In 1972, The Staples Singers spent weeks on the Billboard charts—their song “Respect Yourself” an iconic part of the civil rights movement! And tonight, when CBS presents the annual Kennedy Center Honors live from Washington, D.C, lead singer and composer, Mavis Staples, becomes only the second gospel singer to receive one of America’s most prestigious prizes for artistic achievement. A newspaper article published earlier this year said, “the Staples family took the basic tenets of the Bible, pa

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭” It is one of the best music documentaries ever made, directed by Martin Scorcese in 1976. “The Last Waltz,” advertised as The Band’s farewell concert, included performances by Van Morrison, Neil Young, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan. But the standout performance was by the Staples Singers and the Band performing “The Weight.” | Our American Stories with Lee Habeeb