Mavis Staples

Soul legend Mavis Staples launched and maintained a career on the strength of her booming, throaty alto, starting with her involvement in the gospel family group The Staple Singers in the late ’60s and early ’70s, which culminated with the hit single, “I’ll Take You There.” But Staples has kept busy since her glory days, singing with The Band for its seminal hit “The Weight” in The Last Waltz, performing the 2003 duet “Gotta Change My Way Of Thinking” with Bob Dylan, and continually pumping out music in between (including two Prince-produced albums and a 2007 concept album about the Civil Rights Movement, We’ll Never Turn Back). Now in her 70s, Staples’ remarkable voice may not have quite the throaty vigor it did in years past, but make no mistake, she can still belt ’em out. In 2010, Staples released the Grammy-winning You Are Not Alone, an album produced and partially written by Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy.

Updated 03/01/2011