Mavis Staples

Mavis Staples & Levon Helm: Carry Me Home review | Alexis Petridis's album of the week

On poignant yet defiant recordings made in 2011 shortly before Helm’s death, Staples’ commanding vocals give enormous vibrancy to blues, folk and soul standards

Alexis Petridis

19, May, 2022 @10:15 AM

Pervis Staples, Staple Singers co-founder, dies aged 85

The gospel group singer embraced secular music with great success and helped soundtrack the civil rights movement

Laura Snapes

13, May, 2021 @11:57 AM

Mavis Staples: We Get By review – fearsome, eclectic, and on fine form

She may be 80 in July, but Staples is more heartfelt and expressive than ever here, in new songs of struggle and unity

Dave Simpson

24, May, 2019 @9:00 AM

Yvonne Staples, singer-manager with the Staple Singers, dies aged 80

Mavis Staples’ sister joined the family band in 1971 and sang on their biggest hits, such as Let’s Do It Again and I’ll Take You There

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

11, Apr, 2018 @9:32 AM

Mavis Staples: ‘All that progress we made – and now we have a liar in the White House'

For this month’s instalment, the singer – whose career spans the protest music of the 60s to Arcade Fire and Gorillaz – talks about the records that shaped her life and politics, from Mahalia Jackson and Dylan to Curtis Mayfield and her beloved friend Prince

Jude Rogers

30, Nov, 2017 @1:01 PM

Mavis Staples: If All I Was Was Black review – inspirational work

(Anti-)

Neil Spencer

19, Nov, 2017 @8:00 AM

Mavis Staples: If All I Was Was Black review – powerful, stirring protest songs

Rachel Aroesti

16, Nov, 2017 @10:10 PM

Mavis! review – Ms Staples’s star quality shines

This workaday music documentary is lifted by its magnetic subject

David Jenkins

21, Feb, 2016 @8:00 AM

Mavis Staples: Livin’ on a High Note review – bring on the great and the good

The songwriting credits on Staples’ latest read like a Who’s Who of alternative music

Ally Carnwath

21, Feb, 2016 @8:00 AM

Mavis! review – a tender, revealing portrait of gospel star Mavis Staples

Passion and warmth radiate from this documentary, in which the singer looks back at her upbringing and admits to a relationship with Bob Dylan

Peter Bradshaw

18, Feb, 2016 @9:45 PM

Mavis Staples: Livin’ on a High Note review – soul great's 13th mixes agony and ecstasy

Mavis Staples’ 13th solo album has her singing songs by Nick Cave, Tune-Yards and others, and it contains some stirring stuff

Dave Simpson

18, Feb, 2016 @9:15 PM

Mavis Staples review – commanding yet playful

When Staples purrs at her backing singer, he smiles swoonily, as would any mortal man in the presence of such supreme female self-possession, writes Caroline Sullivan

Caroline Sullivan

11, Jul, 2014 @12:55 PM