I'll Take You There: Mavis Staples, the Staple Singers, and the Music That Shaped the Civil Rights Era

by Greg Kot

This is the untold story of living legend Mavis Staples—lead singer of the Staple Singers and a major figure in the music that shaped the civil rights era. One of the most enduring artists of popular music, Mavis and her talented family fused gospel, soul, folk, and rock to transcend racism and oppression through song. Honing her prodigious talent on the Southern gospel circuit of the 1950s, Mavis and the Staple Singers went on to sell more than 30 million records, with message-oriented soul music that became a soundtrack to the civil rights movement—inspiring Martin Luther King, Jr. himself.

Critically acclaimed biographer and Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot cuts to the heart of Mavis Staples’s music, revealing the intimate stories of her sixty-year career. From her love affair with Bob Dylan, to her creative collaborations with Prince, to her recent revival alongside Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, this definitive account shows Mavis as you’ve never seen her before. I’ll Take You There was written with the complete cooperation of Mavis and her family. Readers will also hear from Prince, Bonnie Raitt, David Byrne, and many others whose lives have been influenced by Mavis’s talent.

Filled with never-before-told stories, this fascinating biography illuminates a legendary singer and group during a historic period of change in America. “Ultimately, Kot depicts the endurance of Mavis Staples and her family’s music as an inspiration, a saga that takes us, like the song that inspired this book’s name, to a place where ain’t nobody crying” (The Washington Post).

“A biography that will send readers back to the music of Mavis and the Staple Singers with deepened appreciation and a renewed spirit of discovery” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)—from the acclaimed music journalist and author featured prominently in the new HBO documentary Mavis!

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, History, Book Club, Race, African American

322 pages, Paperback

First published January 21, 2014

Reviews

[Marvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has become a bit of a cliche to say 50s artists like Ray Charles contributed to popular music by merging a gospel feel into rhythm and blues. It is a good example of a cliche that rings true. Yet not much is said about the accomplishment of Pops Stable and his children. While Ray was merging gospel and soul together, Pops was taking elements of the blues and blending them into gospel.

It is also unfortunate that most people know The Staple Singers for their hits in the 70s like "I'll Take You There" and "Respect Yourself". These are great songs but I prefer the earlier gospel and folk sound of the Staple Singers. There were a few things that made this gospel group so good but sound so different. First there was Pops Staple's guitar with its generous amount of tremolo. It was right out of delta blues and it made their gospel sound unlike any other. Second, there was Pops' limited but intimate voice and his stirring narrations before and during the songs. Third, and maybe most importantly, there was the rich contralto voice of Mavis Staple, a deep, solid voice that rivaled both Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin for pure emotion.

Greg Kot has written a detailed and solid biography of the Staple Singers. If fact, I would say it is one of the most enjoyable biographies I've read in a long time. But it should be mentioned that, while Mavis gets her name in the title, it is a biography about all the Staples with emphasis of the patriarchal Pops. He starts with the birth of Roebuck "Pops" Staple. Roebuck's father was a sharecropper in the south. It is simply coincidence that I was reading this during the flap with Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty over his comments on gays and blacks. But if anyone want the truth about the era before civil rights when Robertson stated the "Blacks were happy" in the deep south, they should read the first 50 pages of this book. Roebuck related how it really was and what black-white relations were really like at that time. Pops Stable was raised in the church but enjoyed hanging around blues men where he learn his distinct guitar style. The author follows Pops Stable and his family to Chicago where they formed the Staple Singers and became major gospel stars. But what I found fascinating is how Kot explains the shifts in the Staples' music from being gospel stars in the 50s to regulars on the 60s folk circuit to R& B stars with Stax Records in the 70s. Yet the sound remains unmistakable and loyal to the family's spiritual values. Pops for the most part stayed in his gospel roots and recorded song that were either spiritual or had an uplifting message. Whether it was a church song, a Dylan song like "Masters of War", The Band's The Weight.", or the definitely secular "Respect Yourself" there was always a message. The Staples Singers were not only great musicians but they made you feel good about...well..everything.

So whether it was gospel, folk or R&B, the author of this excellent biography has it covered. But he also hits the more gossipy parts; Pops' friendship with Martin Luther King, Mavis' love affair with Bob Dylan, and Pops' unusual business dealing that sometimes involved a pistol. Kot spends a lot of time on their 70s stint with Stax Records not only because that was where they made hits that made them an household name, but was also a difficult time for them due to issues with music moguls Al Bell and other people attempting to interfere with their signature sound. The author continues through Pops death in 2000 and Mavis' solo career in the 20000s. There is plenty of good info on early gospel scene and the author certainly knows the music.

