Mavis Staples bringing love of singing to Iowa City

Mavis Staples doesn’t receive the credit the R&B/soul singer/civil activist deserves. But there’s a reason icons such as Aretha Franklin, Prince and David Byrne have collaborated with the three-time Grammy Award winner.

Staples, 84, remains a vocal powerhouse and the vibes are immaculate. The three-time Grammy Award winner has plenty of energy and enthusiasm at a point when many of her peers are relaxing during their twilight years.

“I still love singing,” Staples said. “My family is gone and I guess I’m still around since God still wants me to sing.”

The family Staples is referring to, the Staple Singers, is music royalty. The ensemble, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, was led by Staples’ father, Roebuck “Pops” Staples, and formed in Chicago in 1948.

Mavis Staples sang with her siblings Cleotha, Pervis and Yvonne. Their hits include catchy and soulful tracks like “Respect Yourself,” “I’ll Take You There,” “If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)” and “Let’s Do It Again.”

The Staple Singers’ run ended in 2000 when Roebuck Staples died at 85.

On the road to I.C.

“But I’m keeping the music of the Staple Singers alive,” Staples said. “I’m keeping my father’s legacy alive. Pops started this and I’m not going to let it end as long as I’m around. Since I’m here, I’m going to sing. That’s what I was born to do. I sing with all of my heart.”

Staple Singers’ songs, such as the deep “I’m Just Another Soldier” and “Handwriting on the Wall” are part of her set. Covers, which she has made her own, including The Talking Heads’ “Slippery People” and The Band’s “The Weight” often are part of her show.

But it doesn’t matter what Staples sings, since palpable joy emanates from her regardless of the material. During a recent concert in Louisville, Staples put on a performance clinic.

A professional singer for more than 70 years, the fearless entertainer has never let anything stand in her way. Her father was close with Martin Luther King Jr. and was always about doing the right thing. That impacted his children and so Mavis Staples never had any patience for segregation in politics or in music.

Staples, who will perform Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, at Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City, is one of the most revered vocalists on the circuit. Bob Dylan, who grew up a huge Staple Singers aficionado in Minnesota during the ’50s, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, The Band’s Levon Helm and Prince are or were unabashed fans. The latter wrote the compelling “The Undertaker” for Staples.

“I've had some ups and downs in my life, but I have so much to be thankful for,” Staples said while calling from Los Angeles. “I've had so many wonderful experiences and the amazing thing, is that there is still more for me to experience.”

Perhaps Staples will have many more years on the road. Tony Bennett played Radio City Music Hall in 2022 at age 95. Herb Alpert and his wife, Lani Hall, performed at the Englert Theatre while supporting his latest album, “Wish Upon a Star.”

“If you’re feeling good and you’re healthy, why not continue to tour, even if you are of a certain age,” Alpert said. “Why should a musician retire if they’re still able to play and can live with life on the road?”

Staples doesn’t seem to have much left to accomplish. Named one of the “100 Greatest Singers of all Time” by Rolling Stone magazine, she has been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Blues Hall of Fame and was a Kennedy Center honoree.

“What's left for me is the next show,” she said. “I still have the desire to perform or I wouldn’t be doing this.”