Grammy® award winner Gladys Knight's tenure as a pop icon has lasted five decades. In a business where the next American Idol lasts about as long as the time it takes to produce a recording, she has staying power that's unmatched by anyone. Not one to rest on her laurels, she continues to record and with her role in Tyler Perry's latest film I Can Do Bad All By Myself, she continues to expand her horizons and tackle new challenges. A couple of days before the film opened, I had the chance to talk with her by phone about the film and her strong faith in God.

You've said that you're attracted to Tyler Perry's films because they call on us to do right and be right. Do you find that his body of work is unique in that regard? Is he the exception to the rule, or is he just the most visible example?

Gladys:    I think he's intentional about doing what's correct, and that's missing out there. I find, and I may be incorrect in my assessment, that there are so many avenues that could be pursued, but people are afraid of being offensive because there are so many different religions. We all have our choice, and I can tell you from this point right here that I have a God and I believe in Him. I have a Savior Jesus Christ and I profess that from the bottom of my heart. That is MY choice and I can tell you about that, and you can believe and embrace it or not. But I'm not ashamed or afraid to say that.

You've said you're concerned about the spiritual growth of young women. How is that played out in the film, and how do you maintain spiritual growth yourself?

Gladys:    As far as my character Wilma is concerned, her base is the church, and every movement she made was from the porch of the church. There were times where I wish she had said you need to come back to church. Originally in the script, April used to come to church until she started having some of her problems. Tyler always makes that known that you've got to get your spirit right if you're going to be successful in what you do.

I think we've lost that to some degree in our society today. It's making a different in our conscience. Our spirit connects to our conscience, and when our spirit doesn't have that light, our conscience becomes dark and our decisions do too. I'm worried about it. All the branding and the tattooing and the this and the that. It's not a good thing.

What are you hoping audiences will specifically take away from this movie? How will it not be an experience that will soon be forgotten but actually play into their lives?

Gladys:    It's in scripture: faith comes by hearing and hearing and hearing. And after that also seeing and seeing and seeing. And Tyler's movies, if you'll take a look at them and his plays, as crude as Madea is, she softens us up to get that wham-bang truth about the Spirit, family, love, relationships and faith.

I think the more people hear about the passion of spirit that we should have, and about the love of family we should have, the love between a man and a woman in marriage, the better off we're going to be as a society. Definitely our children need to know about that, because they're off on some other track and they're younger and younger doing these bizarre things. We need to stop them and say, "What is that?"

Parents, have you taught them anything about the Spirit and the Gospel? Have you been a light to them so they'll have something to follow? I don't know. I'm preaching now.

You said this film reminds you of a time when family was dysfunctional but there was love there. You've said now that love is missing. Why do you think that is?

Gladys:    Because of the lack of the Spirit. If you take a look at Tyler's films, he ends with a picnic or a block party. Somehow at the end, he brings all those people together and lets them know they need to get rid of the differences they have, be forgiving, and start loving each other. That's the bottom line. We need each other, whether we want to believe it or not.

Family was created for this world as a gift, and we need to make sure we take care of that gift. There are different personalities and ways of thinking in our families, but we can stay together and love each other.

Obviously, music is a huge part of this film. Can you explain what it is that music can do that a simple script can't?

Gladys:    In my opinion, music is very spiritual. Anything that can touch the soul that deeply must be spiritual, because when they make bad music, it makes you go the other way. It's powerful. You know what I'm saying. When they're talking about sexual things, they turn people's minds and spirits to that. So it's a very very powerful tool

You know how else I know it's powerful? Because they had a heavenly choir. They were singing when the Lord was born. I think I was in it, I really do. That's how important it is.

We've traveled all over the world, and it's reached people that don't even speak our language, and they'd be standing on their feet when we got through singing. What does that tell you about this wonderful tool we have called music? We've got to be careful what we're singing and we've got to be careful how it's presented because we can ruin a nation or change one with the kind of music that we allow to be presented.

Your musical collaboration with Pastor Winans was terrific. Will you work together again?

Gladys:    Absolutely. He is one of my favorite people in the whole wide world. I did a play a few years back, and he wrote songs for me. That was our first endeavor together and since that time we've done some other things. I'm getting ready to do this gospel album and he is definitely going to be at the forefront of making that music for me and with me. He has a very special place in my heart.

Photo courtesy Quantrell Colbert and LionsGate™ Entertainment.