Long before Mavis Staples became a Grammy-winning solo artist and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, her unmistakable voice left an indelible impression on a young Bob Dylan.
As Staples celebrates her 87th birthday on July 10, Dylan's description of hearing her sing for the first time remains one of the most memorable tributes ever paid to another artist. Recalling the Staple Singers' early recording of "Uncloudy Day," Dylan said in a 2015 interview with AARP that Staples' singing "just knocked me out."
"It was the most mysterious thing I’d ever heard. It was like the fog rolling in," said Dylan. "I heard it again, maybe the next night, and its mystery had even deepened. … Mavis looked to be about the same age as me in her picture. Her singing just knocked me out. I listened to the Staple Singers a lot. Certainly more than any other gospel group. I like spiritual songs. They struck me as truthful and serious. They brought me down to earth and they lifted me up all in the same moment. And Mavis was a great singer — deep and mysterious."
Born in Chicago in 1939, Staples began performing as a child alongside her father, Roebuck "Pops" Staples, and her siblings in the Staple Singers. What started as a family gospel group evolved into one of the defining voices of both American music and the Civil Rights Movement. Inspired by Pops' friendship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the group blended gospel with messages of hope, justice and equality, helping provide the soundtrack for an era of historic change.
The Staple Singers reached new heights after signing with Stax Records, scoring timeless hits including "Respect Yourself," the No. 1 smash "I'll Take You There," and later "Let's Do It Again." Pops Staples famously explained their crossover from churches to mainstream audiences with a simple philosophy: "The people in the clubs won't come to church. So we take the church to them."
While her work with the family group cemented her place in music history, Staples also built a remarkable solo career spanning more than five decades. She collaborated with artists including Prince, Ry Cooder, Jeff Tweedy, Hozier, Arcade Fire, David Byrne and Aretha Franklin, while continuing to release acclaimed albums well into her 80s. Her 2010 album You Are Not Alone earned her first competitive Grammy Award, and she has since added multiple Grammy wins, including Album of the Year as a featured artist on Jon Batiste'sWe Are.
Her list of honors reflects that extraordinary career. As a member of the Staple Singers, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She later became a Kennedy Center Honoree, was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame as a solo artist, received the Rock Hall Honors Award for her solo work and has been ranked by Rolling Stone among the greatest singers of all time.
"By the time the Staple Singers' string of R&B hits kicked off in the early Seventies, Mavis Staples' liquid contralto had already been tearing the roof off with her family's gospel group for two decades and had become the signature voice of the civil rights movement. ... She's got the most undiluted gospel technique of any pop star ever," wrote Rolling Stone.
One of the most enduring stories from Staples' life involves Dylan himself. The two became close friends over the years, and Dylan eventually asked Pops Staples for permission to marry Mavis. She ultimately turned down the proposal, but their friendship endured, adding another remarkable chapter to the legacy of a singer whose voice captivated one of music's greatest songwriters long before the rest of the world caught up.
More than seven decades after she first stepped onto the stage with her family, Staples remains one of American music's most powerful voices, a singer whose blend of gospel, soul and conviction continues to inspire generations of artists and listeners alike.
Related: Nobel Prize-Winning Songwriter Just Named America's Most Essential Musical Artist
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