*It’s officially over between Gladys Knight and her son Shanga Hankerson. At least any business arrangements they may have had. But the way things turned out because of the business, their personal relationship seems be in tatters as well.
According to a settlement recently filed in Clayton County (Georgia) Court, Knight was victorious in her bid to end all personal connections to her son’s struggling chicken and waffles restaurant
The agreement, signed on Monday, states that Shanga Hankerson must remove all uses of Knight’s name, likeness and memorabilia from the restaurant formerly called “Gladys Knight’s Chicken and Waffles” by April 26, 2017, according to a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. However, he will have to complete the orders immediately if the restaurant fails another health inspection.
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Once it passes, Knight, 72, can use her name on a new restaurant if she wants, which is a “distinct possibility,” her attorney Chris Bussert told the AJC on Friday (03-03-17).
“She’s out of litigation and has her name and intellectual property back,” Bussert said. “What’s not to like about that?”
Hankerson, 40, founded the restaurant (now officially named “The World Famous Chicken & Waffles”) with his mother’s help in 1999. As we reported earlier the restaurant formerly had three Atlanta locations, including one downtown, but the other two were closed after being seized by state tax agents last June.
As we alluded to up top, the legal battle has strained Knight’s relationship with her son, especially after Hankerson said in court documents that his mother did not possess the “mental capacity” to choose to remove her name from the business. Knight claimed Hankerson was trying to harm her reputation.
In other, more pleasant news, the legendary and seven-time Grammy winner was eager to please at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee recently. It seems the Empress of Soul has passionately taken on a vital purpose in the twilight years of her career: to rekindle the romance of old-school music from her ’60s and ’70s heyday.
According to JS Online, Gladys didn’t always do it with singing. She was particularly chatty, likening herself, with a laugh, to a preacher who needed just “one minute” to make a point.
She made dozens and dozens of them, from sage reflections on the ups and downs of life to warm memories of late greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Marvin Gaye. And there was the funny bit where she talked about how her drummer performs barefoot to keep a beat (prompting him to lift up his leg and wiggle his toes). She told the crowd she wanted to create a “one-on-one” experience, and the endearing musings earned hearty applause, laughter and cheers throughout the night — although it also significantly padded the 100-minute concert.
Read/learn MORE at JS Online.
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