
00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:15.039
guests with Patten the other cousin and William Gast. They
502
00:31:15.079 --> 00:31:18.759
had their thing, including the disco bells that I created
503
00:31:18.920 --> 00:31:21.559
and all of that stuff. I mean, and even for
504
00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:24.599
me as a young person in the twenties to do
505
00:31:24.920 --> 00:31:28.079
one hundred thousand dollars bank proposal, get fifty thousand, go
506
00:31:28.160 --> 00:31:30.119
all over the world, do these disco bells.
507
00:31:30.359 --> 00:31:31.839
And I just ran into.
508
00:31:33.079 --> 00:31:36.160
Going through some paperwork and I see an article where
509
00:31:36.559 --> 00:31:38.640
maybe William and ROBERTA.
510
00:31:38.720 --> 00:31:41.880
Flack is that the disco bells kick off.
511
00:31:41.640 --> 00:31:45.039
And they talk about how Nonah Hendrick and Sarah dash
512
00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:45.759
was president.
513
00:31:45.799 --> 00:31:48.960
I said, wow, all of this stuff was going on.
514
00:31:49.559 --> 00:31:51.079
I mean, and I'm in my twenties.
515
00:31:51.119 --> 00:31:54.079
I was executive vice president of the company, you know,
516
00:31:54.240 --> 00:31:56.519
running this stuff. But you know, I had my own
517
00:31:56.599 --> 00:31:59.559
creative stuff going on because I was a songwriter, producer
518
00:31:59.599 --> 00:32:02.599
and had a number one song and seventy five time
519
00:32:02.680 --> 00:32:06.079
moves on by the group Struck, you know, disco song.
520
00:32:06.200 --> 00:32:09.519
So it's like, you know, we were just grooving.
521
00:32:09.880 --> 00:32:14.720
But it gets by all of these different enterprises, you know,
522
00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:20.759
got them sort of moving into different directions. So during
523
00:32:20.799 --> 00:32:23.680
that time in that era, that was this sort of
524
00:32:23.720 --> 00:32:28.440
the third separation. And people don't know that they were
525
00:32:28.519 --> 00:32:31.480
signed to Booda Records. It's Gladys Knight and the Pips.
526
00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:36.559
Gladys was signed by herself on Columbia.
527
00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:38.400
Records, and the Pips.
528
00:32:38.039 --> 00:32:43.079
Were signed by themselves on Casa Blanca Records, which was
529
00:32:43.119 --> 00:32:45.200
Cecil Hollinsworth.
530
00:32:44.680 --> 00:32:47.839
Who was part of Border Records. So there was a
531
00:32:47.880 --> 00:32:48.759
lot going on.
532
00:32:49.240 --> 00:32:53.759
You know, how often did that happen in the industry?
533
00:32:54.720 --> 00:32:55.519
That was something.
534
00:32:55.599 --> 00:33:01.160
But they were so big and talented that the industry
535
00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:06.720
allowed that spread. They wanted they still wanted that music
536
00:33:07.480 --> 00:33:10.400
coming from. Okay, we want the Pips, we want Gladys,
537
00:33:10.519 --> 00:33:13.359
we want Gladys Night in the Pips, and you know,
538
00:33:13.519 --> 00:33:17.200
and and there they are, you know, and by nineteen
539
00:33:17.319 --> 00:33:20.680
ninety six, they're inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall
540
00:33:20.720 --> 00:33:24.400
of Fame, and
you know, you think about they came
541
00:33:24.519 --> 00:33:27.480
up with Dion and all of these people, Dion Ward
542
00:33:27.559 --> 00:33:30.559
Dion was just inducted two or three years ago. Not
543
00:33:30.680 --> 00:33:33.680
that it's fair, but a lot of these groups from
544
00:33:33.720 --> 00:33:38.240
back there, they're just being inducted, and they were inducted
545
00:33:38.359 --> 00:33:41.440
way back then in nineteen ninety six.
546
00:33:41.799 --> 00:33:42.039
You know.
