William Guest (singer)

William Franklin Guest (June 2, 1941 – December 24, 2015) was an American R&B/soul singer best known as a member of Gladys Knight & the Pips[1][2] along with his cousins Gladys Knight, Merald "Bubba" Knight and Edward Patten. Guest was a member of the group for its entire history from 1952 to 1989. He is a multiple Grammy Award winner and was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1996.[3]

For other people named William Guest, see William Guest (disambiguation).
William Guest
Guest (left) with Gladys Knight & the Pips, 1974
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Franklin Guest
Born(1941-07-02)July 2, 1941
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
DiedDecember 24, 2015(2015-12-24) (aged 74)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
GenresR&B, pop music
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, producer
Associated actsGladys Knight & the Pips


Biography

Guest was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1941. He was an original member of Gladys Knight & the Pips along with his sister Eleanor Guest and cousins Brenda, Gladys and Merald "Bubba" Knight. Guest had occasional lead recordings during the group's long career, including the 1964 b-side "Maybe Maybe Baby" to their original recording of "Giving Up" and "Window Raisin' Granny" from their 1973 hit album Imagination. "Window Raisin' Granny" was sampled by LL Cool J and Christina Aguilera among others. 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 through 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. He was 74 years old.[4]

Awards

Guest was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1996.[3]

Bibliography
  • Guest, William Franklin; Ziegler, Dr. Dame Dhyana (2012). Midnight Train From Georgia: A Pip's Journey. Boston: Branden Books. ISBN 978-0828324694.

References
  1. "Gladys Knight & The Pips Still Sizzle After 35 Years Together". Jet. January 25, 1988. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  2. Dollar, Steve (October 11, 1992). "A Pip of a record mogul: with indie label, William Guest helps newcomers make music". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. K2. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  3. "Gladys Knight and the Pips". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  4. "William Guest, Longtime Member of Gladys Knight and the Pips, Dies at 74". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 27, 2015. p. A16.
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