Hal Eisner's Blog

Don't you just love Gladys Knight? Her songs? Her energy? Her efforts to reach out and help people in the community with organizations that help in aids research, diabetes and cancer awareness.

On Monday night she was recognized for all of that and more at the Beverly Hilton Hotel by S.O.S. -- The Society of Singers. This is an organization of singers that, among other things, helps singers in need. They have fundraisers, silent auctions and so on, but once a year they honor someone special with The Ella Award and have this big banquet. The award was named after the first person to get the award ... Ella Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald, who died in 1996, was known as "the first lady of song."

"Ella Fitzgerald was unique. Gladys Knight is unique." Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. (who used to be part of The 5th Dimension and then went off on their own) said to me on the red carpet. When I told Knight that she shouted .."that is amazing -- that is amazing. I wouldn't say my name in the same breath as Ella Fitzgerald." That's because she holds Fitzgerald in such high esteem.

After walking the carpet ... and dining at the banquet in the grand ballroom at the Hilton, Knight smiled as she accepted the award -- a reward that was richly deserved said well known performer after well known performer from McCoo and Davis to Pat Boone to last year's Ella winner Johnny Mathis..

And, on stage after great performances by Smokey Robinson, Melissa Etheridge, Johnny Mathis and Kimberly Locke, Knight brought the house down with songs like "The Man I Love" like "Midnight Train to Georgia." "The Man I Love" a Gershwin song written for the 1924 musical "Lady Be Good"  .. later sung by Ella Fitzgerald. "Midnight Train to Georgia" -- a huge Knight hit! Knight was a hit! During "Midnight Train to Georgia" people were sitting at their tables shaking to the beat ... dancing .. seated! Memorable!

But, at least for me, a particuarly memorable moment will be when we first started talking on the red carpet. I said hello and then told Gladys Knight --- "I wanted to tell you that I HEARD THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE you were getting an award, but my photographer told me if I said that you'd probably ship us both off on A MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA!" She laughed and said "at least you remember the songs!"