547
00:33:42.160 --> 00:33:48.440
So I think that some of especially the young audience,
548
00:33:49.039 --> 00:33:52.200
you know, this book is to for them to understand
549
00:33:52.279 --> 00:33:56.240
the impact not only of the group, but even the
550
00:33:56.279 --> 00:33:59.880
impact of the man because Gladys Night and the Pips
551
00:34:00.160 --> 00:34:04.319
that got started without William Gast, you know, and all
552
00:34:04.359 --> 00:34:07.920
of that, and and the Journey, and you know, they
553
00:34:07.960 --> 00:34:12.119
were they were so close. I mean, I remember, you know,
554
00:34:12.159 --> 00:34:16.320
eleven twelve, you know, riding around in the limousines, mean
555
00:34:16.400 --> 00:34:19.400
in the backstage, mean at the wall doll You're talking
556
00:34:19.400 --> 00:34:24.440
about the funniest times and meeting all of those groups,
557
00:34:24.480 --> 00:34:27.239
coming to the Apollo and stuff. It was just a
558
00:34:27.480 --> 00:34:32.599
wonderful time for music, but also for love and laughter
559
00:34:33.559 --> 00:34:35.880
and that harmony that has said it's more than the
560
00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:39.639
blending of voices, that harmony and spirit was just big.
561
00:34:39.800 --> 00:34:43.480
Then you know, the sidewalks were dancing, you know, it
562
00:34:43.519 --> 00:34:45.360
was wonderful like that.
563
00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:48.920
And I have to our time is coming close. I
564
00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:50.960
just see this is amazing. I want to do something.
565
00:34:50.960 --> 00:34:53.639
I just want you some shout outs from the eighties,
566
00:34:54.159 --> 00:34:58.159
some of my favorites hits. And then I'm gonna ask
567
00:34:58.199 --> 00:35:02.159
you a big final question. I want to mention Boogie Bougie.
568
00:35:02.679 --> 00:35:04.400
I want to mention save the old time for me.
569
00:35:05.159 --> 00:35:08.199
I want to mention my time. I want to mention
570
00:35:09.000 --> 00:35:11.559
all our love and love overboard. Those are some of
571
00:35:11.559 --> 00:35:13.920
my favorite songs, are theirs in the eighties and I.
572
00:35:14.039 --> 00:35:16.079
Just a peaceful waters flow.
573
00:35:16.519 --> 00:35:18.280
Yes, I love it, I love it, I love it.
574
00:35:18.400 --> 00:35:22.320
I love it. So my final question to you, I
575
00:35:22.360 --> 00:35:23.960
mean it's been you have to come back on the show.
576
00:35:24.400 --> 00:35:28.239
This is great. Probably you probably know other stories and
577
00:35:28.239 --> 00:35:32.280
things too. We actually everyone here for him. Back to
578
00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:38.840
William Guest, what would you like people to possibly take
579
00:35:38.880 --> 00:35:44.199
away when reading this book about William Well.
580
00:35:43.920 --> 00:35:48.840
I can tell you what he has put in our lines.
581
00:35:49.519 --> 00:35:53.440
You know, from from a kid, I mean, he was
582
00:35:53.719 --> 00:35:59.639
very spiritual, He had a great love of family and
583
00:35:59.679 --> 00:36:06.039
this industry. He owned up to his mistakes, you know,
584
00:36:06.400 --> 00:36:10.559
and even with if you read the part with my sister,
585
00:36:11.119 --> 00:36:14.159
because he had all these outside children and stuff, but
586
00:36:14.760 --> 00:36:18.360
we were one family, and my sister was with him even
587
00:36:18.400 --> 00:36:21.719
though he was upstairs until the day he died. But
588
00:36:23.079 --> 00:36:25.599
she would say that he became more of a brother.
589
00:36:25.679 --> 00:36:30.000
But we were one family. We don't desert our family.
590
00:36:30.320 --> 00:36:33.679
We hold them up. And he wanted his life to
591
00:36:33.840 --> 00:36:37.039
have some meaning. He wanted young people to learn about
592
00:36:37.039 --> 00:36:42.760
this industry, to learn from his mistakes. Also, he had
593
00:36:43.280 --> 00:36:47.320
such a sense of humor and protection. If you read
594
00:36:47.360 --> 00:36:50.480
what Bubba said about him, that was like more of
595
00:36:50.559 --> 00:36:54.440
his big brother. He took care of people, He loved
596
00:36:54.760 --> 00:36:59.639
his family, He protected us. He was also so paranoid,
597
00:37:00.079 --> 00:37:03.800
you know about escalator. Be careful on the escalator, you know,
598
00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:06.760
do this, We don't want you to fall. But such
599
00:37:06.800 --> 00:37:11.519
a sense of humor, but wanting to know the world,
600
00:37:11.599 --> 00:37:18.360
to know that there is something more to music and
601
00:37:18.440 --> 00:37:23.239
how it evolves, and coming from spirit like the Lord.
