Gospel star Marie Knight died of complications from pneumonia in a Harlem nursing home in New York on Sunday (Aug. 30).
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Born in Newark, New Jersey, the 84-year-old Gospel legend rose to fame in the 1940s while touring with gospel singer and songwriter Sister Rosetta Tharpe (a big influence on music legends Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley), singing hits such as ‘Didn’t It Rain’, ‘Beams Of Heaven’ and ‘Up Above My Head’.
Knight and Tharpe frequently toured together through the 1950’s. In the 1960’s Knight found success with a string of R&B hits, but returned to the Gospel genre in the 70’s. Knight put her music career on hold following Tharpe’s death in 1973. She made a brief comeback in 2002 with the song ‘Shout Sister Shout, A Tribute To Sister Rosetta Tharpe’ and released a full-length album in 2007, Let Us Get Together, her first in 25 years.
