William Guest (singer) William Guest (singer) William Franklin Guest (July 2, 1941 – December 24, 2015) was an American R&B/soul singer best known as a member of Gladys Knight & the Pips. Guest was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and was a cousin of Gladys Knight. Following his stint with The Pips, he and fellow Pip Edward Patten formed Patten and Guest Productions, and following Patten's death in 2005, he continued to manage artists though the Crew Entertainment company he formed with members of Patten's family. Guest died on December 24, 2015, of congestive heart failure in Detroit, Michigan, his home for fifty years.
The Five Orange Pips poisonous when ingested by children. The third episode of the 2010 BBC "Sherlock" series titled "The Great Game" made reference to five pips being sent by an assassin organization as a warning. In the episode, these pips were five electronic beeps, like the pips (the time signal) broadcast on the hour by the BBC's analogue radio stations. The "Sherlock" 2016 Special "The Abominable Bride" also refers to the original short story, as a murder victim is mailed five orange pips as a threat before being killed. There is also a secret organisation—similar to the KKK only in its hooded costumes—related