Gladys Knight's Son Says She Has Dementia

Horrifying - poor ol gal

The interview. Where people are leaving comments like...

[quote]I saw her in concert two years ago, and she was showing CLEAR signs of dementia. My mother and I mentioned it to each other, and both said that while she remembers the music and the songs, we felt uncomfortable. It’s the reason I didn’t buy tickets to the latest tour. She deserves her rest.

[quote]I’m so glad her son is speaking out because I saw her earlier this year and it was clear Ms. Knight is not ok. She was confused. Her background singers had to finish songs. Quite a few people walked out. Let that legend rest. Her son is 100% right.

[quote]😱my aunts saw her in Vegas a month or so ago and mentioned she appeared to be confused and someone had to escort her off the stage. They mentioned she forgot several lyrics too. 😱

Oh no! 😥 Poor old duck. How old is Gladys now?

The ladies she is touring with love her and support her and they will protect her. I hope she isn't touring because she's broke. Poor Gladys has always had bad luck with men. I knew her for a minute years ago and she is the sweetest person. She was always happy and upbeat. You met her you felt like you were best friends. So down to earth.

Shit I’m sorry to hear that. Also going through that with my mother and it’s tough to witness.

Oh damn, so sad.

If this is true in any capacity then it’s fucking elder abuse. She should not be touring.

She’s 81

Tony Bennett's son had Tony out there performing well into his 90s and clearly out of his mind.

But - the body remembers songs and Tony would just pick it right up.

Doesn't seem right to do this - I doubt she needs the money that bad, but she may enjoy it?

Wasn’t her son caught stealing from her around a decade ago and claiming the same thing.

I just found it, same son, back in 2016.

She's always seemed lovely and classy. That's a real shame.

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R13 that’s from 2016!

Gladys also had/has a fairly serious gambling problem.

I’d rather sing in this world, even without my mindddd. 🎵

I’m going backkkn

Two things can be true: Her son can be grifting scum of the Earth and Gladys actually has dementia.

If she’s enjoying performing, then I say let her continue.

Remember when Glen Campbell had Alzheimer’s? He continued performing with his kids, singing his old songs as long as he was able. He remembered how to play the songs, but struggled with the lyrics so they were on a teleprompter. This was from his last concert when he was becoming too I’ll to continue.

Didn't Johnny Mathis end his touring this past Spring (at nearly 90) due to his dementia worsening ? His handlers were smart enough to end it before he got worse.

Thats a real shame. I always loved her.

This is also the son that ran her chicken and waffles restaurant chain into the ground, and was jailed for two years.

You know, they all clowned Diana Ross left and right, but Diana has her shit together financially and she has kids that are successful in their own right and have their own successful careers. She could retire tomorrow without a care in the world. Same with Tina, who could fully retire at 70.

These women shouldn't have to be working at 80 years old. They all had hit records, and were top concert draws for years. Was it money management? Dionne had a farewell tour a couple of years back, and is still on the road.

She probably has some sort of early dementia - as do many many 81 year olds.

Or - he found out that he's not in the will after the bullshit and the legal fights he had with his mom - and he wants to prove that she was not of sound mind when the will was made so he can get his piece.

Her son sounds like a piece of shit unfortunately.

She couldn't have any form of advanced dementia or she wouldn't know the words to the songs.

I’m convinced that anyone who lives into their mid-80s or beyond (maybe earlier) will begin to experience some degree of cognitive decline. My husband just seemed sweetly forgetful and distracted five or seven years ago. In 2022, it was noticeable enough for us to have him tested and diagnosed as having Mild Cognitive Impairment. Three years later and he’s clearly in middle stage dementia (probably Alzheimer’s), stopped driving two years ago and cannot be left home alone for more than an hour (and sometimes that’s pushing it). He still remembers much from his past life and his scholarly accomplishments and can still play the piano, if not with the facility he had even ten years ago. I attend a monthly meeting of caregivers—this month a former colleague was there with family, having just been diagnosed and wanting to hear people’s experiences to help his family; another colleague, fifteen years younger than me, was there for the first time as their parent had just been diagnosed. It is the case that specialists believe music is one of the very skills and experiences to go away, so the stories of Tony Bennett and Glen Campbell are probably real. But the converse is no doubt also true—just because someone has been musically gifted does not ensure they will retain that throughout the stages of dementia. It sounds like Mathis may the decision that was right for him (perhaps with compassionate and diplomatic advisors). It sounds like those around Knight are at best misguided and at worst cruel and exploitative. If she were able to continue to deliver at the level Bennett and Campbell could (until they couldn’t), that would be one thing, but it sounds like that’s not the case. There should be no shame attached to dementia—and my husband remains upbeat and happy (we’ve been lucky—so far—in that regard), so it’s not the case that dementia should be reason to end your life (though I’ve known one person who did end their life four years after diagnosis, which I believe should their right) and the support for someone living with dementia requires considerable funds if the person is not to become a ward of the state (and such facilities are not generally where you’d want someone to end their time) and the stress on the primary should neither be minimized nor romanticized (you have to develop an ability to deal with bodily fluids and matter, and to accept a certain degree of loneliness, as your “friends” are likely to desert you—charitably, they may not know what they can do to help), but humans, like most living organisms, have a surprising ability to adapt. It’s that or perish—the latter we will do, but why rush it, unless the person is in unbearable physical or psychic pain?

