April 26, 2007
Gospel and R&B singing legend Mavis Staples recounts writing freedom songs after meeting Dr. Martin Luther King and also performs a song from her new CD, "We'll Never Turn Back."
Mavis Staples

Writing freedom songs inspired by Dr. King (2:31).
A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, one of VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll and music veteran, Mavis Staples blazed an R&B trail while maintaining her gospel roots. Her talent has been evident with her family group, the Staple Singers—whose music was part of the fabric of the civil rights struggle—as a solo artist and in collaboration with such artists as Prince and Bob Dylan. Staples recently completed work on "We'll Never Turn Back," which embraces Southern gospel and social protest.