I would recommend this book to anything who likes gospel, soul and R&B and wishes to learn about one of the most influential group in all three genres.

[Creolecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We got Muddy Waters representing the blues, we got Neil Diamond representing Tin Pan Alley, we got Joni Mitchell representing the woman singer-songwriter thing. We've got Bob Dylan, the poet of rock 'n' roll, Van Morrison for the Irish soul. Dr. John from New Orleans, Eric Clapton who brought the blues into British rock. After everything was done, we got the Staple Singers representing gospel music and Emmylou Harris representing country music. You take all these ingredients and put them in a big pot and stir it up and that's the gumbo that made rock 'n' roll." - Robbie Robertson on putting together 'The Last Waltz.'

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a useful biography of the Staples family, especially Roebuck ("Pops") Staples, and his children, including the great Mavis Staples. All the chapters are quite short: once I finally began, I could not stop reading. The book is very much from a Chicago music critic's perspective, but it fills a void. The Staples were among Dr. King's favorites, and that is here, too, together with the Staples' relationships with musical peers.

I have a memory of seeing the Staple Singers on the Flip Wilson Show way back when, and I loved their big Stax hits. Now, I want to hear more of this fine music. Lately, I had been truly admiring Mavis Staples as she resumed her recording career. There is a great moment documenting that in this book where author Greg Kot quotes Atlanta expat Kelly Hogan on singing backup behind Ms. Staples... I want to go get that CD, after hearing it when first released.

Pops is deservedly famous for his guitar accompaniment, using tremelo in the electric amplifier. I want to hear that again... One time in the early 1990s, our late, great friend Ned Bridges, of Athens, GA, had a package delivered by mistake, with musical equipment, cords and such, for Pops Staples. Ned smiled to tell how he enjoyed getting that package where it needed to go, and I think he spoke with Mr. Staples in order to do that.

Interestingly, both Pops and Mavis received the NEA National Heritage Fellowship, a fact not remarked on in this book. Here are links to the National Endowment for the Arts website for:
Roebuck "Pops" Staples
http://arts.gov/honors/heritage/fello...
and
Mavis Staples
http://arts.gov/honors/heritage/fello...

Highly recommended.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging biography of a great band. I'm not sure it needed so many subtitles. I guess that's because it starts with Pops but finishes with Mavis. At times it felt a little superficial on some of the personal milestones, but the detail on the music portions makes up for it. When I saw Mavis play last year, I noticed that her sister Yvonne - the only other Staples on the stage - looked like she wasn't entirely excited to be there. This book made me far more sympathetic. Yvonne comes across as somebody who would do what was needed of her. If her family needed her on stage, even if she didn't want to be there, she would be there for them. Lots of other little details added to my picture of the band: I didn't know they went to high school with Sam Cooke, or that Mavis and Bob Dylan were sweethearts. I love the image of the big family meals in Chicago, with Mahalia Jackson and Stevie Wonder and the Franklins.

[Kyleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to give this only two stars, but it just wasn't for me. While I often enjoy biographies about people I know little or nothing about, this felt more to me like a biography of the music and actual songs, and not the people. I think someone with familiarity of the Staples Singers music and other artists they worked with, and especially the songs (because you're going to hear about the same songs over and over and over again, throughout the decades, sung in similar and different ways, with different artists, etc.) with would enjoy this much more. I have to say that I don't have much interest of music of the 50s, 60s and 70s, so I'm sure that contributes to my "blah" feeling about this, but I should've listened to this much before reading the book. I felt was topical and repetitive, which was disappointing.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant because it focuses on what every music biography should focus on--the process of music making; on recordings, and on live shows. With a useful discography at the end of the book: a well-written, deep examination of what makes the Staple Singers so important in the history of 20th Century American music.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Initially, for the subject matter, I was thinking it was a four star book, but as I read and found the writing to be dry, I thought it more of a three. Upon completion, I was torn between a three or a two. Ultimately, the conclusion left me wanting, the perspective was biased, and I was left feeling like so much significant information was missing while too many trivial details dragged it down.

