Singer with The Staple Singers dies in Chicago

A FOUNDING member of R&B gospel pioneers The Staple Singers, Cleotha "Cleedi" Staples died in Chicago on 21st February at the age of 78. Cleotha died from complications arising from Alzheimer's disease and her funeral is set to take place on 1st March.

Cleotha was born on 11th April 1934 in Drew, Mississippi. She was the first child born to Roebuck "Pops" Staples and his wife, Oceola. The family moved to Chicago in 1936 for better job opportunities. In the Windy City, siblings Pervis, Yvonne, Mavis and Cynthia were born. By the late '40s Pops had organised a family group and The Staple Singers were born. In 1953 the group, led by Mavis Staples, recorded their first record and by the late '50s the group were enjoying major gospel hits with Chicago's VeeJay Records.

After records for Riverside the Staples enjoyed a run of Top 40 hits with Memphis-based label Stax 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. 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 Staples subsequently recorded for labels like Private Stock, Curtom and Warner Bros.

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. Cleotha was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame with her family in 1999 and also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. She is survived by her siblings Pervis, Yvonne and Mavis.