Gladys Knight says she’s ‘easing into fewer performances’ after decades on the road

The music legend says “much soul searching” led her to prioritize family and the next stage of her life and career.

Gladys Knight is scaling back her time on stage after more than seven decades in music, saying she is ready to devote more attention to family and the next phase of her life.

The seven-time Grammy winner, 82, announced the decision Thursday, Aug. 27, in a statement shared on Instagram. Knight said she had done “much soul searching” before deciding to reduce the number of performances she takes on.

“After much soul searching I’ve decided that I will be easing into fewer performances while focusing on transitioning into the next stage of my career and life moving forward,” Knight wrote.

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She added that she plans to spend more time working on projects with her husband, William McDowell, and visiting her grandchildren. Knight described the change as a “new era,” rather than presenting it as a formal retirement from music.

Her message also made clear that she remains grateful for the audience that has followed her extraordinary career. Knight thanked fans for supporting her for what she described as “this last three quarters of a century,” adding that their support helped make her childhood dream possible.

“I am immensely grateful to all of you and send my eternal love back to you,” she wrote.

Knight’s announcement comes while the singer is still involved in her 2026 touring schedule and follows the 2025 “The Queens Tour,” which featured Knight alongside Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle and Stephanie Mills.

The decision also comes after renewed public discussion about Knight’s workload. In 2025, her son, Shanga Hankerson, raised concerns about her touring schedule and described it as “detrimental” to her health in an interview.

Knight subsequently rejected those claims, saying her health and performances had been misrepresented. “I’m healthy and happy,” she said at the time. Her publicist also disputed Hankerson’s allegations.

Knight’s latest statement does not cite illness as the reason for reducing her performances. Instead, she framed the decision around priorities, family and moving forward.

And she left the door open to seeing audiences again.

“I hope to see your smiling faces out and about and on the road,” Knight wrote.

For an artist whose career spans generations, the announcement represents a change in pace rather than a goodbye.