Mavis Staples

With a big, soulful voice that left audiences awestruck for several decades, the name Mavis Staples became synonymous with gospel music. Born in Philadelphia and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Staples's music career started in the early 1950s when she, her father, and three older siblings, began performing gospel songs at local churches throughout Chicago. They called themselves the Staple Singers, and by the late 1950s the family group had scored a recording contract, as well as a hit song, "Uncloudy Day." After a chance meeting with Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963, the family devoted their act to more topical material, with songs like "March Up Freedom's Highway" and "It's A Long Walk to D.C." becoming anthems of the Civil Rights Movement. In addition to maintaining a regular touring schedule with her family, Staples also released several solo albums throughout her career, including the Grammy Award-winning You Are Not Alone. Although she had been nominated a few times prior, it was the 72-year-old singer's first Grammy, lending even further credence to her already cemented status as one of the most transformative voices in American popular music.