Born to a musical and religious family, Mavis Staples began singing as a professional in 1950, at age eleven. First at church (of course!), then in a decades-long run with the Staples Singers, the family band formed and led by her entrepreneurial father. “Pops” Staples needed just an electric guitar and his three singing children to capture the hearts of audiences and sell records along the way. Pops led the band with a steady hand and gentle integrity — first as a gospel group in the 1950s, then moving easily into the newly minted genre called soul music in the 1960s. They effortlessly folded in the rock and pop flavors of the day. The group appeared at many protest marches, and their reputation soared when they began recording on the Stax/Volt label.

Mavis gained attention as an outspoken woman in a field controlled by men, and gradually established herself as a solo recording artist scoring hits on many charts and with multiple labels. She’s recorded and shared the stage with so many of the greats of her generation — Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, The Band, Curtis Mayfield, to name only a few — beacuse she is one of the greats of her generation. And “the kids” (Prince, John Scofield, Jeff Tweedy, Patty Griffin, Natalie Merchant) also clamor to play with her. Her appeal crosses all styles and genres, and her voice has been heavily sampled as well.

Today, at age 80, this diminutive gal with a voice that can bring down the house is widely celebrated not only as a gifted vocalist but as a touchstone of authenticity and a reminder that honesty, trust and even a little old-time religion can serve a body well in this lifetime. Staples is a multiple Grammy winner and has enough other accolades to fill a small museum. She still lives in her native Chicago, but she is in high demand and tours regularly.

In Cleveland, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum feted Staples with a day-long educational symposium about her life and music at Case Western Reserve University, followed by the (more than) full-length performance on the State stage at Playhouse Square, followed by another full day of personal appearances at the Rock Hall itself. Then Staples swiftly boarded a private jet to take her to her next concert on that same night. She keeps a performance schedule that would leave someone half her age out of breath. The world can use a lot more of what Mavis Staples brings to the table. And she is still ready, willing and able to keep on bringing it.