My major grievances:

The author describes music poorly. After reading a chapter of songs listed and having what I thought to be a firm grasp on what to expect of them, I pulled them up online to listen to them. Things that were called haunting were relaxed with a building tempo. Passionately described moments were tame and sometimes really deflated. The author claims Lou Rawls voice is gritty and lacking versatility, but I found his voice deep and smooth. I understand that people hear and feel music very differently sometimes, but I feel the author sometimes listened to songs with the hopes of describing them to fit his narrative. This biased portrayal, sometimes complimentary and sometimes not, was frequently falling short of not only my perception, but the perceptions of society in general based on how they were received. Rather than spending time describing them, I feel a cd or media download should have been available with the book with simpler descriptions that might be more open to individual interpretation.

Over detail versus under detail. Some things like their personal lives were glossed over. When did Pervis have children? How did they juggle traveling with marriage? Anything at all about Cynthia? Meanwhile details like Prince's speech habits and a mistakenly consumed pot brownie carry on and on. If this book was solely about their careers and the artists they impacted along the way, this would make sense. I kind of wish it was done as the biography with details of her family and career and a perspective of how they impacted the civil rights movement. (Which is the order of importance the title implies.). But instead, we look how they impacted the music of their time, their significance in and a part of the civil rights movement and why Pops was so great and important to the other minor characters. Maybe we should call it, "I'll Take You There: The Evolution of Gospel Singers, Music that Shaped the Civil Rights Movement and Roebucks Staples... Isn't He Great?!

Which brings me to my next point. Mavis Staples plays second fiddle to her father throughout her life and in this book. The two greatest gifts a parent can give a child are roots and wings. Pops gave roots in abundance, but clipped his children's wings. I know this was based on interviews with Mavis and she likely would have been deeply hurt by this, but I can't get past it. Pops controlled and manipulated his children, held them back from their aspirations because it didn't fit his limited vision. But when it suited him, he explored his own interests. They were forced to march at his pace, missing out on innovation in their prime and never really realized great success until he was out of the room. Mavis is described as confident and a fighter, but lacked the confidence to strike out as the frontman until Pops made her. She lacked the confidence to pursue a marriage with a man she clearly loved. She lacked the confidence to sing solo. Even as an adult in her 40s, she couldn't engage in a private collaboration with Prince without Pops barging in. Pops is made out to be this great anchor in the family, and he's not. He disrespected his wife, flirting and who knows what else out on the road. He forced Yvonne in when she wanted out and kept Cynthia out when she wanted to be included. She was shunned and forgotten. Nice house, Cadillac, etc. But maybe some formal musical training for his family to give them an edge or versatility? No. On his death bed he puts it on Mavis to get his last album out there... not pursue her dreams, his. Even after he was gone, he was "close at hand" which in any manipulative relationship means they'll never shake those oppressed feelings.

I was very tired of going over how they didn't fit in a category. Join the club. Usually any genre has a solid mix of definitive artists or a single artist who defines it, and anyone who experiments or mixes other influences in falls into a grey area. Yes, they were hard to define, but one or two mentions should be enough. I didn't need to be repeatedly pelted with this information.

The first half was most interesting because it focused on their rising career. Once they hit their prime, all other discussion of their music focused on comparison and revisiting old themes. They stagnated. In that time there were some notable songs, but only because they revisited past successes. This isn't bad, they had good music, but not good enough for the lengthy lip service they are paid in this book.

There were more things. Mostly small and petty ones. I'll leave it at this.

If Mavis wrote an autobiography, I would like to see how she felt and hear about the things she felt had meaning. Hear what these songs meant to her. I would rather have read that.

If someone else wrote a book discussing songs used in the civil rights movement and wanted to discuss lyrics and interpretation, public acceptance of the songs and the results they brought about, I would like to read that.

But this book was not as worth my time as I had originally hoped. I learned about assorted musicians and constructed a timeline. It definitely sparked a woman's right chord in me, wanting to see these women not so controlled and doubtful of themselves... but I don't feel that was the author's intent. I am left very disappointed.

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

As one reared on the 1970s Stax Records catalog of The Staple Singers ("I'll Take You There," "Respect Yourself," "Reach Out, Touch a Hand" and "The Weight," among others) and a regular listener of Mavis Staples' solo work right up to the present time, I was delighted to see this release from Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot, published by Simon & Schuster in January of 2014.

As with his columns in the Tribune, Kot did NOT disappoint.

"I'll Take You There" deftly follows the Staples' ascendency as a gospel group on Chicago's Vee-Jay and Riverside labels through the platinum and gold record years at Memphis' Stax. He discusses the lean years after their departure for Warner Bros. Records in the days following the huge hit "Let's Do It Again," released not long before the disco craze swept 1970s soul and R&B in new (and largely, unfortunate) directions. And he focuses a good deal of attention on Mavis' solo work with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy in more recent years.

