The Empress Of Soul, multiple Grammy award winning singer and former Motown icon, Gladys Knight, is set to return to Jamaica in January for the annual Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival from January 24-30, 2010 in Montego Bay.

This year, the festival presents the music of Gladys Knight again, whose hits like I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Friendship Train, If I Were Your Woman, I Don’t Want To Do Wrong and the Grammy Award winning Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye) has made her a household name to millions globally. Knight has won four Grammy Awards while 13 of her singles have topped the charts along with nine albums.

“Gladys Knight has a magic that has surrounded her since she was with the Pips from the days of Motown glory and the Jamaican audience knows and loves her music. We feel it is time she was brought back to the festival,” said Walter Elmore, TurnKey Production President and festival producer.

Also set to perform are Billy Ocean, The Whispers, Maxi Priest, Machel Montano, Joe Roy Jackson, Joss Stone, Hall and Oats, Jon Secada, Marion Hall, Robin Banks, Monty Alexander, Roy Ayers, Third World and the Max Klezmer Band, a polish Jazz band.

Jamaica Jazz, since its introduction in 1996, was known as the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival. It has attracted thousands of patrons from the USA, Europe, the Caribbean and Jamaica. International artistes that have performed at the festival include Diana Ross, Alicia Keys, Kenny Rogers, Kool & the Gang, Brian McKnight, Erykah Badu and Michael Bolton among others.