In her performance at the Arsht, audiences can look forward to a rich tapestry of sounds, including timeless Staple Singers hits like “Respect Yourself,” “Heavy Makes You Happy” and the iconic “I'll Take You There.” (Photo credit by Emily Butler)
“I’m the messenger,” Mavis Staples said on the eve of her 80th birthday in July of 2019.
“That’s my job it has been for my whole life and I can’t just give up while the struggle’s still alive. We’ve got more work to do, so I’m going to keep on getting stronger and keep on delivering my message every single day.”
Mavis Staples has collaborated with everyone from Prince and Bob Dylan to Arcade Fire and Hozier and blown away countless festivalgoers from Newport Folk and Glastonbury to Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo. (Photo credit by Danny Clinch)
She'll bring that message to the Adrienne Arsht Center on Friday, March 8. She’s both a Blues and a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer; a civil rights icon; a GRAMMY Award-winner; a chart-topping soul/gospel/R&B pioneer; a National Arts Awards Lifetime Achievement recipient; and a Kennedy Center honoree. She marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., performed at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, and sang in Barack Obama’s White House.
She’s collaborated with everyone from Prince and Bob Dylan to Arcade Fire and Hozier, blown away countless festivalgoers from Newport Folk and Glastonbury to Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, performed with The Band at The Last Waltz, and graced the airwaves on Fallon, Colbert, Ellen, Austin City Limits, Jools Holland, the GRAMMYs, and more.
At a time when most artists begin to wind down, Staples ramped things up, releasing a trio of critically acclaimed albums in her 70s with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy that prompted Pitchfork to rave that “her voice has only gained texture and power over the years” and People to proclaim that she “provides the comfort of a higher power.”
In between records with Tweedy, Staples teamed up with a slew of other younger artists Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Nick Cave, Valerie June, tUnEyArDs, and M. Ward among others for ‘Livin’ On A High Note,’ an album The Boston Globe called “stunningly fresh and cutting edge” and which first introduced her to Ben Harper.
At 84 years old, Mavis Staples has no plans on slowing down. (Photo credit by Myriam Santos)
“Ben wrote a song for that album called “Love and Trust,’” explains Staples. “When he said he that he wanted to produce me, I told him, ‘Well shucks, if you write another song like that, count me in.’” Harper did more than write just another song, instead penning an entire album of emotionally riveting and spiritually uplifting tracks that hit Staples directly in the heart. That album, "We Get By," was released in 2019.
She's still keeping up a regular tour schedule at 84 years old. She'll turn 85 in July. "I started singing when I was eight years old and I'm still rolling," she says.
She started singing with her siblings The Staple Singer led by her father "Pop" Staples when the gospel group would march with Dr. Martin Luther King, becoming the soundtrack to the civil rights movement. In the 1970s, they had a string of hits.
She says keeping her 84 year old voice in tip top shape is all done with just a "little honey."
Mavis Staples performs at the Arsht Center in 2019. She returns to the Arsht for a performance Friday, March 9 at the Knight Concert Hall. (Photo credit by Daniel Azoulay)
Staples told an interviewer on CBS This Morning that she's able to keep on going because she loves what she does.
"And I just try to stay healthy. I'm not eating a whole lot of pork chops anymore."
In her performance at the Arsht, audiences can look forward to a rich tapestry of sounds, including timeless Staple Singers hits like “Respect Yourself,” “Heavy Makes You Happy” and the iconic “I’ll Take You There.” The performance will also feature unique renditions of tracks like “Slippery People” by Talking Heads and Funkadelic’s “Can You Get to That,” alongside captivating pieces from Staples’ recent collaborative projects with Ben Harper and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco.
Mavis Staples performs at Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County's John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall, 8 p.m., Friday, March 8. Tickets are $45, $65, $85, $105, $125. Go to ArshtCenter.org.