Kot clearly portrays the impact that Roebuck "Pops" Staples and his children - Mavis, Pervis, Cleotha and Yvonne - had on generations of music icons including Bob Dylan, Prince, The Band, Wilco and many others.

Highly-recommended reading to all who enjoy strong music biographies and/or the music of The Staple Singers as a family group, or the solo work of both Pops and Mavis. An outstanding book that I was sad see come to an end!

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

The saga of the Staples family mirrors the story of the 20th century African American experience. Roebuck "Pops" Staples grows up in the Mississippi Delta, migrates to Chicago, works in the factories. He, his wife, and his children attend church and begin a gospel group. They live through the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, rise to stardom in the early 70s, struggle through the late 70s and 80s, ascend again in the 90s.

Mavis Staples is such a special voice in American music. As powerful and relevant as Mahalia Jackson in gospel music or Aretha Franklin in soul music, she just never quite got the same recognition.

Greg Kot takes us on quite a ride through the history of gospel and soul music through the decades. Highly recommended reading.

[Jonathan Hiskes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic biography of one of my famous artists of any type. The Staple Singers drew from and fed into so many currents in the great river of American music--blues, gospel, folk R&B, country, and more. I know Mavis mostly from her late-career renaissance, but this makes me want look up so much of the family's earlier periods. Anyone who toured the South with Martin Luther King deserves a shot, right?

[Mark Goddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining and informative read. I kind of wish it was longer as I felt some chapters
were short. That being said I learned quite a bit about The Staples formative years and their close relationship with MLK. It is very sad that some of the same topics from 60 years ago concerning race relations are still relevant in today's world. All the more necessary to keep these stories alive as a constant reminder of the work that still needs to be completed.

[Mickey McIntosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Staple Singers need no introduction. I don't know anybody who doesn't like their music. This is their story how they rose to be stars in the gospel circuit, to crossover sensations. Mavis is at the heart of this. Such a great read and will make you want to listen to everything they ever did.

[Mariella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is based on my personal preferences and no reflection of the writing of the book. Its great. Its easy. Its a little musical history of Chicago, main stream gospel, and music with the civil rights movement. Its a perfect pick for the one book one chicago.

What I didn't like is this is a family band and that is what the book discusses, its not just Mavis it is just as much about her father who everyone calls Pops and the rest of her siblings who made up the band. Also, I don't read a lot of music bios because the descriptive passages about the sound of music always go over my head because I don't know what keys are, what strings elicit what sounds through what speakers and whatnot. So I cannot imagine and understand the magnitude of a song unless I am actually hearing it so reading passages about it got to be boring. It would send me to the nearest computer to youtube the song.
Also, again being a family band, everyone absolutely adored Pops. And I found it hard to believe that they never had a disagreement about how the band should be, the songs they should sing, the concerts they should play. The children have never has a disagreement with their father over anything, not even endless hours of practice they must have endured. I think its kinda creepy and not very realistic.
I think there is a lot missing from this story. But its a start and I appreciate it.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, really. Poor Greg Kot is an excellent researcher, but his writing leaves much to be desired. This book struggles with pacing and storytelling, and ventures way too heavily into really technical (and dry) musical descriptions that even I found off-putting (and I am more interested in music theory and history than most.)

Kot had the most dynamic, charming, incredibly talented subject in the world -- the incomparable Mavis Staples -- and yet somehow made her story and her personality seem downright pedestrian at times.

Disappointing.

[Barry Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good overview of the beginning, career, and life of The Staple Singers starting with Roebuck "Pops" Staples (through the young Mavis and all the brothers and sisters) from his birth in 1914 right up to 2014 and Mavis' solo career. A powerful story of music and civil rights. - BH.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black churches existed everywhere there was a black American population. These churches provided stability and a community core for a largely disenfranchised group, and wherever there were black churches there was music. Black gospel music became a hybrid of spiritual praise and entertainment and in search of personal excellence its performers rehearsed outside of church hours; it was not uncommon for families to organically generate superb singing groups. The best of these groups could expand their performance sphere through local, regional and national competitions and on radio broadcasts. A handful of groups would make a record or two. Some would graduate to national distribution and full length LPs. And the best could garner a bit of national attention. One of the best was the four member group The Staple Singers.

