The first is Legends: OWN at the Apollo Featuring Gladys Knight. Seven-time Grammy Award-winner and music icon, Gladys Knight takes the Apollo stage with Yolanda Adams, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, and her brother ‘Bubba’ Knight, Jr.
The broadcast opened with Gladys Knight on the Apollo stage singing I Heard it Through the Grapevine. The audience were on their feet throughout her whole performance. It was mixed with an interview of Gladys remembering the days when Gladys Knight and the Pips started. She then called out her Pip, her brother Bubba Knight, Jr. Gladys said, “I can’t get rid of him.” She then went into a performance of I’ve Got to Use My Imagination. You could tell she was really having fun with her big brother.
After the break, Gladys shared a little more about her legendary career before singing Every Beat of My Heart. She said that the song was the one that brought them to the Apollo theater for the first time. Her next song was I Don’t Want to Do Wrong. Her voice still perfect, followed by one of her Grammy winners, Midnight Train to Georgia.
Legends continued with Gladys saying, “We need to remember yesterday” as she sang The Way We Were. She paused for a moment as a picture of the Dalai Lama, John Kennedy, Muhammad Ali and others appeared behind her, and she received another standing ovation.
Yolanda Adams took the stage with Gladys and sang Angus Dei, and Gladys joined in and sang Let the Church Say Amen.
And they saved the best for last as Dionne Warwick walked Stevie Wonder on stage playing the harmonica to That’s What Friends Are For. Dionne began the lyrics and Stevie joined in followed by Gladys. So good to see them performing together and Stevie playing the harmonica. It was a moment.
They closed the program with this song and Gladys told us to, “Take good care of yourself and love somebody along the way.”
The series continues next week with Legends: OWN at the Apollo Featuring Smokey Robinson on Saturday, October 31, followed by The Isley Brothers on November 7th, and Earth, Wind & Fire on November 14th.
For more information visit http://www.oprah.com/own.
And you can get involved and join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag’s #OWNLegends, @OWNtv, #ApolloTheater, and @ApolloTheater.
Don’t miss Smokey Robinson joined by special guest soul singer Joss Stone next week!
Tanya Hart