Legendary vocalist Gladys Knight, whose voice powered timeless hits like “Midnight Train to Georgia,” is caught in the middle of an emotional family rift — one that has sparked allegations of elder abuse and cast a shadow over her six-decade career.
The 81-year-old’s son, Shanga Ali Hankerson, has taken the extraordinary step of filing a formal complaint with North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services, accusing Knight’s husband of nearly 25 years, William “Billy” McDowell, of exploitation.
The allegations claim McDowell, 14 years her junior, has been manipulating the singer and forcing her to keep up a grueling tour schedule despite signs of cognitive decline.
“She’s worked like [number] years of her life, and her legacy and what she’s worked for should be respected,” Hankerson told The Shade Room in an exclusive interview.
Adding, “I saw this coming… Everybody who truly loves my mom saw it.”
Hankerson alleges he’s seen his mother “zoning out” during shows, forgetting lyrics, and needing help from background singers to get back on track.
His concerns intensified after a troubling incident in Baltimore, when Knight reportedly wandered out of her hotel and into another in a confused state. Staff recognized the legendary singer but said she couldn’t answer their basic questions. They used Knight’s phone to contact her daughter Kenya, who then called the road manager, Larry Ward, to have her retrieved.
Hankerson, who recently served time for willful failure to remit payroll taxes and was previously sued by his mother to take her name off of a restaurant he owns that bears her name, recalled Ward’s visible distress.
“I went and hugged him, and he looked at me. He’s like, ‘I’m so glad to see you.’ Then he said, ‘Shang, it’s been so hard.’ I’ve never seen Larry break down and cry like that. They’re having to rewind the teleprompters because my mom is forgetting to even look at them. Song lyrics are one thing, but it’s deeper than that,” he recalled.
Knight’s personal history shows a pattern of challenging relationships. Her first marriage to James Newman ended due to his substance abuse. She later wed record executive Shang’s father, Barry Hankerson, but they later divorced. A brief third marriage to motivational speaker Les Brown lasted two years before she met her current husband, according to Parade.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and McDowell married in April 2001 after dating for just three months. McDowell, once a corporate consultant turned songwriter, even collaborated with Knight on tracks like “This Is Our Time,” which she performed at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
But Hankerson now claims McDowell has systematically cut Knight off from her family, insisting they never speak to her in private.
During a New Year’s visit, Hankerson claims McDowell suggested he stay somewhere other than the family home, saying, “You can stay wherever you want, but it might be better if you stay at this Airbnb I bought.”
According to Hankerson, McDowell has only once shared medical details, telling the family Knight was diagnosed with sundown syndrome, which causes evening disorientation. The son claims that’s the only health update he’s ever received.
Support for Hankerson’s concerns has exploded online.
On YouTube, one fan wrote, “I’m with the son she should be enjoying her life traveling and spending time with family, not working until she’s in the gravy.”
But some seem skeptical of his motives, writing, “Is this the same son that ruined his mother’s good name when he put it on those Chicken & Waffle restaurants in Atlanta and went to jail for tax evasion? This is the expert on abuse?”
A third said, “I heard rumors of heavy gambling debts and debt due to her failed restaurant venture. I wouldn’t trust the son. The son suspects the husband is taking advantage of her, we know the son took advantage of her.”
Gladys Knight’s Son, Shanga Hankerson, Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Unpaid Taxeshttps://t.co/B3ITyH5acw pic.twitter.com/hDsmw4IEEf
— Artist On The Rise (@OnArtistsRise) November 10, 2021
The Shade Room Instagram followers were more venomous.
An Instagram follower declared, “Uh uh. Mrs knight is one of our last living legends!! PROTECT HER AT ALL COSTS.”
Others chimed in with, “Do I need to be on the Midnight Train to Georgia to see what’s up or WHAT??”
Fans who’ve seen her recently echo his worries.
“I will say I saw her in May and she was feeble … I think she should be at home too … I’m with the son,” one wrote.
When Hankerson confronted McDowell about his concerns, he says McDowell texted him, claiming Hankerson had “ruined” Knight’s week by contacting authorities and urging him to “let these years be in peace.”
According to The Shade Room, the Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services has cited privacy laws in declining to confirm or deny whether it’s investigating the claims.
The situation comes just months after the “Neither One Of Us” singer canceled a Jacksonville concert due to the flu. Knight was briefly hospitalized in Florida before recovering at her North Carolina home.
A statement from News4Jax Florida Theatre President Numa Saisselin read, “Ms. Knight and another member of her staff were taken ill backstage, very suddenly and at the last minute, which necessitated the sudden cancellation of the show. Ms. Knight was attended to by Jacksonville Fire Rescue, and she was smiling and in good spirits when they left the building.”
Despite her health challenges, the singer has remained an active performer, a reality Hankerson says must end if she’s to spend her later years in peace.
“I don’t want my mom out on tour wondering where she’s at,” he said. “I love her and don’t care if she never works another day.”
Great Job Nicole Duncan-Smith & the Team @ Atlanta Black Star Source link for sharing this story.