I’ll Take You There: Mavis Staples, The Staple Singers, and the March Up Freedom’s Highway (ponderous title, that!) is the first book-length study of the Mississippi and Chicago based family of Roebuck ‘Pops” Staples, a superb guitarist, singer, songwriter and vocal arranger who recognized the originality of the sound created by his family and worked tirelessly to hone their talents and reach ever-wider audiences. There’s refreshingly little of the psychodrama and abuses usual to family musical group sagas – Staples’ children Pervis, Cleotha, Yvonne, and Mavis were mostly willing students of their father’s musical instruction (Cynthia, the youngest by a wide margin, did not sing with the group because of her age, a factor that may have contributed to her depression and ultimate act of suicide while a high school student) and the Staples ultimately reached a peak of national popularity achieved by very few of any musical genre.

Chicago music critic Greg Kot has written a loving, respectful and readable account of the group with its emphasis on lead singer Mavis. Possessed of a singular, deep contralto that seems to echo in its strangulated rasp the history of American slavery and beyond, Mavis was the obvious lead singer from the group’s earliest church days. Her life of pre-civil rights legislation, country-to-city living, church girl to rock star and has-been to living legend is extraordinary and, frankly, deserves a deeper (and better) book than this.
(While reading the book I kept thinking what each of the members of the family thought of the various social issues – women’s lib, gay rights, inner city violence, etc of the time. The black church has been notably conservative and perhaps the author and his subjects simply did not want to address these issues – ironic as the Staples Singers early introduction to a national audience was as a “message” group).

Kot writes of all the Staples respectfully and dutifully checks off all the major points of life as a Staple Singer but seldom gets much beyond “and then (insert event) happened”. Voting rights, Selma, Martin Luther King, etc are all mentioned but rather glossed over. The book reads more as a very extended magazine profile or perhaps an expanded outline for a future book. Having existed (and prospered, and fell) during some of the most tumultuous times in American history the Staple family and Staple Singers will, perhaps, someday get a better book (perhaps along the lines of Peter Guralnick’s magisterial 2-volume Elvis Presley bio, ‘Last Train to Memphis’ and ‘Careless Love’). Until then the well-meaning (and well-resourced – Kot had multiple and extended interviews with Mavis, Yvonne, and Pervis Staples as well as access to Roebuck’s unpublished autobiography as well as others of the gospel and early R&B scenes) for now I’ll Take You There’ serves it’s subjects and readers well enough.

[Bradley Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The life and career of the Staples Singer, one of the greatest folk-soul and gospel acts, is explored carefully in this richly written and well-sourced book. Kot takes considerable care when discussing the musical impact and legacy of the Staple Singers and their significance during the Civil Rights movement and beyond. Tracing back as far as Pop Staples’ childhood, Kot draws a clear narrative connecting Pops’ experience growing up on a Mississippi plantation to the spirituality driving the Staples Singers’ musical direction. With Pops playing guitar and his children on vocals (Mavis, Pervis, Yvonne, and Cleotha), the family would sing gospel tunes that evoked the feeling and imagery of the deep south. After some false starts and brief tenures on a few gospel labels, the family started broadening their sound and appeal when the folk music movement came along in the 1960s and brought with it a whole new audience and opportunities to deliver their message. The Staples Singers’ were creating, as Duke Ellington put it, gospel in a blue keys creating a new sound blending folk, soul, and gospel. Eventually, the group would record with Stax and Muscle Shoals releasing two of their biggest hits “Respect Yourself�� and “I’ll Take You There.” As the 80s came along, the family suffered tragedy and musical lulls that threatened their career. Pops would see a career renaissance towards the end of his life in the 90s, and some key collaborations in the 2000s would revitalize Mavis’ career allowing her to reach younger audiences. Through it all, the Staples Singers’ legacy as musical pioneers and Civil Rights activists has endured.

“I’ll Take You There” was selected by the Chicago Public Library as this year’s “One Book, One Chicago” entry which encourages people in the city to explore diverse themes and ideas while uniting over an excellent book. Kot’s book explores the Staples Singer’s achievements and how their diverse music transcended racism and oppression. Chicago has a rich history of music, but also a troubled past concerning racism and segregation. Kot’s book is a perfect selection for this program because of how it relates to Chicago’s own history. This is an excellent read for both music and history lovers. Read it and check out one of the many exciting programs provided by the Chicago Public Library supporting the book and its themes.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a book about unique music family that connected gospel with blues and funk - it makes one wonder why it took so long but I guess better late than never, I am all for it to celebrate artists while they are still around than talking about them posthumously. Greg Kot took a task to explain the atmosphere of the gospel world in 1940s and 1950s while setting the stage of arrival of The Staple Singers and how their success reflected changes in society and music. It might be a bit too ambitious to present such cinematic sweep that would cover both political changes and personal story of Staples, but author largely pulls it off, mainly trough first-hand interviews with musicians, collaborators and the main subject, majestic Mavis Staples herself (by the way, I am going on her concert in a few days so this was my own serious preparation for that evening).