Just pray. They were "this close" to finding away to stop Alzheimer's from getting worse. I don't think reversible but arrested. And they're testing all kinds of stuff. Of course now the research funding has been cut for mRNA research. They were dealing with cancer. too. I hate Trump and his fucking administration so much. Rotten fuckers. But as for Gladys. I don't think she has anything serious enough to commit her. She may be forgetful. But she is loved and she has people who will be there for her. Her predatory POS son better be grateful he is not in prison. Gladys has a loving heart. otherwise he'd be gone.

She's leaving on that midnight train to...?...she can't remember?

Thank the scientists and researchers, not God. Prayer does nothing, R25.

I saw her two years ago.. A solo show. She was in absolute top form. This feels like bullshit.

Why the big deal having to remember how to sing or know the words???!

R29 Diana Ross can most certainly sing. Well at least when young. She just wasn’t a vocal powerful but she had a thin voice that knew how to stay in tune. Just like Queen Bey, Bey just has way more range and power.

^ Ugh, the embarrassing "Queen Bey" shit.

Speaking of elder abuse...

And I meant to type beautiful thin voice.

R21, isn’t Tina dead?

That Frankie Valli clip is frightening! He can’t actually be singing into the microphone. The words are too clear for the way his mouth is barely moving. He looks and acts like a walking corpse. I kept waiting for him to blink. It was a long wait. Getting old sucks.

One of the last remaining great ‘old school’ talents. A singer who simply needed a microphone and a stage and could bring down the house. No ‘American Idol’ style of over singing, no smoke, lasers and a mini Broadway show needed. I miss those old school talents.

Racist bitch.

That’s the point R14, he made the same accusation almost 10 years ago after stealing from her restaurants and no doubt from her personally. I doubt she’s has had much if any relationship with the son who’s making the allegations about her.

It's sad if somebody's forcing her to do it but maybe it's something she just truly enjoys. I'm wondering the same thing about Randy Travis who suffered a pretty severe strip some years ago and now they have what's being advertised as a Randy Travis tour but really it's just some guest local is singing with his band while him and his wife apparently sit on a couch on stage and watch.

Speaking of aged divas with deadbeat sons I scored a second row ticket to Cyndi lauper's farewell tour tomorrow night.

Oy that should have said stroke and guess vocalist

Isn’t she a Trump supporter?

The videos of Glen Campbell during the final tours were a little rough, but he was in good spirits and clearly enjoyed being there. They were still able to get him in the studio with great results. Like his heartbreaking version of Jimmy Webb's Audios.

The current Randy Travis tour probably uses the same singer they used as the basis to create a new AI Randy Travis song.

I'm sure Gladys still enjoys being in front of an audience for a few songs and the audiences now come there knowing they're not getting Soul Train Gladys Knight.

That situation is a hell of lot better than spending her remaining days in a hospital room like Wendy Williams #KarmaBReal

Watching a demented Glen Campbell at The Grammys was uncomfortable. Singing Rhinestone Cowboy, he initially replaced "korizon" for "horizon."

Thanks for your post, R24. Wishing you and your husband much love and grace.

r46 and several others - those videos are so sad. I guess these singers still have enough mental capacity to remember what they loved doing, so maybe that's a bright spot.

Music uses a different part of the brain than speech. A person with dementia who cannot speak coherently may be able to still sing or play music.

Music is very therapeutic for Alzheimer and dementia sufferers. Our experience with my sweet, elderly aunt, we didn't watch anything excitable or violent when she was in the room. Instead there was some Irish Tenor on PBS and she calmed down and was hypnotized by him.

When Gladys performed at Aretha’s funeral, there was speculation that, like Aretha, she had pancreatic cancer.

Aw, hell. This really saddens me if true. I saw Gladys at the Hollywood Bowl in 2014 and she was magnificent! There are many clips of that show on YT.

I am eternally grateful to my cousin, who suggested we go on a whim -- while she was in town, visiting LA/her mom for the week: "Hey, wanna go see Gladys Knight at the Bowl on Saturday night? There are still tickets available." We had a blast! Kool & The Gang (or whatever passed as Kool & The Gang in 2014) opened, and they were good, too .