I'll Take You There ― Mavis Staples, the Staple Singers, and the March Up Freedom's Highway

The untold story of living legend Mavis Staples—lead singer of The Staple Singers and a major figure in the music that shaped the Civil Rights era—researched and written by acclaimed music journalist and author Greg Kot.

Now in her seventies, Mavis Staples has been a fixture in the music world for decades. One of the most enduring figures of popular music, she and her family fused gospel, soul, folk and rock to transcend racism and oppression through song. Honing her prodigious talent on the Southern gospel circuit of the 1950s, Mavis and The Staple Singers went on to sell more than 30 million records, with message-oriented soul music that became a soundtrack to the Civil Rights Movement—inspiring Martin Luther King Jr. himself.

Here, Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot cuts to the heart of Mavis Staples’s music, revealing the intimate stories of her sixty-year career. From her love affair with Bob Dylan, to her creative collaborations with Prince, to her recent revival alongside Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, this definitive account shows Mavis Staples as you’ve never seen her before. I'll Take You There was written with the complete cooperation of Mavis Staples and her family. Readers will also hear from Prince, Bonnie Raitt, David Byrne, Marty Stuart, Ry Cooder, Steve Cropper and many other artists who have been influenced by Mavis’s talent.

Filled with never-before-told stories, this fascinating biography illuminates a legendary singer and group during a historic period of change in America.