602
00:37:23.280 --> 00:37:26.320
When he almost lost his life from the heart attack
603
00:37:27.039 --> 00:37:30.440
and he heard God speaking to him, he felt, at
604
00:37:30.440 --> 00:37:35.000
that point, I have to do something, you know, more
605
00:37:35.079 --> 00:37:38.119
in this industry. And you know, he started producing the
606
00:37:38.159 --> 00:37:41.840
Stub Girls who are the stub Girls. Levi Stubbs, nieces
607
00:37:42.039 --> 00:37:46.400
leader of the Four Tops. His daughter is still a
608
00:37:46.440 --> 00:37:49.679
good friend of ours. And you know he was just
609
00:37:49.760 --> 00:37:52.559
trying to just leave a little bit behind. Can I
610
00:37:52.719 --> 00:37:56.320
can I tell them more about this business. Don't make
611
00:37:56.360 --> 00:37:59.239
this mistake. Make sure you take care of your money.
612
00:37:59.519 --> 00:38:03.000
Don't let all of the glamour and the women or
613
00:38:03.119 --> 00:38:05.760
the men just get you on the wrong path.
614
00:38:06.320 --> 00:38:07.239
You know, those are.
615
00:38:07.159 --> 00:38:11.239
The things that he even though his his life was
616
00:38:11.320 --> 00:38:14.679
a roller coaster on things, it was still full of
617
00:38:14.760 --> 00:38:17.960
light and he wanted to leave that light behind.
618
00:38:18.960 --> 00:38:21.679
Babro did as you guys called him. He did, he
619
00:38:21.800 --> 00:38:24.880
left the I mean, I just what a body of
620
00:38:24.880 --> 00:38:28.880
work too. This book is the bomb diggity folks. Midnight
621
00:38:28.920 --> 00:38:34.440
train from Georgia left Georgia, left Georgia. Yeah. So I'm
622
00:38:34.480 --> 00:38:37.159
saying it's out everywhere. Go get it. You just go
623
00:38:37.199 --> 00:38:39.480
on your phone, tablet order it. Get it. And I
624
00:38:39.480 --> 00:38:41.920
always say it's the end of my shows some people,
625
00:38:42.119 --> 00:38:45.639
so my fans are into independent bookstores or mom and
626
00:38:45.679 --> 00:38:48.800
pop bookstores. I support that. To you. If they don't
627
00:38:48.800 --> 00:38:51.800
have the book, they can probably order it. I get
628
00:38:51.840 --> 00:38:53.280
it for you. If you want to still support a
629
00:38:53.440 --> 00:38:56.440
smart she still gets the sale. They get to sale
630
00:38:56.440 --> 00:38:58.079
to you. You know what I mean. I'd like something saying,
631
00:38:58.119 --> 00:39:00.000
so you want to go to the big box places
632
00:39:00.119 --> 00:39:02.360
is like you know, Barnes and Noble or Amazon. I
633
00:39:02.400 --> 00:39:05.000
totally get it. But just talk to your local bookstore.
634
00:39:05.199 --> 00:39:07.000
Long don't they get the little ice ice be a
635
00:39:07.079 --> 00:39:09.599
number or whatever. They can order it for. You get
636
00:39:09.639 --> 00:39:11.440
it and you can bring me. You'll bring it more
637
00:39:11.480 --> 00:39:15.760
into your neighborhood also, So please don't let that stop
638
00:39:15.800 --> 00:39:17.559
you from getting this book. It's a great read. You
639
00:39:17.599 --> 00:39:20.760
will not be sorry. Thank you for your time, ma'am.
640
00:39:21.480 --> 00:39:24.360
You pleasures a pleasure.
641
00:39:24.400 --> 00:39:26.119
I love I love this. Say this is history, focus
642
00:39:26.159 --> 00:39:28.480
its history. I love it. It's out and you know
643
00:39:28.280 --> 00:39:33.119
what it is. It's American history, it's American music history.
644
00:39:33.519 --> 00:39:36.000
I will leave it an end like that, right. I'm
645
00:39:36.079 --> 00:39:38.320
James I Jenius IFFERTA page with James I Junior. Will
646
00:39:38.320 --> 00:39:38.960
see you next time.