Mavis Staples

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About Mavis Staples

There's no mistaking the deep grainy contralto of national treasure Mavis Staples. Whether it's a 1950s side with the Staple Singers or a solo cut recorded decades later, Mavis' voice is likely to lift the spirit and inspire anyone within earshot. She came up with her familial group, the Staple Singers, who balanced gospel and secular music, scoring eight Top 40 pop singles through 1975, including "I'll Take You There" and "Let's Do It Again." Outside the group, Mavis sporadically recorded solo albums from the tail end of the '60s through the '90s. In the 2000s, she took full flight on her own with a spirited series of LPs highlighted by You Are Not Alone, which won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Americana Album. A joyous 2011 performance in which she was joined by Levon Helm and his band received a belated release on 2022's Carry Me Home.

HOMETOWN
Chicago, IL, United States
BORN
July 10, 1939
GENRE
R&B/Soul

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