Mavis Staples may be five feet tall on a good day, but in the worlds of music and civil rights, she is a giant with the sturdiest of shoulders.
She rose to fame in the 1950s with her family band, The Staple Singers before striking out on a career as a solo artist and collaborator—earning Grammys in both roles. Along the way, Mavis and her sisters became close with Martin Luther King Jr., and their music closely intertwined with the civil rights movement.
It was only right, then, that Don Was, the accomplished musician and producer from Detroit, put together an all-star lineup to celebrate Mavis ahead of her 85th birthday, at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, CA.
And what a lineup it was. With New Orleans legends old and new like Taj Mahal and Trombone Shorty, top-notch guitarists like Keb’ Mo’ and Robert Randolph, soulful singers like Grace Potter, Michael McDonald, Hozier, Eric Burton of Black Pumas and The War and Treaty; and iconic songwriters like Jackson Browne, Chris Stapleton, Norah Jones, Jeff Tweedy, and Nathaniel Rateliff, Mavis had herself an eclectic supporting cast for the occasion. But everyone had (at least) one thing in common: they’ve all been impacted and influenced by Mavis in some form or fashion.
For Taj, it was listening to “Sister Mavis” when he was 11 and she was 14. For Jackson, it was first hearing Mavis when he was a teenager in San Francisco, and later working with Pop Staples on 1989’s World in Motion. For Grace, it was not only aspiring to be like Mavis at 18 but a chance encounter with the legend herself that Grace credits with changing her life. Throughout the three-and-a-half-hour show, stories flowed as freely as the songs themselves from artist after artist. So, too, did the staples from Mavis’ own catalog.
The War and Treaty crooned the Staple Singers’ “Respect Yourself”. Taj Mahal made a musical meal out of “Gotta Serve Somebody”. After performing their hit single, “Colors”, Black Pumas busted out a version of Mavis’ “Can You Get to That”. Jeff Tweedy lent an indie spin to “One True Vine”, and Michael McDonald paid his respects to Pops Staples with “Freedom Highway”.
Included in the superstar jukebox were plenty of songs that Mavis made even more famous with her renditions during her illustrious career.
Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Robert Randolph and Trombone Shorty combined to revive “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize”, which Mavis helped make famous during the civil rights movement. Norah Jones nailed a redux of Bob Dylan and the Staple Singers’ “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”, after swooning the audience with the Mavis-inspired “To Live”. Nathaniel Rateliff gave voice to “For What It’s Worth”, the Buffalo Springfield classic that Mavis brought back in vogue during the 2000s.
The highlight of the evening, though, was the finale, during which Mavis got her time to shine. She opened that portion solo with a powerfully gravely version of The Staple Singers’ “If You’re Ready” before welcoming Jeff Tweedy back onstage for their collaboration, “You Are Not Alone”. Chris Stapleton nearly stole the show when he joined Mavis for “Friendship”—only for Bonnie Raitt to nearly one-up by singing “Turn Me Around” next to Mavis’ side.
After Mavis sang “I’ll Take You There” under the spotlight, officials from the city of Inglewood came out to honor her by declaring the day as “Mavis Staples Day.” Then, to close out the night, the entire guest list came out to share duties on a cover of The Band’s “The Weight”.
In truth, Mavis won’t turn 85 until July. Don’t be surprised, then, if a televised special of the event in Inglewood turns up around that time. Until then, fans of Mavis can catch her in action at dates across the United States through the end of September—including a handful of shows in Europe and the U.K. come June. Find a full list of tour dates on her website and check out a selection of fan-shot videos from the Mavis Staples 85th birthday show courtesy of 1bionicleking.
Jeff Tweedy — “One True Vine” — 4/18/24
