Gladys Knight -- a.k.a. The Empress of Soul -- was rightly honored at this year's '2011 Soul Train Awards' (Sun., 9PM ET on BET). To a standing ovation from the audience, singer Natalie Cole presented her with the Legend Award.

Veteran recording artists Elton John, Smokey Robinson and Patti LaBelle paid tribute on video, with John saying that in 40 years of listening to Gladys performing live he's never heard her hit a bum note. Then more performers took to the stage for a truly epic medley of her greatest hits.

Accepting her award Gladys said "I have received awards over the years and I am grateful for every single one of them. But let me tell you something,. This one right here is the closest to my heart because it comes from my people. ... You're telling the world that I passed this way and I did something that was alright."

Simon Cowell always has something up his sleeve, doesn't he? Just when we thought we heard all we could hear about the impressive list of singers and celebrities he's signed for his FOX series Celebrity Duets, he pulls yet another impressive name out of his hat. In an interview with TVGuide.com, Cowell let slip that one of the judges will be none other than Little Richard. He will team with legendary producer David Foster and a yet-to-be-determined third judge (likely female) to make up the three-headed judging cabal that Cowell has perfected on American Idol, America's Got Talent, and his British hit The X-Factor (why Sharon Osbourne isn't judging one of Simon's American shows, I'll never know). He also told writer Matt Webb Mitovich that Gladys Knight has been added to the roster of singers recruited for the show.

Between this and his constantly running Geico commercial ("Mashed Potatoes! Gravy! And Cranberry Sauce! Awoooooo!"), Little Richard seems to be making a bit of a cultural comeback, isn't he? Hey, despite his bad plastic surgery and... uh... flamboyance... he's a legend and deserves whatever kind of attention he gets, even at this late age.