After 75 years of performing, Gladys Knight is taking a break.
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The "Midnight Train to Georgia" singer shared on social media that she will spend more time with her family. That means the 82-year-old legend will be devoting less time to the stage.
Why Is Gladys Knight Taking a Break?
The "Empress of Soul" made her announcement on Instagram yesterday, Aug. 28.
"After much soul searching I've decided that I will be easing into fewer performances while focusing on transitioning into the next stage of my career and life moving forward," she wrote in a statement. "I'll be spending more time on projects with my husband and visiting with my grandbabies and am looking forward to this new era."
Knight, who has been married to her fourth husband, William McDowell, for 25 years, is a mother to three children from her past marriages: James "Jimmy" Gaston Newman III, Shanga Ali Hankerson, and Kenya Maria Newman, per PEOPLE. The couple also has 17 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren to visit.
The Legend Thanked Her Fans for Their Decades of Support
Knight also thanked her legions of fans who've supported her throughout her long career.
"I'd like to take a moment, in advance, to thank all my fans over this last three quarters of a century for making a little girl's dream come true and supporting her every step of the way," she wrote.
"I am immensely grateful to all of you and send my eternal love back to you," she added. "I hope to see your smiling faces out and about and on the road. God bless all of you and hope to see you soon."
You still have a chance to see Knight, as she has several tour dates this fall. The announcement comes after Hankerson claimed last year that his mother's performance schedule was "detrimental" to her health. Knight denied his claims.
"I'm sorry that my health and performances have been misrepresented," she said. "I'm healthy and happy and visiting friends and family these last few months."
