Kelly Rowland was tapped to play Gladys Knight in American Soul, a BET-produced series chronicling the creation of Soul Train, an iconic show that aired for 35 years. Destiny's Child's Michelle Williams was also cast as Diana Ross, in addition to Bobby Brown, K. Michelle and many more. Get a glimpse of Rowland's performance in the clip below. The scene recalls Chicago DJ Don Cornelius attempting to sell his show's concept to Gladys Knight.
BET described their project in a press release:
American Soul is the story about the struggle to make the dream of Soul Traincome true. Set in the early 70’s, filled with music, dance, fashion and glamour, this is the untold story of the launch of the first nationally-syndicated Black music show and what happened when the music stopped. Battles with record labels for top talent, off-camera drama as young dancers vie for the spotlight, stand in the way of a 30-something Don Cornelius who is sacrificing all that he loves to follow his dream. The journeys of these characters collide in a racially charged LA with the odds stacked against them. All they have is each other and the magic of Soul Train.
American Soul is set to premiere with back-to-back episodes on February 5 on BET at 9 pm ET/PT.