The Staple Singers 

The Staple Singers were an extremely influential band in the 1970s. The Staple Singers was a family ensemble started by a man named Roebuck Staples who was also called “Pops”. The group consisted of Pops and his four kids; Mavis, Yvonne, Pervis, and Cleotha. The Staple Singers produced  gospel, soul, and R&B music which expressed the freedom the African American community longed for. The song that originally put the Staple Singers on the map was Uncloudy Day, which was released in 1959.  As they became more popular, the Staple Singers made music that inspired civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. While at Stax Records they met Al Bell, who had big dreams for the Staple band. Because of their deep songs with meaningful messages, the Staple Singers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2018. They were honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Drew, Mississippi. The group was also awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Therefore, the Staples Singers not only had a successful career, but an impactful one as well.