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MAVIS Staples began her career in 1950 with The Staple Singers, along with her
father Roebuck ‘Pops’ Staples and siblings Cleo, Yvonne and Pervis.
The gospel group sang in churches, and on a weekly radio show.
They eventually moved into recording; their most popular song was the 1971
chart-topper, ‘I’ll Take You There.’ In 2005, they were given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
At 11, Mavis wanted to follow Mahalia Jackson in refusing to sing in nightclubs.
But her father explained: “The sinners won’t come to church. So we have to take the church to them.”
In the 1960s, the group became acquainted with Martin Luther King, Jr., and
began singing freedom songs.
“Like many in the civil rights movement, we drew on the spirituality and the
strength from the church to help gain social justice and to try to achieve
equal rights,” Mavis recently stated, adding: “We became a major voice for the civil rights movement and hopefully helped to
make a difference . . .
“For us, and for many in the civil rights movement, we looked to the church for
inner strength and to help make positive changes. And that seems to be missing
today . . .
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“There are still so many problems and social injustices in the world . . . We
need a change now more than ever, and I’m turning to the church again for strength.”
Staples will be a featured performer at this year’s Vancouver Folk Music Festival.
– Jim Coggins
June 2009
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