*Gladys Knight’s Saturday night concert in Oklahoma could become a pivotal moment for the Empress of Soul, with her husband and manager, William McDowell, saying her performance may determine whether the rest of her tour continues.
Knight is scheduled to take the stage at 8 p.m. Sept. 5 at Hard Rock Live inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. The venue still lists the concert as scheduled.
According to TMZ, McDowell said he is closely watching the Tulsa performance and will cancel Knight’s remaining dates if she has a rough night. Her tour schedule currently extends into November.
The possibility adds new significance to a concert that arrives amid growing questions about how much longer the 82-year-old legend should remain on the road.
As EURweb previously reported, concerns intensified following several recent performances, including Knight’s July 25 appearance at the Hollywood Bowl and an Aug. 18 concert in Detroit where she reportedly took multiple breaks from the stage and appeared tired.
Scroll to continue reading
TMZ cited people working around the tour who expressed concerns about Knight’s performances. McDowell, however, stressed that his wife wants to continue singing.
“No one is ever gonna make me say, ‘My wife is well,’ but all she wants to do is sing,” McDowell told TMZ.
He also said Knight has not been diagnosed with dementia and that she would undergo a medical evaluation. Observations made during concerts cannot establish a medical diagnosis, and there has been no confirmed public diagnosis of dementia.
Knight herself has now made clear that her schedule is changing.
“After much soul searching I’ve decided that I will be easing into fewer performances while focusing on transitioning into the next stage of my career and life moving forward,” Knight said in a statement provided to TMZ.
She said she plans to spend more time working on projects with her husband and visiting her grandchildren while embracing what she described as a “new era.”
That does not mean Knight has announced her retirement. She also told fans she hopes to continue seeing them “out and about and on the road.”
McDowell reportedly has another plan that could allow Knight to keep performing without the physical demands of touring: building a facility near their North Carolina home where she could stage shows while remaining closer to home.
For now, though, all eyes are on Tulsa.
Saturday’s show is not officially billed as Knight’s farewell, and there is no confirmation it will be her final concert. But based on McDowell’s own comments, how the seven-time Grammy winner fares onstage could determine whether the Midnight Train keeps rolling through November — or whether Knight’s next chapter begins sooner than expected.
(If You Like/Appreciate This EURweb Story, Please SHARE it!)
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Fans Express Concern After Gladys Knight Concert Revives Family Health Dispute
We Publish Breaking News 24/7. Don’t Miss Out! Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
