Gladys Knight & the Pips cousin, Edward Patten and a non-relative, Langston George in 1959. This lineup produced the group's first hit single, "Every Beat of My Heart". After the single was released on three different labels, they changed their name to "Gladys Knight & the Pips" in 1961. Langston George left the same year and Gladys Knight left in 1962 to start a family with musician Jimmy Newman. Knight rejoined in 1964 and this lineup continued until the group's disbandment in 1989. The group reached commercial success after signing with Motown Records in 1966. After a year and a half, the group recorded the
Pearl's a Singer Pearl's a Singer "Pearl's a Singer" is a song made famous by the British singer Elkie Brooks, as taken from her 1977 album "Two Days Away" which was produced by the song's co-writers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The original version of "Pearl's a Singer" had been introduced by the duo Dino and Sembello - also the song's co-writers - on their 1974 self-titled album which Leiber and Stoller had produced. The song is a ballad, telling the story of a failed singer who still dreams of the success she might have had. "Pearl's a Singer" afforded Elkie Brooks her