Legendary Chicago R&B and gospel soul singer (not to mention actress and activist) Mavis Staples has had, without a doubt, one of the most impressive careers in all of soul music. The now 86-year-old’s musical beginnings span all the way back to the 1950s, rising to prominence with her family group The Staple Sisters, but younger listeners might be more dialed into her recent work, where, in something of a 2000s renaissance, she’s collaborated with impressive contemporary artists like fellow Chicagoan Jeff Tweedy, Gorillaz, Arcade Fire, and Run the Jewels (in addition to collaborations with legends like Prince, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, and David Byrne).
From her early days with her family group, activism has been in Staples’ blood (her father and bandleader Pops Staples counted Martin Luther King Jr. among his close friends), and The Staple Sisters became an important soundtrack to the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, paving the way for a solo career for Mavis beginning at the end of the decade, a run which would see only intermittent releases throughout the ’70s (as she continued making music with the family band), ’80s, and ’90s. It wasn’t until the new millennium, after Pops’ death and while already in her 60s, that Staples really began to focus on solo music more prolifically, with 2005 sixth album Have a Little Faith earning the living legend her first solo Grammy, and 2010 eighth album You Are Not Alone attracting an unprecedented new wave of critical attention.
The past 15 years have been something of a whirlwind, as Staples’ legacy has really been cemented as one of the greats. She’s released five further LPs (including brilliant latest effort Sad and Beautiful World last fall), collaborated with an unlikely cadre of fantastic young artists, appeared on late night television and countless festivals, received numerous honors and further awards, and has continued to perform quite a bit, particularly for an octogenarian. No stranger to Nashville, Mavis hosted an 80th birthday celebration at The Ryman back in 2019, played nearby fests like Bonnaroo and Pilgrimage, supported Bob Dylan at the former Woods at Fontanel, and last opened for the Steve Miller Band at FirstBank Amphitheater, all in the past decade.
In support of her latest LP, which features both original songs and interpretations of classics by the likes of Tom Waits, Gillian Welch, Curtis Mayfield, Leonard Cohen, Frank Ocean, and more, with an impressive array of guests- Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Tweedy, Derek Trucks, Katie Crutchfield, MJ Lenderman, and Justin Vernon- Mavis Staples is set to return to The Ryman Auditorium on Jan. 24, along with special guest (and new collaborator) MJ Lenderman (who, as you know, has become a huge star in his own right over the last couple of years). Tickets are still available right here while they last, but we’re thrilled to announce that we’re also giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky fan! Preview the fantastic lineup and enter below.
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Mavis Staples and MJ Lenderman will perform Saturday, Jan. 24 at The Ryman Auditorium. The show is all ages, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), and tickets are available for $69.46-90.33.