On Wednesday night, Utah police pulled over a vehicle carrying soul veteran Gladys Knight, and she gave them an earfulful of soul!
According to Pleasant Grove Police Capt. Mike Roberts, she was a passenger in the car that police reports say was speeding 40 miles south of Salt Lake City.
According to the reports, Officer Paul Rogerson was checking the driver’s license in his patrol car when the woman driver said the car was holding the soul empress (Knight, who’s a Mormon convert) and they were on their way to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints choir event.
Officer Rogerson said he was a huge fan, and it just so happens that it was his birthday. That’s when Knight sang an impromptu “Happy Birthday” to the officer. The cop and his wife (who was riding with him) snapped a photo (below), and Knight and her driver were sent off with merely a warning. Capt. Roberts said that’s something he likely would have done even if Knight wasn’t in the car. Mmmhhmm….
Billboard reports that Rogerson’s wife has since exchanged text messages with the singer. Oh, the perks of being the Empress Of Soul!