Throwback: Happy 87th Birthday, Mavis Staples!

I know I can’t speak for everyone but 2026 has been a very odd and very disappointing year so far. But we’ve survived to July. And that means we have five months left for the year. May the rest of 2026 get better for me — and if you’ve been struggling with things this year, may it get better for you, too. But even in struggle, there’s music, friends and community that can sustain us. 

Of course, July is a busy month of music birthdays. So, as always, let’s celebrate our legends and favorites, eh? 

• Missy Elliott, celebrates her 55th birthday on July 1
• Evelyn “Champagne” King celebrates her 66th birthday on July 1
• The B-52s Fred Schneider celebrates his 75th birthday on July 1
• The iconic Debbie Harry celebrated her 81st birthday on July 1
• Syl Johnson, who wrote some of the most moving, most lived-in songs full of novelistic attention to details was born 90 years ago on July 1
• Legendary bluesman, James Cotton was born 91 years ago on July 1 
• One of the most important figures of the blues, Chicago blues especially, Willie Dixon was born 111 years ago on July 1
• Depeche Mode‘s Yaz’s/Yazoo’s and Erasure‘s Vince Clarke celebrated his 65th birthday on July 1
• The great jazz organist Dr. Lonnie Smith was born 84 years ago on July 3
• Bill Withers was born on 88 years ago on July 4 
• Huey Lewis and The News‘ frontman Huey Lewis celebrated his 76th birthday on July 5
• Wu-Tang mastermind and acclaimed producer The RZA celebrated his 57th birthday on July 5
• Wu-Tang‘s and Czarface‘s Inspectah Deck celebrated his 56th birthday on July 6
• 50 Cent celebrated his 51st birthday on July 6
• The Beatles‘ Ringo Starr celebrated his 86th birthday on July 7
• Depeche Mode co-founder Andy “Fletch” Fletcher was born 65 years ago on July 8
• Beck, one of the most forward-thinking, boundary pushing artists of the past generation — if not more — celebrated his 56th birthday on July 8
• AC/DC‘s first frontman, Bon Scott was born 80 years ago on July 9
• Simple Minds‘ founder and frontman Jim Kerr celebrated his 67th birthday on July 9
• Pet Shop Boys‘ frontman Neil Tennant celebrates his 72nd birthday today

The legendary and incomparable Mavis Staples celebrates her 86th birthday today. 

Going into a deep dive into her career as a member of The Staple Singers and and a solo artist will be a bit gratuitous — but throughout her career, she has received commercial and critical success, as well as a proverbial boatload of accolades. Stapes has received eight Grammy Awards nominations with The Staple Singers, winning one — a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 2004. She also received a Grammy nod for a collaboration with longtime friend Bob Dylan. 

As a solo artist, she’s been nominated for five Grammys, winning two — Best Americana Album for 2010’s You Are Not Alone and a Best American Roots Performance for  2015’s ”See That My Grave Is Kept Clean.”She also has been nominated for 11 Blues Music Awards, winning nine, including Album of the Year for 2004’s Have A Little Faith, which featured Song of the Year and album title track “Have A Little Faith.” She’s also won three Soul Blues Female Artist Awards — one in 2004 and back to back wins in 2017 and 2018. Staples was also inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Staple Singers in 1999, was a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2016 and inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2017.

She’s a living legend, who deserves her flowers every single day — and all the goddamn time. Happy birthday, Miss Mavis Staples! May there be many, many more!

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