Gladys Knight Became a Mom at a Young Age — All About Her Three Kids

There are singers, and then there’s Gladys Knight. Widely considered one of the best female vocalists of all time, she has not only recorded with some of the most iconic labels in the industry, including Motown and Buddha Records, but she’s also a seven-time Grammy Award winner, among numerous other accolades.

But she’s more than just one of the greatest singers to have ever graced the stage; she’s also a mom. Gladys welcomed three children over the course of two marriages: James "Jimmy" Gaston Newman III, Kenya Maria Newman, and Shanga Ali Hankerson.

Here’s everything you need to know about her children and the allegations Shanga brought forth regarding his mother’s well-being in 2025.

Gladys Knight welcomed her first child, James “Jimmy” Newman III, in 1962 with her first husband, James Newman. They had wed in 1960, reportedly at the age of 16, according to Parade, which means she was around 18 when Jimmy was born.

Jimmy went on to manage his mother’s music career.

Gladys and Jimmy also welcomed a daughter, Kenya Maria Newman, in 1963. During the course of their marriage, Jimmy became involved with drugs, eventually leaving his family, and he passed away a few years later.

The couple officially divorced in 1973. Sadly, in 1999, Gladys’s son Jimmy died at the age of 36. While the Las Vegas Sun reported that it was believed to be from natural causes, the official cause of death remains unclear.

As for Kenya, she reportedly took over managing her mother’s career after Jimmy’s passing, but it’s unclear what she’s doing these days.

Then there’s Shanga Hankerson, whom Gladys welcomed with her second husband, Blackground Records founder Barry Hankerson.

Shanga was born in 1976, and the couple divorced in 1979. Gladys faced her share of challenges related to Shanga, including a custody battle with Barry and later legal drama involving Gladys’s Chicken & Waffles, which was owned by Shanga.

Shanga failed to pay over $1 million in unpaid taxes and was sentenced to two years in prison. Gladys had to step in personally to remove her name from the restaurant and safeguard it.

Despite these setbacks, she and Shanga have maintained a close bond, with Shanga regularly checking in to make sure his mother is doing well.

Although Shanga and Gladys have had some rocky moments in their relationship, he has made it clear that she is his mom and he’ll go to great lengths to protect her. In mid-August 2025, he told The Shade Room that he believed his mother was being convinced by her current husband, William McDowell, whom she married in 2001 and who became her manager shortly thereafter, to keep working in her 80s.

Shanga claims William is pressuring her to continue making music and performing despite her declining cognitive health.

Her road manager previously admitted that “it’s been hard” going on tour with her. Shanga pointed out concerning moments in her recent performances, such as forgetting lines or hesitating to sing.

A few months back, she reportedly ended up at the wrong hotel after a performance and couldn’t answer basic questions about whether she was a guest or where she was coming from.

Shanga even says Gladys’s confusion dates back to 2021 during his sentencing, when she came to speak on his behalf and “couldn’t form complete sentences or coherent thoughts.”

Shanga believes William is making Gladys work and “manipulating people into thinking she isn’t struggling when she’s on stage.”

Concerned for her well-being, Shanga drove from Atlanta to Asheville, N.C., where Gladys lives, to file a formal elder abuse complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services.