The Staple Singers

The Staple Singers were an American gospel group. Pops Staples[?], the patriarch of the family, formed the group in 1951, signing with United Records[?], then Vee-Jay[?], Riverside Records[?] and, finally, Epic Records[?].

It was on Epic that the Staple Singers began moving into mainstream pop markets, with "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)" and "For What It's Worth" (Stephen Stills) in 1967. In 1968, the Staple Singers signed to Stax[?] and released two albums with Steve Cropper[?] and Booker T & the MG's[?] - Soul Folk in Action[?] and We'll Get Over[?]. By 1970, Al Bell[?] had become producer, and the family began recording at the fame Muscle Shoals[?] studio, moving in a more funk and soul direction. The first Stax hit was "Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom)".

The Stape Singers then signed to Curtom[?], Curtis Mayfield's label, and released "Let's Do It Again", produced by Mayfield; the song was a huge hit. After this, however, they were not able to regain their momentum, releasing occasional minor hits. In 1994, they recorded a duet with Mary Stuart[?] ("The Weight", The Band), somewhat re-establishing an audience. Pops Staples died due to a concussion from a fall in 2000.