Legendary soul and gospel singer Mavis Staples is one of the most prominent vocalists of our time The start of her career with family band The Staples Singers was a modest one, performing at local churches and radio stations. But once they took their performances to the road, they became nothing short of R&B icons. Hit after hit, the group became a national voice for the civil rights movement, even working closely with civil rights activists like Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Staples' gospel-rooted solo recordings have captivated artists such as Bob Dylan and Prince, and paved the way for contemporary soul music. Over the course of her 50-year career, Staples has won the hearts of many with her huge vocals and messages of hope.
At 69, Staples continues to spread positivity through her music. Her latest release, You Are Not Alone, is her 13th album and features a mix of Staples' material, as well as interpretations of songs by Pop Staples, Randy Newman, Allen Toussaint and John Fogerty.
This World Cafe performance originally aired on Nov. 5.
| Beth Orton | Central Reservation | Central Reservation |
| Bobby Long | A Winter Tale | A Winter Tale |
| Robert Plant & Alison Krauss | Please Read The Letter | Raising Sand |
| Mavis Staples | Wonderful Savior | Recorded Live for the World Cafe |
| Mavis Staples | You Are Not Alone | Recorded Live for the World Cafe |
| Mavis Staples | Losing You | Recorded Live for the World Cafe |
| Mavis Staples | Wrote A Song For Everyone | Recorded Live for the World Cafe |
| Ry Cooder | Tattler | Paradise and Lunch |
| Adele | Rolling in the Deep | 21 |
| New Radicals | You Get What You Give | Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too |
| Summer Fiction | She's Bound to Get Hurt | Summer Fiction |
| Summer Fiction | Chandeliers | Summer Fiction |
| R.E.M. | Man on the Moon | Automatic for the People |
| The Decemberists | Down By The Water | The King is Dead |
| Black Dub | I Believe in You | Black Dub |
| Massive Attack | The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game | Batman Forever |
| Aloe Blacc | I Need a Dollar | Good Things |
| Gorillaz | On Melancholy Hill | Plastic Beach |
| Elvis Costello | National Ransom | National Ransom |
| The Pretenders | My City is Gone | Learning to Crawl |
| The Secret Sisters | I've Got a Feeling | The Secret Sisters |
| The Mamas and the Papas | Got a Feeling | Creeque Alley: The History of The Mamas & the Papas |