One of the Great Ladies of Rhythm & Blue and Soul, Gladys Knight came to The Celebrity Theatre

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Gladys Knight concert at Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ on December 5th, 2024

Review and Photos by Fred Kuhlman
Promoter: Danny Zelisko Presents (https://dzplive.com/ )
Venue: Celebrity Theatre (https://celebritytheatre.com/ )
Date:  December 5th, 2024

Charles Lewis & Diana Lee at Gladsy Knight Concert at Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ on December 5th, 2024

Danny Zelisko like to bring out local musicians for perform prior to the headliner. Tonight, we were honored to see and hear two of Phoenix’s great artists.  Local legends Charles Lewis and Diana Lee performed as the warm up for Gladys Knight.  Initially Charles came out on stage and played a couple of songs on the piano.  He told us that Diana had sent him out first so he could warm up prior to her coming out to sing.  So, after the first couple of songs, Charles was joined on stage by the remarkable Diana Lee.  Together they performed a number of songs with Diana singing as Charles accompanied her on piano.  I had seen them both a long time ago and this performance brought back those fond memories.  I hope you got to see them and if not, I hope you get to see them in the near future.  I know I can’t wait to see them perform again.

Having grown up in the Toledo, Ohio area in the 60s, I got to hear a lot of the Motown music from the Detroit area.  There were a lot of Rhythm & Blues and Soul singer that were played on the AM radio in our area.  Not only did they play Motown greats but also other bands from around the country.  This included Gladys Knight & the Pips from Atlanta, Georgia.

Gladys Knight concert at Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ on December 5th, 2024

Gladys Knight is a multi-Gammy winner, member of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and been honored with the National Medal of Arts and the Kennedy Center Honors.  “Two of her songs (“I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Midnight Train to Georgia”) were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for “historical, artistic and significant” value.” [Wikipedia]

Even at 80 years young, Gladys commanded the round stage at the Celebrity Theatre.  She was constantly roaming around the stage, even as it rotated, singing directly to the crowd.  They were times she even interacted with the crowd as they yelled out “I Love You” and she would reply that she loved them.  And from the why she replied you honestly believed she meant it.

It was a short setlist, but it covered all of her greatest songs including the 2 of her most famous songs, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Midnight Train to Georgia”.

Gladys Knight concert at Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ on December 5th, 2024

This was my first time seeing Gladys Knight live in concert and it was well worth it.  She is a beautiful and very gracious lady.  However instead of the Pips backing her up, she now tours with 3 lovely ladies that sing the harmony parts.  Listening to them perform brought me back to my roots in the Ohio area.  These are the songs that translate well across the generations and were performed magnificently by Gladys and the ladies.  If you get a chance to see Gladys perform, I very, very highly recommend it.  It is a concert event that will fill you with joy in these times of woe.  I wish Gladys the best and I hope to see her again.

The following are Gladys’s social media sites.  You can find out more about her and if she is coming to a city near you.

Gladys Knight Social Media sites:
Website: https://gladysknight.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msgladysknight
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msgladysknight/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GladysKnight
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/gladys-knight-2024


Gladys Knight

Photos © Fred Kuhlman 2024, All Rights Reserved


Charles Lewis & Diana Lee

Photos © Fred Kuhlman 2024, All Rights Reserved



Gladys Knight Setlist:
Love Overboard                                              (Gladys Knight & the Pips song)
That’s What Friends Are For                          (Burt Bacharach cover)
I’ve Got to Use My Imagination                     (Gladys Knight & the Pips song)
The Way We Were                                         (Barbra Streisand cover)
I Heard It Through the Grapevine                  (Gladys Knight & the Pips song)
Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me          (Jim Weatherly cover)
Stand                                                               (Donnie McClurkin cover)
Midnight Train to Georgia                              (Jim Weatherly cover)