You should consider this my "How to Love Mavis Staples in Five Songs or Less" post. Don't worry, I'm not allowing Matthew McConaughey anywhere near this one.Though you couldn't tell from their lifestyle now, both my parents grew up in Church. For my dad this meant every Saturday night and Sunday morning in Catholic Mass. For my mother, it was weekly trips to her local Unitarian Church. It's not really a surprise to me that after years of forced services, catechism class, and nonsecular school, they ditched the big man in favor of atheism.
This did mean gospel music was somewhat scarce in my childhood. The genre became a discovery for me in adolescence, and one band I immediately admired was The Staple Singers.
Formed in 1951 by patriarch Roebuck Staples (Pops Staples), and supported by daughters Cleotha and Mavis, as well as son Pervis, The Staple Singers recorded together for decades. Initially signed to Stax records, the quartet later moved on to lay tracks for Curtis Mayfield's label Curtom, as well as 20th Century Fox and MCA. Pops Staples passed in 1994, after sustaining head trauma in a household fall.Mavis Staples began recording solo around 1970. She was largely unappreciated as a vocalist however, until her last two releases, Have a Little Faith in 2004 and 2007's We'll Never Turn Back. The latter album, which is chalk full of gospel re-recordings and civil rights era anthems, ended the year on my favorites list. Imagine my joy when Mavis released a live album only months later. Hope at the Hideout perfectly showcases her vivacious spirit and heartwrenching vocals. Though she may never be compared to Aretha, Nina, Ella, or Patti, Mavis is a diva in her own right. It only takes one track for me, but here's to loving Mavis in five songs or less...
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