Mavis Staples
b. 1940, Chicago, Illinois, USA. The exceptional lead voice of the Staple Singers began a simultaneous solo career when the group was signed to the Staxlabel in 1968. Here she began recording distinctly secular material including songs by Otis Redding (Good To Me, Security), Sam Cooke (You Send Me) and Joe Simon (The Chokin' Kind). The singer's gospel fervour enhanced such compositions although her first R&B hit came with an original song, I Have Learned To Do Without You. This progress was waylaid in the wake of the Staples' own success with Heavy Makes You Happy and her career was only resumed in 1977. A Piece Of The Action was a fine collaboration with Curtis Mayfield, but later releases swamped her magnificent voice in disco and electro-pop beat. In 1987 the singer was signed to Prince's Paisley Park organization, the fruits of which appeared on TIME WAITS FOR NO-ONE, released two years later. Mavis also made a guest appearance on Aretha Franklin's gospel set, ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM.