Gladys Knight & the Pips During this time, the group moved to New York where they auditioned for Bobby Robinson's Fury Records. Upon learning that "Every Beat of My Heart" was already becoming a hit and cutting the group off of profits, Robinson had the group re-record the song and re-release it on Fury Records. Both versions made the Billboard charts, with the Huntom/Vee-Jay version reaching number six on the "Billboard" Hot 100. Prior to the re-release on Fury Records, the group changed their name to "Gladys Knight & the Pips". Later in 1961, the newly christened quartet released the single, "Letter Full of Tears",
Gladys Knight & the Pips William and Eleanor Guest began performing together during Bubba's tenth birthday party after a record player malfunctioned. Shortly afterwards, the quintet agreed to form a group under the insistence of Gladys' mother Elizabeth Knight. They settled on the name "The Pips", inspired by the nickname of their cousin James "Pip" Woods. By 1955, the group began performing at the talent show circuit at their hometown of Atlanta, winning each talent show they performed on. This success allowed them a record contract with Brunswick Records in 1957. The group released two recordings that failed to chart. Despite this, the group was