Airs Friday, April 7, 2017, at 11 p.m. It's not every day that artists who are iconic figures in American popular music sit down with public radio producers to lay out the complete trajectory of their life's work. But that's exactly what Bubba (Merald) Knight, founding member of Gladys Knight and the Pips and older brother to Gladys has done, with Bubba Knight's Story: Through the Eyes of a Pip. This production was conceived by KCEP-FM in partnership with the AAPRC, and co-produced by Craig Knight and Jim Luce.
Bubba Knight takes us on a musical journey, starting from a childhood in the segregated south with sister, Gladys influenced by the music of the church and popular music of the 1950's and 60's -- and a mother who spotted and nurtured their talent. Bubba offers a window into the complexities of working in the recording industry, as well as the people along the way who aided their success. Most notable among these was Marguerite Mays, ex-wife of Willie Mays, who selflessly supported the group at a crucial time in their development.
This is an informal and very personal story that could easily have been told with everyone crowded around the living room listening to Bubba and spinning music. And as the last remaining Pip, we feel the importance for Bubba to document their story for posterity.
Bubba Knight's Story: Through the Eyes of a Pip is filled with music that was embedded in the soundtrack of America from the 60's through the 80's. Tunes like "I Heard it Through the Grapevine", "Midnight Train to Georgia", "Neither One of Us" and others, are markers to which we can all trace back in time who we were and what we were doing. Underneath it all, this is a story about family, and what can be accomplished when everyone pulls together.