Gladys Knight holds up the Legends Award she received during the Soul Train Awards on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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Georgia has been well represented in recent seasons by the likes of Kyle Massey (third, season 11), Hines Ward (winner, season 12), Nancy Grace (fifth, season 13) and J.R. Martinez (winner, season 13).

This time around for seaseon 14, we get Atlanta native and R&B legend Gladys Knight. The season begins March 19 on ABC.

Overall, the 12-person cast lacks a truly polarizing figure, iconic star or genuine A- list performer. But it’s the usual mix that “DWTS” likes to create: two sports figures, three singers, a soap star, a Disney child actor, a TV host and several actors, mostly well past their prime. Interestingly, there are no reality stars this time around. (What? No Kardashian?) As another TV writer Eric Deggans of the Tampa Bay TimNancy Gracees noted, comedians (like an Adam Carolla) or news magnets (like Grace) are absent as well.

Besides Knight, there is Melissa Gilbert (”Little House on the Prairie”), Jack Wagner (”General Hospital,” “Melrose Place”), tennis great Martina Navratilova, Jaleel White (Urkel on “Family Matters”), pop singer Gavin DeGraw (current hit “Not Over You”), Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver, Disney star Roshon Fegan (”Shake it Up!”), crossover classical singer Katherine Jenkins, Hispanic soap star William Levy, “Extra” host Maria Menounos and “The View” star Sherri Shepherd.

I’ll handicap the dancers closer to air date.

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By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk