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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview with Gladys Knight and Commander Russell Knight
Aired March 17, 2002 - 10:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now did you ever think that music legend Gladys Knight could ever play a crucial part in winning this war on terrorism? Well you can't take a midnight train to Afghanistan, but you can definitely take an F-18. Are you a little confused? Well it's OK because you just have to use your imagination as we sort of drop this bomb on you. From Providence, Rhode Island meet Commander Russ Knight, call sign Gladys, and from Las Vegas, Nevada the musical sensation and the real Gladys Knight.
They've been sharing the same name for 16 years, and this morning they're going to meet each other for the very first time. Gladys Knight meet Gladys Knight.
GLADYS KNIGHT, SINGER: Hello.
COMMANDER RUSSELL KNIGHT, CALL SIGN GLADYS: Hello Gladys, how are you today?
G. KNIGHT: I'm fine. How are you?
R. KNIGHT: Outstanding.
G. KNIGHT: That's great. This is awesome.
PHILLIPS: Well to the real Gladys Knight, were you a little surprised when we sort of told you about this connection?
G. KNIGHT: Absolutely. What an honor this is. You know, it's not all about my music. It's about the spirit of who I am too and that's almost as good as a Grammy.
PHILLIPS: Almost as good as a Grammy. Commander, did you hear that? Holy smoke, that's amazing. Commander Knight, tell Gladys how you used to sort of get ribbed about when you'd go into these briefings and the guys would say hey, who's your Pip today?
R. KNIGHT: Yes, it was pretty interesting. The whole call sign thing, you know everybody has a dream of having this -- a macho call sign, and I -- it doesn't really end up that way. It usually ends up something you did or something you -- your last name happens -- it may give you a call sign as well you know, and when you -- when I first walked in my first squadron, my commanding officer said your call sign is -- it was kind of an "Animal House" where your Delta Tau Chi name is Gladys. And it's almost kind of like being named -- a boy named Sue, but after awhile it grows on you and you become accustomed to it, and actually now you get -- if people call me Russ, it's almost -- sometimes I don't look -- I look when they call me Gladys.
G. KNIGHT: Well that's great. That is great.
PHILLIPS: You see who would have ever thunk it, huh? All right, well Gladys, I have these pictures from Commander Knight. He sent them to me, and I want to share them with you. These are the first time -- isn't he a handsome man? Look at your name on that jet. Take a look at that.
G. KNIGHT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
PHILLIPS: Look at your name on that jet. Take a look at that.
G. KNIGHT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
PHILLIPS: That's right, and Commander writes on here, Gladys, proud to serve the United States of America, proud to share the name.
G. KNIGHT: Oh ...
PHILLIPS: Take a look at that.
G. KNIGHT: This is really awesome, and I'm proud to share the name with you, and I can't believe that you're helping me do my part over there.
PHILLIPS: Gladys Knight, the real Gladys Knight, did you ever think you'd be a part of the war?
G. KNIGHT: I really didn't. I mean the spirit of who I am -- I did the Olympic song this year. We wrote it -- my husband and I, and that's what it was all about. This is that time to shine, and I wanted to go and be, you know, do whatever I could do and here you are taking me to war with you.
PHILLIPS: Commander ...
G. KNIGHT: I love that.
PHILLIPS: She just sang to you. She just serenaded you.
R. KNIGHT: Yes, she sure did.
PHILLIPS: All right now ...
R. KNIGHT: You don't want me to serenade her back though.
G. KNIGHT: Yes we do.
PHILLIPS: Come on, give us a little "Midnight Train To Georgia" Russ.
R. KNIGHT: You wouldn't want that.
G. KNIGHT: We wouldn't want that. That's all right, I'll keep singing ...
R. KNIGHT: I'll leave it to the expert.
PHILLIPS: Now Commander Knight also wrote this beautiful letter that I'm going to forward on to you, Mrs. Gladys, and I just want to read a part of it to you. It says, "In these challenging times, it's nice to reflect that the reason I joined the military was to protect the freedoms of all Americans. Whenever we go into harm's way, we do so knowing that we have the backing of the greatest people in the greatest nation the world has ever known. The fact that your name adorned a jet over the skies over Afghanistan solidifies the bond all of us in the military share with the American people. Thank you for flying as my spiritual wingman for the past 16 years".
G. KNIGHT: Oh, that is so awesome. You guys are going to make me cry.
PHILLIPS: Oh.
G. KNIGHT: That is really awesome because more than my music, I would love for people to see my light, and you have made that dream come true for me so publicly. Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Russ, anything you want to ask your fellow name here?
R. KNIGHT: Yes, Gladys, my namesake, it's great that we all have the opportunity to get together here. You have the entertainment community, the media community, and the military getting together, and it shows the unity that we all have in the military with the United States of America and ...
G. KNIGHT: Yes.
R. KNIGHT: ... it brings us all together. You know, the tragedy of September 11th brought us together as a unit. The United States of America is one big team, and this just solidifies what that all means.
G. KNIGHT: Well we are truly grateful for you and your spirit and all that you do for America. I happened to be there on 9/11 in New York, and I know what an awesome, awful thing that it was, and thank you so much for being out there and letting your light shine and taking good care of us.
R. KNIGHT: And Gladys, if you could remember all the sailors, soldiers, marines, and airmen out there on the tip of the spear protecting your freedom. There is somebody standing right now -- probably standing in watch somewhere, all alone and doing it with honor, courage, commitment, and all those good things that make our American fighting men great.
G. KNIGHT: Absolutely, and we love you, and we salute you.
PHILLIPS: Oh wow, and you know what's amazing is both of you share these souls of survival. From, Gladys, your career, your life, your book is amazing, and Commander, there you were flying over Afghanistan protecting all of us. Not just Gladys, but all of us here, and we salute both of you.
Gladys Knight, what do you want to do with the pictures?
G. KNIGHT: Well I would love for you to send them to me, and they will definitely have a very, very, very special place in my heart and on my wall.
PHILLIPS: Commander, final thoughts. You think maybe the next time you got to take your jet out, hit that merge, you'll have a little Gladys Knight music going in the headset?
R. KNIGHT: Just maybe.
G. KNIGHT: I'll send you some.
R. KNIGHT: Why ...
PHILLIPS: Hey.
R. KNIGHT: ... thank you Gladys.
G. KNIGHT: Yes, I'll send you some.
PHILLIPS: Commander Russ " Gladys" Knight, U.S. Navy strike- fighter pilot, and of course the music sensation, the famous Gladys Knight, what a pleasure to bring you two together. This meant a lot to us too.
G. KNIGHT: Thank you so much Kyra.
R. KNIGHT: Thanks Kyra.
PHILLIPS: You bet.
R. KNIGHT: Thanks Gladys.
G. KNIGHT: OK, thank you.
PHILLIPS: All right you guys.
G. KNIGHT: God bless you.
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