Gladys Knight's husband says the singer will undergo a medical assessment for dementia following growing concerns about her recent performances.William McDowell clarified to TMZ that his wife of 25 years was not yet diagnosed with dementia, but the couple wants to visit a physician for an evaluation. He also said the 82-year-old songstress continues to want to perform despite having good and bad days."No one is ever gonna make me say, 'My wife is well,' but all she wants to do is sing."The update comes after several of Gladys Knight's recent concerts prompted concern among fans and people connected to her tour.It is reported that in the performance on July 25 in Hollywood Bowl, Gladys Knight lost her way in one of her songs, Midnight Train to Georgia, where she seemed to walk off the stage before being escorted back by a backup singer.Her Aug. 18 performance at Detroit's Fisher Theatre also raised concerns after Gladys Knight seemed exhausted and made several breaks in between.Gladys Knight announces fewer performances to focus on familyGladys Knight, dubbed the "Empress of Soul," has now made known that she intends to perform fewer shows.According to her, she needs to concentrate on the next chapter of her life, which is spending time with her husband and grandchildren. Her statement on Instagram says:"After much soul-searching, I've decided that I will be easing into fewer performances while focusing on transitioning into the next stage of my career and life moving forward. I'll be spending more time on projects with my husband and visiting with my grandbabies and am looking forward to this new era." View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe Neither One of Us hitmaker continued:"I'd like to take a moment, in advance, to thank all my fans over this last three quarters of a century for making a little girl's dream come true and supporting her every step of the way. I am immensely grateful to all of you and send my eternal love back to you. I hope to see your smiling faces out and about and on the road. God bless all of you and hope to see you soon."The situation has also renewed attention around concerns previously raised by Knight’s son, Shanga Hankerson.Back in 2025, Hankerson had raised doubts about whether his mother should be continuing her tour, citing health concerns, which she denied saying she was "healthy and happy."Soul Train Awards 2013 - Roaming Show - Source: GettyWilliam McDowell has now stressed that there is no dementia diagnosis. He said his wife remains passionate about singing, while acknowledging that her condition varies from day to day.Gladys Knight has spent more than seven decades performing and remains one of the most celebrated figures in soul music, with seven Grammy Awards and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.