Mavis Staples, 87, is scheduled to perform Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts. She is touring with material from her latest solo release, and tickets are available through the venue, according to Times of San Diego.
A civic and educational venue
City of Poway policy describes the Poway Center for the Performing Arts as a municipal and educational facility for performances, educational programming and fine arts displays, according to the City of Poway.
From family gospel group to solo career
Staples began singing with her family at about 11, according to Times of San Diego. Her father, Roebuck “Pops” Staples, led the Staple Singers with her siblings. NPR reports that the group performed “Why (Am I Treated So Bad)” at civil-rights marches and rallies, and that Staples said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. favored the song. The group also sang at President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural celebration in 1961, NPR reported.
The Staple Singers recorded the live album Freedom Highway at Chicago’s New Nazareth Missionary Baptist Church on April 9, 1965, in the weeks after the Selma march, according to Legacy Recordings. Their recordings began in gospel in the early 1960s, and the group later had pop hits including “I’ll Take You There” and “Let’s Do It Again,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
Recent recordings and recognition
Staples has released 14 studio albums since 1969 and collaborated with artists including Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Prince, Willie Nelson, Van Morrison, David Byrne and Levon Helm, according to Times of San Diego. Her album Sad and Beautiful World came out Nov. 7, 2025. WBEZ describes it as a 10-song collection produced by Brad Cook, with guest appearances from Justin Vernon, Bonnie Raitt and Buddy Guy.
The album brings together Tom Waits’ “Chicago,” Curtis Mayfield’s “We Got to Have Peace” and Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem,” along with an original song written by Hozier and Allison Russell, Times of San Diego reported. The closing track, Eddie Hinton’s “Everybody Needs Love,” features Bonnie Raitt, Nathaniel Rateliff and Drive-By Truckers and has served as an encore at many of Staples’ recent shows, the outlet reported.
Staples’ honors include induction into the rock, blues and gospel halls of fame and multiple Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, according to Times of San Diego. Concord reports that she was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2016 and that the Staple Singers entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.
