William Guest, a member of Gladys Knight and the Pips, dies at 74

Gladys Knight, center, William Guest, left, and Merald Knight take the stage as they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during 1996 ceremonies in New York. William Guest, a member of Gladys Knight and the Pips, has died. He was 74. (AP/Mark Lennihan, File)

LOS ANGELES -- William Guest, a member of Gladys Knight and the Pips, has died. He was 74.

Guest's sister-in-law, Dhyana Ziegler, says he died Thursday in Detroit of congestive heart failure.

Guest performed with the Grammy-winning group from 1953 to 1989. They released such hits such as "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight Train to Georgia."

Gladys Knight and the Pips were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Apollo Hall of Fame in 2006.

After the group ended, Guest and another member, the late Edward Patten, formed a production company. Guest later served as CEO of Crew Records. He released his autobiography "Midnight Train From Georgia: A Pips Journey" in 2013 with Ziegler.