Mavis Staples will celebrate her 85th birthday in Inglewood with an all-star tribute concert at the YouTube Theatre.
The veteran soul singer and civil rights activist announced Monday his plans for the show, which is scheduled for April 18 and will feature performances by Chris Stapleton, Jackson Browne, Michael McDonald, Jeff Tweedy, Norah Jones, Hozier, Taj Mahal, Robert Randolph, Nathaniel. Rateliff, Keb' Mo', Black Pumas, Grace Potter and the War and Treaty, along with other acts yet to be revealed. Staples herself will also perform. Don Was will serve as the show's musical director.
Produced by Blackbird Presents, which also hosted Willie Nelson's two-night 90th birthday concert in April at the Hollywood Bowl, Staples' celebration follows a typically busy year of touring for the singer, who turns 85 on April 10. July. the album, “We Get By,” came out in 2019; In 2022, he released “Carry Me Home,” a live album he recorded in 2011 with the band's Levon Helm, who died in 2012.
“At the end of last year, I was talking about retiring,” Staples said in a statement. “But after sitting with it for a while, I stopped and thought, 'Well, what would I do?' I asked the Lord: 'Why am I still here? What do you want of me? Have you kept me around for some reason? And the only reason I can see is to sing my songs. That's why I'm still here and looking forward to this show with my friends singing my songs too!
Tickets for the show go on sale Friday. More details can be found at mavisstaples85.com.
