During the 1960s, family group The Staples Singers became one of gospel's biggest acts, delivering spiritual songs with smooth, impassioned power and chiming with the times by covering contemporary acts like Bob Dylan and Buffalo Springfield. Linked to the civil rights movement through father Roebuck 'Pops' Staples' friendship with Martin Luther King, the band scored two US number one singles before lead singer Mavis released her first solo album for Stax Records in 1969.

Though The Staples Singers continued on until 1994, Mavis's solo career included the Curtis Mayfield penned film soundtrack 'A Piece of the Action' (1977), the Prince collaboration 'Time Waits for No One' (1989) and the Mahalia Jackson tribute 'Spirituals and Gospels' (1996). Still an active and iconic figure in the soul and gospel world, Ry Cooder produced her critically acclaimed concept album 'We'll Never Turn Back' in 2007 and she later worked with Wilco front-man Jeff Tweedy on the Grammy Award-winning 'You Are Not Alone' in 2010.

An inductee to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Mavis Staples stands as one of the key female vocalists in American music history. She regularly performs at festivals in the US and UK and in 2016 released her 15th studio album at the age of 77. 'Livin' On a High Note' featured songs written for her by the likes of Nick Cave, Aloe Blacc and Justin Vernon. In 2017 she was a featured artist on Arcade Fire's 'I Give You Power', NPR's 'Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!' and Gorillaz's 'Let Me Out'. She also opened for Bob Dylan in his five-night run at New York's Beacon Theatre and released her 16th studio album 'If All I Was Was Black'. She co-wrote singer-songwriter Hozier's 2018 hit 'Nina Cried Power' on which she also gave her vocals.

Recorded from her performance at London's Union Chapel on her 79th birthday, she released 'Live in London' in 2018. It was followed by studio album 'We Get By' in 2019 featuring singles 'Change', 'Anytime' and the title track 'We Get By' featuring Ben Harper who produced and wrote the entire album.

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