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Formats
Paperback Details
  • 05/2024
  • 9781035840168
  • 194 pages
  • $£14.95
Epub Details
  • 05/2024
  • 9781035840175
  • 194 pages
  • $£4.50
Dhyana Ziegler
Author
Midnight Train From Georgia
Midnight Train from Georgiachronicles the incredible rise of Gladys Knight and the Pips from their origins singing in a small Atlanta church to their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. When two families’ destinies intertwine at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, they discover the extraordinary musical talents of their children. Young cousins William Guest, Eleanor Guest, Gladys Knight, Brenda Knight, and Bubba Knight unite their heavenly vocals to form The Pips gospel choir.
Reviews
“It’s not the name that makes the group, the group makes the name.” Insights like that power this Ziegler’s Midnight Train from Georgia, a loving tribute and vital cultural history that shares the story of William “Bae Bro” Guest, a key member of Gladys Knight and the Pips from the group’s inception, in the 1950s, as simply the Pips. The book is largely a transcription of interviews with Guest in the last years of his life, with on-point commentary from ZIegler about the group’s unique power—“a signature of class, style, great harmonic vocals, and polished performances.” Guest was the source of many hits and the Pips’ sharpest dance moves.

The feeling is warm and congenial as Guest shares stories of a young group teetering on the edge of stardom, trying to balance personal lives and professional ambitions, all with vivid memories of mid-century Atlanta and Motown-era Detroit, great performers like Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, and BB King (who gave the Pips prime performance slots at concerts because they weren’t “show spoilers”), shifting styles from gospel to disco, and show-business triumphs and setbacks.

The history, covering both the art and business of music, will fascinate fans. Once formed, Gladys Knight and the Pips knew they needed a record label to offer distributions and a route to get their songs on radio. Their first recording came under the auspices of testing audio equipment in the club owned by Clifford Hunter, where the band had a regular gig. To their surprise, Hunter pressed records without so much as telling the band. “No one was making money,” Guest laments, but that “started the fire that jump-started our career.” Duplicitous record labels are a recurring theme—the group would sue Motown for unpaid royalties—as Guest bears personal witness to personnel changes, health and legal troubles, dangerous road encounters, the thrill of the group’s 1970s successes, and above all the joy and challenges of creation and commerce with family. Love of music, God, and family shines throughout.

Takeaway: Fascinating life of a founding member of Gladys Knight & the Pips.

Comparable Titles: Gladys Knight’s Between Each Line of Pain and Glory, Alan Leeds’s There Was a Time.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A-

Formats
Paperback Details
  • 05/2024
  • 9781035840168
  • 194 pages
  • $£14.95
Epub Details
  • 05/2024
  • 9781035840175
  • 194 pages
  • $£4.50
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