Staples came from the bottom - father worked in a slaughterhouse and taught his children how to sing around the kitchen table - before they made a name for themselves initially on a gospel market, than later progressed towards pop charts, never losing the connection with their roots and what made them so loved in the first place. Surely not the only gospel family around, they also had a secret weapon in the form of youngest daughter who possesses one of the most unique voices in recorded history - from the first moment it was Mavis who was a focus of the particular Staples sound and when this volcanic roar was combined with father's recognisable guitar playing and her siblings harmonies, the result was one of the most memorable sound - their later radio hits almost eclipse what was really important about Staples and that was their involvement in civil rights movement, where they were on the front line on marches and speeches.

Kot does a good job in connecting their personal story with changes around them, though book is largely written for music lovers and might be too detailed for casual readers - its written from perspective of a music journalist who loves all these facts about recording sessions - personally I had no problem with it and it got me running for all these old albums, but some might find it a bit repetitive.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was tremendous. I started it on a 3.5 hour plane ride and couldn't put it down. The family's history is fascinating, starting with the birth of Pops (Mavis' father) and all the way through the release of Mavis' last albums produced by Jeff Tweedy. The blurb doesn't really do it justice. I was expecting much more exposition on historical context, but Kot is such a skilled writer that I never felt like I was reading a history textbook or even a newspaper article as he skillfully describes the Staples' role in the civil rights movement. It's a fascinating story of a family who really valued one another and worked harmoniously together, and it's a testament to the transcendent power of music and to enduring faith. I recommend reading it alongside Spotify!

Here was one of my favorite parts (speaking is Marty Stewart): "But when I remember that day, I think of being out at the cemetery and it's a textbook Chicago winter day -- sun going down, really cold, gray, icy. As they lowered Pops into the ground, I started singing the first verse of 'Will the Circle Be Unbroken' to myself. That song yet again came alive, and it got me through. I saw Pops and Pervis and those babies traveling the back roads of America, working out their harmony parts, going from situation to situation, figuring it out, this little family from Chicago in a car going across the land the same way the Israelites did, across the wilderness, hacking it out as they went. They'd been through everything together. If someone from that group, that family, leaves you, you don't recover from that easily."

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about music, of course, but also about musicality, which Greg Kot describes so well in story after anecdote throughout the book. I regret missing the author's appearance Monday at our great indie bookstore. Mavis and her sisters made a surprise appearance at the event.

Pops Staples was born in 1915 as a sharecropper's son on The Dockery Farms in The Delta with music everywhere. Howlin' Wolf also grew up there. Pops moved his family to Chicago in 1936. By the late '40s, his gospel-singing family earned such a reputation that it started getting invitations from churches in Milwaukee and other nearby cities. And on and on.

Greg Kot elevates his story from the usual music book. At length, he describes recording sessions as well as the nuances of many songs. I might have abandoned this book after the Staples peak in the '60s. But the pace and depth of interesting music stories kept me hooked to the end.

This book reads like a who's who of music from the '40s on, including Jeff Tweedy and Wilco toward the end.

This book, which covers blues and gospel, pairs well with "The Mayor of MacDougal Street 2013 edition : A Memoir," which covers blues and folk of the '50s and '60s.

Error in fact. One story tells when the Staples met Elvis Presley as the man who recorded "Blue Suede Shoes." Well, he recorded a cover. But Carl Perkins wrote and recorded it before Elvis.

[Riley Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only previous knowledge of the Staple Singers was solely from Top 40 radio in the early 70's. To me, they were the group with an old guy and his adult children singing songs about good values. Little did I know that they were respected and prized by so many accomplished musicians, including Bob Dylan, Steve Cropper, and Prince.

What attracted me to this book was the secondary title talking about their music shaping the Civil Rights era. From this book, I have gained a much deeper understanding of who the Staple Singers were and how important they were to the Movement in the 60's and 70's. The personal stories told to the author give the book authenticity and an inside view of life on the road at that time.

