Vegas’ own Gladys Knight selected for cast of ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Gladys Knight’s A Mic and a Light at the Tropicana on April 26, 2011.

Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012 | 9:06 a.m.

The cast of "Dancing With the Stars" has been announced, and it features a contestant from the Las Vegas Valley.

Soul singer Gladys Knight, a Henderson resident, was among the 12 celebrities selected to participate in Season 14 of the ABC show.

Knight was described in the Washington Post’s TV blog as a surprise pick. In a post-announcement question-and-answer period, the blog said, Knight confessed to joining the show because of “the Pips,” her smooth-dancing backup singers.

“They never let me dance,” she said.

Other cast members include tennis great Martina Navratilova, actress Melissa Gilbert (best known for her role in the TV series “Little House on the Prairie”), actor Jaleel White (best known as Urkel from the TV series “Family Matters”) and Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver.

The cast was announced Tuesday on "Good Morning America." The contestants will dance their first routines with their professional partners March 19 and March 26, and the first couple will be eliminated March 27.

For a look at the full cast, visit the official series website.

The Associated Press contributed information to this story.