From Elizabeth Knight
Author: Knight, Elizabeth
Date: January 10, 1961
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
Genre: Letter
Details
Knight, the founder of the Atlanta-based singing group Gladys Knight and The Pips, requests King’s assistance in securing a performance for her sixteen-year-old daughter, Gladys, at president-elect John F. Kennedy’s inaugural ball.1 James R. Wood, SCLC’s public relations director, replied that King did “not have any direct relationship” with the inaugural committee, “and therefore could not be instrumental in influencing decisions it makes.”2
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
413 Auburn Avenue, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia
Dear Dr. King:
There has been a question in my mind. Since you have had dealings in so many fields. I feel you are the logical person with whom I should consult.
Previously, Artists as Marion Anderson, Mahalia Jackson, and others, have performed for various presidents. My daughter, Gladys Knight, who is now sixteen years old, mentioned casually that it would be wonderful if she were able to sing at the inaugural ball of President-Elect John F. Kennedy.3
Of course Gladys is of no great fame, but when seven years old, she won the championship of the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour.4 Since then, she has appeared at the Madison Square Garden, New York City, before 50,000 people, The Comodore Hotel, New York City, The Colliseum, Detroit, Michigan, and she has appeared on radio and television. She is the leader of the Youth For Christ Choir at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church where Dr. R. J. [Julian] Smith, Jr. is pastor.
I wonder if this appearance could be possible, and if the arrangements could be made through you? If not, to whom should I go to inquire or negotiate?
If you should need any further information, please contact me at the above address or call me at Ja 1–1241. I would like to have an appointment with you at your convenience.
Thank you very much.
Very truly yours,
[signed] Elizabeth Knight
1. Elizabeth Woods Knight (1917–1997), born in East Point, Georgia, was a member of Mount Moriah Baptist Church and also a member of the Wings Over Jordan gospel choir in Atlanta. In 1953, she helped form the singing group The Pips, which included her daughter, Gladys, and other members of the extended family. Knight was also a member of the Atlanta branch of the NAACP. Gladys Knight (1944– ), born in Atlanta, Georgia, began her singing career at age four, appearing with several Atlanta-based choirs. In 1961, Gladys Knight and The Pips recorded their first album. During the 1960s, she sang at fundraisers for the Atlanta student movement. Throughout her career, Knight earned numerous awards, including four Grammy’s, an honorary degree from Morris Brown College, and the NAACP Image Award.
2. Wood further suggested that Knight contact the committee directly, and warned that it might be too late to make changes to the program (Wood to Knight, 17 January 1961). Although King was invited to the inauguration, he did not attend.
3. Anderson, an internationally acclaimed opera singer, performed for Franklin D. Roosevelt during the visit of Great Britain’s King George and Queen Elizabeth in 1939 and sang the national anthem at the inaugurations of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953 and John F. Kennedy in 1961. Jackson, a well-renowned gospel singer, sang at a birthday party for Eisenhower in 1959 and at Kennedy’s inaugural ball.
4. In 1952 Knight won the national grand prize and $2,000 on The Original Amateur Hour, a variety show hosted by Ted Mack.
Source: MLKP-MBU, Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers, 1954–1968, Boston University, Boston, Mass.