This Day in Black History: March 15, 1999
Gospel group the Staples Singers crossed over into the mainstream pop world in the 1970s and became one of the biggest hit-makers of the soul genre. Their music brought them honorable recognition, when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 1999.
The Staple Singers was formed by Roebuck "Pops" Staples and his daughters, Cleotha Staples, Pervis Staples, Yvonne Staples and Mavis Staples. Some of their hits include "Respect Yourself" and the Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers "I'll Take You There" and "Let's Do It Again."
In 1968 the group recorded "Long Walk to D.C." as a tribute to Martin Luther King's 1963 March on Washington.
In 2005, the group was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Pops Staples died in 2000 after suffering from a concussion. Cleotha Staples passed away in 2013 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
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(Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)