Spotlight on Beverley Knight
Published on 26 November 2025
Few performers shine quite like Beverley Knight. A powerhouse vocalist with a career spanning over three decades, she has become one of the most respected voices in British soul music and a treasured star of the West End stage.
Early Life & Musical Roots
Born on 22 March 1973 in Wolverhampton to Jamaican parents, Knight grew up in a deeply musical household shaped by church, gospel, and soul. Raised in a Pentecostal family, her love for singing began in the church choir. By her early teens she was writing her own songs, and by 17 she was pursuing a professional music career.
A Star of the West End
Beverley Knight has become one of theatre’s most thrilling leading ladies. She starred as Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard, Felicia in Memphis, Grizabella in Cats, and led The Drifters Girl in 2021. In 2023, she won the Olivier Award for her role in Sylvia
A Celebrated Music Career
Knight’s recording career took off in the mid-1990s and has since produced nine studio albums and countless tours across the UK. Influenced by American soul legends like Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin, her own hits such as Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda established her as a leading figure in British R&B and soul.
Awards & Recognition
In 2007, Knight was awarded an MBE for services to British music and charity. She has also received multiple Brit Award nominations and remains one of the UK’s most acclaimed soul performers.
What’s Next: Marie and Rosetta in the West End
Beverley Knight returns to the stage in Marie and Rosetta, transferring to @sohoplace from 28 February to 11 April 2026 after a celebrated run at Rose Theatre Kingston.
Set in Mississippi in 1946, the play tells the story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe — the pioneering guitarist and gospel singer who helped shape the birth of rock ’n’ roll. Shunned by the church for performing in nightclubs and embracing rhythm and blues, Rosetta was a bold, electric force whose music changed everything.
Book your Marie and Rosseta tickets today.
By Hay Brunsdon
I've 15 years of writing and editorial experience, and starting working in the West End theatre industry in 2012. When not watching or writing about theatre I'm usually swimming, hiking, running, or training for triathlons in the Stroud valleys.