Gladys Knight’s son, Shanga Hankerson, has accused the singer’s husband and manager, William McDowell, of pushing her to continue performing despite concerns about her wellbeing.
Hankerson told The Detroit News that he believes McDowell is working his 82-year-old mother too hard, weeks after Knight announced plans to reduce her live performances following concerns raised by fans and people involved with her tour.
Knight has continued to perform several shows, prompting Hankerson to question whether McDowell ever intended to reduce her schedule. “He never intended to stop any tour dates, as you can see for yourself,” Hankerson said. He added: “My belief and fear is that he intends to literally try to work her until she passes away. And you can quote me on that.”
Hankerson also alleged that his mother was being exploited by McDowell and described the situation as elder abuse. McDowell had previously said Knight’s September 5 performance in Tulsa would help determine whether further shows would be cancelled. He also maintained that Knight herself wanted to continue performing.
According to The Detroit News, a concertgoer subsequently claimed on social media that Knight ended her Tulsa performance early. Knight has since performed in Terre Haute, Cincinnati and Shipshewana, Indiana. Hankerson maintained that McDowell had never intended to significantly reduce his mother’s touring commitments.
“The fact Mr. McDowell would even make a statement that further evaluation is necessary to stop my mother from working at this point, considering all of the blatant visual evidence the public is now seeing, should tell you everything you need to know about him and his motives,” he said.
Knight addressed her touring plans in a statement on Monday, September 14, confirming that she intends to complete her remaining performances this year before turning her attention to other projects.
“After heartfelt discussions with my team, I recognize that no matter how much I love lifting spirits in song, it’s time for the midnight train to make just a few more stops,” Knight said. “I’m finishing the year strong with my remaining performances. Looking forward to new ventures next year.”
Knight is scheduled to perform three more shows next month before concluding her tour in California in November. Hankerson’s allegations against McDowell remain his claims, while McDowell has maintained that Knight wanted to continue performing.