True legends never go out of style. Soul icon Mavis Staples proved the truth of that when the 85-year-old absolutely brought the house down at the 2024 Newport Folk Festival. Conan O’Brien performed a set at the event, promising special guests, and he definitely did not disappoint with this show-stopping surprise appearance from Staples.
Staples weaved in and out of smooth, soulful tones and bold, powerful phrases, and the power of her voice just has to be heard to be believed. She is the last surviving member of her chart-topping family band The Staple Singers and proudly held the torch for them at the event. Staples treated the crowd to her band’s biggest song, “I’ll Take You There,” which was a Billboard Hot 100 number one hit.
Staples summed up the triumphant vibe of the performance when she told the crowd, “My family, The Staple Singers, we’ve been taking y’all there for 70 years – and I’m not tired yet.” She very clearly was having so much fun on stage, and it’s rare to see a singer who can so effortlessly hold the entire crowd in the palm of her hand. It just comes to her like second nature.
Staples performed at the Newport Folk Festival on July 28, 2024. Viewers loved to see her appear at the event, and added comments such as “Can y’all believe that she still has such a strong voice?” and “Mavis Staples! You still got it! Your voice is so amazing, and it brings me back to the good old days.” Staples has kept quite a busy schedule in 2024, as a month after her festival performance, she sang “Freedom Highway” with Jeff Tweedy live on The Late Show.
“I’ll Take You There” was written and produced by Al Bell, and was first recorded by The Staple Singers for a February 1972 release. The Staple Singers’ version spent 15 weeks on the charts and became the first of two of the group’s songs to top the Billboard Hot 100.
“I’ll Take You There” sold two million copies by December 1972, which made it the 19th biggest American hit of the year. It has since become one of the highest selling gospel songs in history. Mavis Staples took the lead vocal on the hit, which Rolling Stone editor described as the “epitome of the Muscle Shoals Sound”.
True legends never go out of style. Soul icon Mavis Staples proved the truth of that when the 85-year-old absolutely brought the house down at the 2024 Newport Folk Festival. Conan O’Brien performed a set at the event, promising special guests, and he definitely did not disappoint with this show-stopping surprise appearance from Staples.
Staples weaved in and out of smooth, soulful tones and bold, powerful phrases, and the power of her voice just has to be heard to be believed. She is the last surviving member of her chart-topping family band The Staple Singers, and proudly held the torch for them at the event. Staples treated the crowd to her band’s biggest song, “I’ll Take You There”, which was a Billboard Hot 100 number one hit.
Staples summed up the triumphant vibe of the performance when she told the crowd “My family, The Staple Singers, we’ve been taking y’all there for 70 years – and I’m not tired yet.” She very clearly was having so much fun on stage, and it’s rare to see a singer who can so effortlessly hold the entire crowd in the palm of her hand. It just comes to her like second nature.
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