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the staple singers

Biography

The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B family singing group formed by patriarch Roebuck 'Pops' Staples (1914–2000), born in Winona, Mississippi, where he was influenced by blues legends like Charley Patton while picking cotton as a teen. In the mid-1930s, Pops moved to Chicago with his wife Oceola and children Cleotha (1934–2013), Pervis (1935–2021), and later Yvonne (1937–2018) and Mavis (b. 1939), beginning local church performances in 1948 with Mavis, then seven, singing bass parts in a Southern quartet style. Their professional recording career started in 1954 with United Records, achieving early hits like 'Uncloudy Day' (1959) on Vee-Jay, blending close vocal harmonies with Pops' tremolo-drenched bluesy guitar in an acoustic gospel-folk style.[1][2][3][4][5]

The group's sound evolved in the 1960s, incorporating folk revival elements and civil rights protest songs like Pops' 'Freedom Highway' on their 1965 Epic live album, alongside covers of Stephen Stills' 'For What It's Worth.' Signing with Stax Records in 1968 marked their mainstream breakthrough, producing soul-folk albums with Steve Cropper, then funkier hits at Muscle Shoals like 'Respect Yourself' (1971), 'I'll Take You There' (No. 1, 1972), and 'If You're Ready (Come Go with Me).' After Stax's bankruptcy, they joined Curtis Mayfield's Curtom for their second No. 1 'Let's Do It Again' (1975), later covering Talking Heads' 'Slippery People' (1984).[1][2][3][5]

Known for seamless gospel-to-pop crossover with optimistic, empowering messages, the Staple Singers influenced generations despite later solo pursuits by members like Mavis Staples, whose albums earned Grammys into the 21st century. They remained active into the 1990s, cementing a legacy of genre-blending hits and social commentary.[2][3]

Fun Facts

  • Mavis Staples, age seven, sang the bass parts when the group began performing in Chicago churches in 1948.
  • They were the first Black artists to record Bob Dylan material, during their 1962 stint on Riverside's jazz label amid the folk boom.
  • Yvonne Staples replaced brother Pervis twice—once for his U.S. Army draft and again in 1970 for their funkier Muscle Shoals phase.
  • Pops Staples penned civil rights protest song 'Freedom Highway,' recorded live in church on their 1965 Epic album.

Members

  • Cleotha Staples
  • Mavis Staples
  • Pervis Staples
  • Roebuck “Pops” Staples
  • Yvonne Staples

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

  • Charley Patton - early blues influence on Pops Staples' guitar and singing style (heard at Dockery’s plantation) [1930s]
  • Crooms Brothers - inspired Pops' vibrato-drenched guitar technique (early recordings) [1950s]

Key Collaborators

  • Steve Cropper - producer for early Stax albums (Soul Folk in Action, We'll Get Over) [1968-1970]
  • Curtis Mayfield - producer and label owner at Curtom Records (Let's Do It Again (No. 1 hit and album)) [1975]
  • Al Bell - producer at Stax, rhythm sessions at Muscle Shoals (Respect Yourself, I'll Take You There) [1970-1975]
  • The Band - performed together in film (The Last Waltz (The Weight)) [1976]

Artists Influenced

  • Mavis Staples - solo career built on family foundation, Grammy-winning albums (Have a Little Faith (2004), You Are Not Alone (2010)) [1960s-2010s]

Connection Network

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Discography

Albums

Title Release Date Type
Faith And Grace: A Family Journey 1953-1976 2015-01-01 Album
Soul Folk In Action 1968-01-01 Album
Let's Do It Again Original Sound Track 1975-10-11 Album
Be Altitude: Respect Yourself [Stax Remasters] 1972 Album
Be What You Are (Reissue) 1973-01-01 Album
Freedom Highway 1991-07-09 Album
For What It's Worth 1967-11-23 Album
The Staple Swingers 1992-01-01 Album
Turning Point (Expanded) 1984-02-01 Album
We'll Get Over 1970-01-01 Album
Uncloudy Day & Will The Circle Be Unbroken? 1960-01-01 Album
Stax Profiles: The Staple Singers 2006-01-01 Album
City In The Sky 1974-01-01 Album
This Little Light 2016-04-29 Album
Amen! 1965 Album

Top Tracks

  1. I'll Take You There
  2. Respect Yourself
  3. The Weight (Soul Folk In Action)
  4. The Last Waltz Suite: The Weight (feat. The Staples) (The Last Waltz (Deluxe Version))
  5. Let's Do It Again (Let's Do It Again Original Sound Track)
  6. If You're Ready (Come Go With Me) (Be What You Are (Reissue))
  7. Let's Do It Again (Faith And Grace: A Family Journey 1953-1976)
  8. I'll Take You There (Be Altitude: Respect Yourself [Stax Remasters])
  9. I'll Take You There
  10. Respect Yourself (Be Altitude: Respect Yourself [Stax Remasters])

Tags: #gospel, #jazz, #r&b

References

  1. teachrock.org
  2. britannica.com
  3. staxrecords.com
  4. memphismusichalloffame.com

Heard on WWOZ

the staple singers has been played 9 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.

DateTimeTitleShowSpotify
Jan 9, 202621:23Masters Of WarMusic of Mass Distractionw/ Black Mold
Jan 4, 202614:33Long Walk to D.C.from Faith and Grace: A Family Journey 1953-1976 CD 3Homespun Americanaw/ Ol Man River
Dec 22, 202515:44Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmasfrom The Very Best of the Staple SingersBlues Eclecticw/ Andrew Grafe
Dec 11, 202523:20Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmasfrom The Very Best of the Staple SingersKitchen Sinkw/ Jennifer Brady
Dec 11, 202520:00help me jesusR&Bw/ Your Cousin Dimitri
Dec 8, 202519:46Who Took The Merry Out Of ChristmasBlues and R&Bw/ Gentilly Jr.
Nov 21, 202521:33The WeightMusic of Mass Distractionw/ Black Mold
Nov 20, 202521:17a hard rain's a gonna fallR&Bw/ Your Cousin Dimitri
Oct 16, 202523:21I Know You're Going To Miss Mefrom When Do We Get PaidKitchen Sinkw/ Jennifer Brady