For more than seven decades, gospel, soul and R&B singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples has used her unmistakable voice to tell it like it is.
And at 87, she isn’t stopping now.
The legendary performer, who rose to fame in the 1950s as a member of her family’s gospel group, The Staple Singers, is bringing her honest yet hopeful perspective on a divided world to the Poway Center for the Performing Arts this Sunday at 4 p.m.
“Mavis Staples is one of those rare artists whose importance reaches far beyond the music itself,” said Sharlene O’Keefe, executive director of Poway OnStage. “Her voice has been part of American culture and history for generations, yet she remains an incredibly vital and relevant performer today.”
Alongside such enduring hits as “I’ll Take You There,” “Respect Yourself” and “Let’s Do It Again,” Staples’ current tour features music from her latest solo release, “Sad And Beautiful World.”
Produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee), the album blends intriguing covers, a new original song written by Hozier and Allison Russell and stellar guest appearances.
“Sad And Beautiful World” opens with Tom Waits’ “Chicago,” a nod to Staples’ hometown and an ode to the difficult journey of moving on. Anchored by her trademark vocals, as gravelly as a Mississippi dirt road, and resplendent guitar riffs from Buddy Guy and Derek Trucks, the track establishes the album’s reflective yet resilient spirit.
Other standout covers include Curtis Mayfield’s “We Got To Have Peace,” originally released in 1971, and Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem,” a meditation on finding hope in an imperfect world. Eddie Hinton’s “Everybody Needs Love” — an uplifting track featuring Bonnie Raitt, Nathaniel Rateliff and Drive-By Truckers — closes the album and also has served as an encore at many of Staples’ recent live shows.
The album has received widespread critical acclaim, with Staples’ take on “Beautiful Strangers” and the Frank Ocean-penned “Godspeed” each receiving 2026 Grammy Awards, while “Sad And Beautiful World” landed on numerous best-albums lists for 2025.
Staples began singing with her family at about 11 years old, and it wasn’t long before the little girl with the big pipes stepped into the spotlight, taking lead vocals on many of the band’s songs. In the 1960s, The Staple Singers, known as the “First Family of Gospel,” performed at rallies with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Soon, the group’s music, notably the song “Freedom Highway,” served as a soundtrack to the civil rights movement.
Staples went on to build a celebrated solo career, releasing 14 studio albums since 1969 and collaborating with some of music’s most respected artists, including Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Prince, Willie Nelson, Van Morrison, David Byrne and Levon Helm.
Revered as a national treasure, Staples has been inducted into the Rock & Roll, Blues and Gospel halls of fame; received numerous Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award; and was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2016.
Staples considered retiring in 2023 but ultimately decided she still had more to share.
“I’m the messenger,” she said. “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.”
For San Diegans looking to experience Staples’ message of compassion, resilience and unity firsthand, tickets to her upcoming performance at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts are available at PowayOnStage.org.
Donovan Roche is a longtime music writer and regular contributor to Times of San Diego.