Finally, the author's passionate descriptions of the music of the Staple Singers prompted me to buy several tracks that are amazing and quite far afield from my old pop music tastes. "Uncloudy Day" serves both as their first hit as well as a good place to start to get the gospel feeling going. Be aware! If you read this book, you will also be spending cash on some inspiring music!

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret that I'm a sucker for a good music biography and Greg Kot's biography of Mavis Staples was fantastic. There was no shortage of primary sources, so it felt like her story was being told correctly and authentically by the people that mattered to her and knew her. Pops Staples, in particular, comes across as a larger than life figure and definitely looms over Mavis's and the entire family's life in a positive way. Kot does a great job of touching on all aspects of Mavis's life inside and outside of music. It was a treat to hear her perspective on the many, many great musicians she has worked with over the years, especially at Stax and Muscle Shoals. I think it's safe to say that she was loved by many, if not all, of these people. Staples recollections are what truly make this book special though. She was funny, deeply religious, proud, but always seemed honest in her recollections. Thanks to the discography in the appendix I went and checked out some of the landmark albums and tracks Staples made and found the immense praise heaped onto her and the Staple Singers to be totally justified.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read! This slim book covers so much in very readable style. This is the story of Mavis Staples, lead singer of the Staple Singers, but it is also the story of a family. But the story of Mavis and her family are inextricably linked to the civil rights movement and the role music played and continues to play in the history of civil rights in this country. As a Chicagoan I really enjoyed reading about the Staple Singers roots in Chicago and how Mavis continues to be part of the music industry locally and internationally.
I would recommend to people who are interested in music, history and family.

[Lori Tussey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful account of Mavis Staples and the legacy of her father and siblings, The Staple Singers. Whereas the book was dense with dates and names, it serves as evidence to the influence the family had on the civil rights movement and the music industry.I was fortunate enough to see Ms. Staples in concert this summer, which prompted me to read this book.I knew at the time that I was witnessing greatness but had little idea of the impact she and Roebuck Staples had. I especially love the direct quotes from Ms. Staples and her siblings as obtained from interviews and Pops' incomplete memoir.

[Michael Nejman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greg Kot provides an enthusiastic and extensive, historical overview of Mavis Staples' career that is rich with colorful tales about the Civil Rights Movement, the Gospel and R& B music scenes in the 1960s, and the Music Industry (including life on the road and in the studio). Mavis is a national treasure with far-reaching influence, well beyond what this reader had imagined. Kot's writing style is concise and clean, propelling the reader through chapter after chapter. This was a very enjoyable read and it's easy to see why Chicago has selected it for "One Book, One Chicago" for 2017-18.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know exactly when I first heard or heard of The Staple Singers and Mavis Staples, but I’ve become a big fan of Mavis in the past 20 years or so. I saw her perform once, at the New Orleans Jazz Fest, and it was definitely a memorable performance. I got this book for Christmas and finally got around to reading it. Overall I did like it but it took a long time to finish because I just couldn’t get into it for awhile. It’s a lot more about The Staple Singers than Mavis, even though Mavis’ name leads the title of the book.

I will admit I didn’t know too much about the family history or their music other than the few radio hits. They started as a family just singing gospel songs together in their living room in the 50s, they moved on to singing in church when Mavis was 8 years old. The first half of the book just chronicles their gospel years. Lots of chapters just talk about particular songs or shows and since I wasn’t familiar with most of the music those chapters didn’t do much for me. If you knew the music I bet you would like the whole book. It also tells about the life of the Staples family in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Living in Chicago. Knowing a lot of the other gospel singers in the area. Some moved into folk or blues as did The Staple Singers. Sam Cooke, Mahalia Jackson, and others are prominent during this time.

They get involved with Dr. Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement. They begin singing message songs, freedom songs, topical news songs. Again, I thought there would be a lot about this time in their lives in the book since it is part of the title but there wasn’t that much. More synopsis of song performances, recording sessions of songs, etc. than info into their lives and feelings at the time.

I enjoyed the chapter or two where Prince and Mavis record together and wish that section was more in depth.

Pops Staples died in December 2000, at 85 years old. The oldest sister Cleotha has Alzheimer’s. The music stops. Mavis has been singing with her dad her whole life and is depressed and doesn’t really know what to do. Eventually her other sister Yvonne tells her Pops would want you to sing so get back out there. Mavis pulls herself out of her funk. Uses her own money to make a record because none of the studios seem interested in her. She gets together with Ry Cooder to record. After one album she gets with Jeff Tweedy to record another one. She wins her first Grammy! She’s finally coming into her own and enjoying it.

