Mavis Staples

Start: Tuesday, July 22, 2025 6:30PM
End: Tuesday, July 22, 2025 10:00PM

Hailed by NPR as “one of America’s defining voices of freedom and peace,” Mavis Staples is the kind of once-in-a-generation artist whose impact on music and culture would be difficult to overstate. She’s both a Blues and a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer; a Civil Rights icon; a GRAMMY Award winner; a chart-topping soul/gospel/R&B pioneer; a National Arts Awards Lifetime Achievement recipient; and a Kennedy Center honoree. She marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., performed at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, and sang in Barack Obama’s White House. She’s collaborated with everyone from Prince and Bob Dylan to Arcade Fire and Hozier, blown away countless festivalgoers from Newport Folk and Glastonbury to Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, performed with The Band at The Last Waltz, and graced the airwaves on Fallon, Colbert, Ellen, Austin City Limits, Jools Holland, the GRAMMYs, and more. At a time when most artists begin to wind down, Staples ramped things up, releasing a trio of critically acclaimed albums in her 70s with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy that prompted Pitchfork to rave that “her voice has only gained texture and power over the years” and People to proclaim that she “provides the comfort of a higher power.” In between records with Tweedy, Staples teamed up with a slew of other younger artists—Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Nick Cave, Valerie June, tUnE-yArDs, and M. Ward, among others—for Livin’ On A High Note, an album The Boston Globe called “stunningly fresh and cutting edge,” and which first introduced her to Ben Harper, with whom she recorded her spectacular twelfth studio album, We Get By. “I’m the messenger,” Staples says on the eve of her 80th birthday. “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.” ----- Be part of another Longworth-Anderson Series evening of great music, food, and drink! Complimentary pre-concert reception features live music from Chaya Jones, light bites from Ollie's Trolley and N.Y.P.D. Pizza, and craft beer tastings from HighGrain Brewing Co. Reception runs from 6:30-8 p.m. Concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets ($73.00 to $103.00) on sale Friday, March 21, 2025 at www.memorialhallotr.com. Or call the Memorial Hall box office at 513-977-8838. Masks are optional for this concert. Confirmation of vaccination status is not required. BIG THANKS to our Concert Sponsor, Bartlett Wealth Management! www.mavisstaples.com www.instagram.com/chayajmusic/ www.longworth-andersonseries.com