Preloading

The Kind Act That Sticks with Gladys Knight After 66 Years

Season 6 Episode 609
Aired on 09/23/2017 | CC tv-pg
Before Motown legend Gladys Knight became "the Empress of Soul," she was a little girl with a big voice. At age 7, her gift earned her a spot on Ted Mack & the Original Amateur Hour, a televised talent competition where she was the only African-American contestant. Remarkably, she won.

Afterward, however, young Gladys received a rude awakening. The trophy she won was much too large for her to hold on her own, so producers asked some of the other young contestants to help Gladys hoist it up for a photo. Their parents—all of them white—flatly refused.

Here, Gladys reflects on how the show's host, Ted Mack, left a lasting impression on her, more than six decades later, by having the decency and moral integrity to do what no one else would.

Tune in Saturday at 10/9c.

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