The book ends in 2013/2014. She’s gone on to do more since then and truly has a whole new following now than she had her whole life. The end of the book is an interview she had with the book author and honestly that was probably my favorite part of the whole book. He had pulled pieces of the interview and used them in previous chapters so some of it was repetitive. I came into this wanting to hear and read Mavis and I got that out of the last 50 pages or so.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll Take You There: the Mavis Staples, and the Staples Singers' biography was an enjoyable read. I didn't have any background on them before this book, so I found all of the facts about the family, siblings, churches, the Gospel music industry, road trips, and segregation/integration experiences shared enlightening.

The narration was intriguing because I expected it to have one particular point of view that was constant. Instead, the POV and speaker alternated, and it seemed like facts and excerpts from news accounts, letters, and perhaps other interviews were combined. The flow is excellent, and the author covered a lot of territory.

This book gives a comprehensive background on what life was like.. We see them build their career, expand their repertoire, daily interactions, who they harmonized with, and how their music grew to be the voice of not only the gospel but secular life. They sang about what people were going through at the time. I also enjoyed the alliance, friendship, and love shared between Mavis and Bob Dylan.

The way that the book is composed may be less attractive to some readers who are looking for a straight memoir or biography approach, but this was more like a combined exposé or a deep dive into The family history, its trials and problems. Their cohesiveness seemed to last even through some sibling's departures, disagreements, deaths, and illnesses. The view of their family, strength, and love felt like summertime down home. This is a profound book. I enjoyed it, and I'm glad I took the time to read it and give it a chance—a great read, and I recommend it.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

ok, first of all, i have made a playlist of all (or as much as i can reasonably track down on spotify while skimming the book...) the music mentioned in this. i spent so much of my reading time looking up artists and cover versions as well as the Staples themselves, and it's such an amazing list of music to have all in one place!

Entirely possible a lot of my enjoyment of the book is down to it inspiring me to really dig into a Staples Singers listen - there were so many songs I'd either never heard or never truly listened to before. The author also does an excellent job of showing why Pops, Mavis, and the band matter so much to American music history and how they were truly unique in straddling so many genres even though plenty of other artists were blending styles at the time. And while he talks plenty about the musical history context, most of the words are those of Mavis or her family and other musicians involved with them.

It's very much a story about the music and I wish it had gone deeper on some of the biography; my favorite parts were the beginning where we learn about Pops' childhood and the family's early days before their career really took off. After that, their personal lives are very much sidelined. Same with going a little deeper on the civil rights history, but that at least is well told elsewhere.

Overall it's a fast paced read that ties a ton of American music history together through a band that united so many genres and cultural movements.

[Nate]

Nice biography of the Staple Singers, an important but somewhat unheralded group in American music. Their story is a great one. Roebuck (Pops) Staples grew up in Mississippi, seeing Charley Patton and Howlin' Wolf perform. In 1935, he moved his family to Chicago where he and his kids performed blues-infected spirituals on the gospel circuit. They recorded for a few labels before being embraced by the folk revival and, later, soul and R&B audiences. Influencing artists like Bob Dylan, Otis Redding, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, and Sly and the Family Stone, the Staples were widely respected in their time. They were also eminently humble and likable, as this book makes clear.

Kot does a fair job tracking the band's history. The chapters on the Civil Rights movement were revealing; the Staples befriended Martin Luther King, Jr. and adapted their music to the turbulent times while never quite abandoning their gospel roots. The last few chapters deal with the solo careers of Pops and Mavis which I also found intriguing (though the group never really "broke up").

Kot's writing doesn't exactly leap off the page. It gets the job done, but if the Staples' story wasn't interesting, the book would be a bit of a slog. I'm glad I read it though. I learned a lot and developed a newfound appreciation for this great band.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book during Black History Month to learn more about Black history. Honestly, it was the perfect book for this purpose. Kot shares so much about gospel and R&B music, the role music played in the Civil Rights Era, and yes, of course, the Staple Singers. This book was a beautifully intimate look at the lives of the Staple Singers and the role their music had in shaping American music and culture in the late 20th century.

Kot is the music critic for the Chicago Tribune and that heavily influenced the way this book was written. The chapters are short and feel more like news articles sew together to create a book rather than a cohesive narrative. All of the writing about album structure was very technical, and was difficult to get through for someone who does not know about music (like me!). However, reading Kot's descritpions and having more contect for how songs and albums came to be did give me a more engaging listening experience as I listened to the Staple Singers while reading.

Can be a slower read, but it's a book I highly recommend.