R.I.P.: Soul Singer Cleotha Staples Was 78

The Staple Singers

Cleotha ‘Cleedi’ Staples, a founding member of the pioneering folk-gospel group, The Staple Singers, has died at the age of 78.

She had battled Alzheimer’s disease for the last decade and passed away peacefully at her Chicago home on Thursday morning, February 21.

According to Sarah Hearn at examiner.com, Staples was born April 11, 1934 in Drew, Mississippi. She was the first-born child of Roebuck “Pops” Staples and his wife, Oceola. The family moved to Chicago in 1936 for better job opportunities.

The group began to sing on WTAQ 1360 AM Chicago radio and made its first recording with “These Are They” for Pops’ own Royal Records in 1953.

The Staples enjoyed a run of Top Forty hitsat Stax Records, becoming known as “God’s greatest hitmakers” with such songs as “Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom Yeah)” (1971), “This World” (1972), “Oh La De Da” (1973), “Touch A Hand, Make A Friend” (1974) and “City in the Sky” (1974). The iconic million-seller “I’ll Take You There” spent a week at Number One on the Billboard pop singles chart and four weeks at that spot on the R&B singles chart. The group also earned two other million-sellers at Stax with “Respect Yourself” (1971) and “If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me)” (1973).

The Staple Singers moved to Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom label in the mid-1970’s, where they scored another number one smash, “Let’s Do It Again,” in December 1975 before signing with Warner Bros. Records.

Cleotha’s last recordings were with the Staple Singers for backing sessions on Abbey Lincoln’s "Devil Got Your Tongue" CD (1993) and Pops Staples’ two solo albums, "Peace To The Neighborhood" (1992) and the Grammy Award-winning "Father Father" (1994). After Pops died in 2000, the Staple Singers ceased to perform as a group.

Read More Now