Gladys Knight & the Pips company with members of Patten's family until his death from congestive heart failure in Detroit on December 24, 2015. Two years prior, Guest and his sister, Dame Dhyana Ziegler, PhD, released his autobiography, "Midnight Train FROM Georgia: A Pip's Journey" (Branden Books, Boston, MA, USA), about his life and career. In 2007, Bubba Knight and Guest, along with a third man, Neil Taffe (one of Gladys Knight's background singers), appeared in a commercial for Geico. In 1997, original Pips member Eleanor Guest died of heart failure. Langston George died on 19 March 2007 from congestive heart failure. Bubba Knight still
Pickup group hire a "pick-up group" in each city or country. There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach. Using a longstanding ensemble will provide a group which has extensive experience performing as a musical ensemble. This can help the group to play with a more unified sound and style. If the backing band or backing ensemble required for a show is small (e.g., 3-4 musicians), it may be worth the cost of paying for the travel, hotel and food for a longstanding group. However, if the backing ensemble is large–for example, a 20-piece big band for a jazz singer or a