Royalty recently landed in Baltimore: The Black Promoters Collective brought the Queens to town! Gladys Knight, Stephanie Mills, and Chaka Khan put on a master class of fine art and elegance. With decades of experience and endless amounts of accolades between the trio, we knew we were about to witness an unforgettable evening of music.
At CFG Bank Arena on May 23, Gladys Knight kicked off the evening adorning a custom red suit that was as tailored as her beautiful voice. Her smile lit up the arena as she graced the stage. The 80-year-old songstress belted out timeless hits such as “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “If I Were Your Woman.” Her voice filled the arena and brought smiles to all in attendance. When she sang “That’s What Friends Are For,” everyone rose to their feet and smiled and swayed. This moment was touching as I saw a sea of strangers come together for a beautiful scene.
Watch Gladys Knight perform “Midnight Train to Georgia” live on YouTube:
Stephanie Mills performed next for the night. She came out in a form fitting blue dress that drew attention from all. She looked stunning and sounded equally amazing. Mills sang classics such as “What You Gonna Do With My Lovin’” and “Never Knew Love Like This Before.” She definitely gave my lens a workout as she left no part of the stage untouched. She danced and grooved and invited the audience to do the same. The arena turned into a family reunion as everyone joined in on the party. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the classic film “The Wiz.” Mills played the original Dorothy during its Broadway Debut run. As homage to the occasion, Mills sang “Home” and we all felt as such. Seeing her perform this song live was really nostalgic and pleasing to the heart.
Watch Stephanie Mills perform “Never Knew Love Like This Before” live on Tamron Hall via YouTube:
Chaka Khan closed out the evening. She opened with a montage of all of her accomplishments, to include introductions and clips from celebrated artists over the years. Artists such as HER, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, and a special introduction by Prince got the crowd ready for her debut to the stage. As soon as she hit the stage, she took a second to smile and wave to all. The crowd gave Khan flowers and erupted in applause as she raised the mic to her lips to begin her set. Khan acknowledged the love and rewarded us with her powerhouse vocals. She sang popular hits “Tell Me Something Good,” “Sweet Thang,” and “I Feel For You.” As I looked at the crowd, they sang every lyric word for word. With over 50 years of experience, Khan knew just how to work the room. She sounded phenomenal and her stage presence was unmatched.
Watch the official music video for “I Feel for You” by Chaka Khan on YouTube:
The Queens showed exactly why they have earned the title. Baltimore is blessed to have witnessed such an event. If you haven’t purchased your tickets for the tour, I suggest you do just that. It’s surely a concert that you don’t want to miss.
Here are some photos of Gladys Knight performing live at CFG Bank Arena on May 23, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Tonya Caver.
Here are some photos of Stephanie Mills performing live at CFG Bank Arena on May 23, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Tonya Caver.
Here are some photos of Chaka Khan performing live at CFG Bank Arena on May 23, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Tonya Caver.
