Mavis Staples

Grim days call for fierce love, as seen in Mavis Staples’ latest solo release, Sad and Beautiful World, which finds her standing side by side with us in the face of dangers she knows all too well. Now 86, Mavis has been performing since the age of 8. After starting out with her father Roebuck “Pops” Staples, sisters Cleotha and Yvonne, and brother Pervis in the Staple Singers more than 70 years ago, she’s the lone surviving member of the group, still carrying her family’s gifts and knowledge with her as a living heritage. Inducted into several halls of fame (blues, rock, and gospel), she is also a Kennedy Center Honoree and a winner of multiple Grammys (including a Lifetime Achievement Award). She’s collaborated with nearly every major figure of her era(s), from Bob Dylan to Prince, Aretha Franklin, and Willie Nelson, as well as countless stars from subsequent generations.