Candi Staton

Biography

Canzetta Maria "Candi×Candi1974 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Here I Am Again4:00A2Your Opening Night3:11A3A Little Taste of Love2:52A4Going Through the Motions3:27A5Stop and Smell the Roses3:40B1We Can Work It Out2:51B2As Long as He Takes Care of Home3:35B3But I Do3:24B4Can’t Stop Being Your Fool2:44B5Clean Up America3:11B6Six Nights and a Day2:35" Staton (, STAY-tən) (born March 13, 1940) is an American singer, best known in the United States for her 1970 cover of Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man×Stand by Your ManFebruary 1971 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Stand by Your Man2:50A2How Can I Put Out the Flame (When You Keep the Fire Burning)3:10A3I’m Just a Prisoner (Of Your Good Lovin’)3:09A4Mr. and Mrs. Untrue3:24A5Too Hurt to Cry3:00B1He Called Me Baby3:28B2Sweet Feeling2:42B3To Hear You Say You’re Mine3:05B4What Would Become of Me2:45B5Freedom Is Just Beyond the Door2:47" and her 1976 disco chart-topper "Young Hearts Run Free×Young Hearts Run Free1976 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Run to Me4:19A2Destiny3:54A3What a Feeling4:36A4You Bet Your Sweet, Sweet Love4:39B1Young Hearts Run Free4:08B2Living for You4:45B3Summer Time With You5:01B4I Know3:43". In Europe, Staton's biggest selling record is the anthemic "You Got the Love×You Got the Love1986 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1You Got the Love (extended vocal)6:45A2You Got the Love (radio edit)3:50B1You Got the Love (club house)6:07B2You Got the Love (house apella)7:07" from 1986, released in collaboration with the Source. Staton was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame and is a five-time Grammy Award nominee.

Early life and career

Born in Hanceville, Alabama, Staton and her sister Maggie were sent to Nashville, Tennessee at around age 11 or 12 for school. While attending Jewell Christian Academy, Staton's vocal abilities were soon noticed by her peers and the school's pastor. Amazed by her voice, the pastor paired Staton and her sister with a third girl, Naomi Harrison, and they formed the Jewell Gospel Trio. As teenagers, the group toured the traditional gospel circuit during the 1950s with the Soul Stirrers, C. L. Franklin and Mahalia Jackson. They recorded several sides for Nashboro, Apollo and Savoy Records between 1953 and 1963.

Solo career

In 1968, Staton was introduced to Rick Hall by Clarence Carter and launched her solo career as a Southern soul stylist, garnering 16 R&B hits for Rick Hall's FAME Studios and gaining the title of "First Lady of Southern Soul" for her Grammy-nominated R&B renditions of the songs "Stand by Your Man×Stand by Your ManFebruary 1971 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Stand by Your Man2:50A2How Can I Put Out the Flame (When You Keep the Fire Burning)3:10A3I’m Just a Prisoner (Of Your Good Lovin’)3:09A4Mr. and Mrs. Untrue3:24A5Too Hurt to Cry3:00B1He Called Me Baby3:28B2Sweet Feeling2:42B3To Hear You Say You’re Mine3:05B4What Would Become of Me2:45B5Freedom Is Just Beyond the Door2:47" and "In the Ghetto". Staton appeared on the September 23, 1972, edition (Season 2, Episode 1) of Soul Train.
In 1976, Staton began collaborating with producer David Crawford on disco songs such as "Young Hearts Run Free×Young Hearts Run Free1976 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Run to Me4:19A2Destiny3:54A3What a Feeling4:36A4You Bet Your Sweet, Sweet Love4:39B1Young Hearts Run Free4:08B2Living for You4:45B3Summer Time With You5:01B4I Know3:43", which reached No. 1 on the US R&B charts, No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart and went Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the summer of 1976. It was remixed and re-released in 1986, reaching the UK Top 50. Follow up song "Destiny" hit the Top 50 in the UK. and her version of "Nights on Broadway" hit the UK Top 10 in 1977;. In 1978, Staton scored another Top 50 hit in the UK with "Honest I Do Love You". In 1979 from her album Chance×Chance22 June 1979 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracksA1I Ain't Got Nowhere To GoA2When You Wake Up TomorrowA3RockB1ChanceB2I LiveB3Me And My Music, Staton released the single "When You Wake Up Tomorrow" (co-written by Patrick Adams and Wayne K. Garfield) and the title song "Chance", a top 20 R&B charted record. Other dance club chart hits included "When You Wake Up Tomorrow" and "Victim". In 1982, Staton again hit the UK chart with a version of Mark James's "Suspicious Minds×Suspicious MindsJuly 1991 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Love and Be Free6:302Suspicious Minds3:573In the Still of the Night7:054The Sunshine of Your Love6:365Tender Hooks4:426Count on Me4:05".
In 1982, Staton returned to gospel music. Staton and her then-husband, John Sussewell, founded Beracah Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia, with help from Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's PTL Ministries. Staton has since recorded twelve gospel albums, two of which received Grammy Award nominations. Staton appears on the United Nations Register of Entertainers, Actors And Others Who Have Performed in Apartheid South Africa.

Later

In 1991, Staton returned to UK popular charts by lending her vocals to the Source's British hit "You Got the Love×You Got the Love1986 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1You Got the Love (extended vocal)6:45A2You Got the Love (radio edit)3:50B1You Got the Love (club house)6:07B2You Got the Love (house apella)7:07". Staton signed with Intersound Records in 1995. In 2000, she released her eleventh album, Here's a Blessing. In 2004, the British record label Honest Jon's released a compilation album of her soul work from the late 1960s and early 1970s, the self-titled Candi Staton. Staton followed it up with a secular project in 2006 entitled His Hands, produced by Mark Nevers of Lambchop and with the title track written by Will Oldham. Two of Staton's children, Cassandra Williams-Hightower (background vocals) and Marcus Williams (drums), joined her on the album. A second studio album for Honest Jon's, titled Who's Hurting Now?×Who's Hurting Now?27 February 2009 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Breaking Down Slow4:162Who's Hurting Now?3:363I Feel the Same4:244Mercy Now5:135I Don't Know3:386Lonely Don't3:487Get Your Hands Dirty3:528Dust on My Pillow3:289Cry Baby Cry3:0310I Don't Want for Anything3:2811The Light in Your Eyes3:12, appeared in 2009. She and Rick Hall reunited to make a half dozen more tracks for Staton's 2014 southern soul album, Life Happens×Life Happens13 May 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1I Ain't Easy to Love2Close to You3Commitment4For Eternity5Even the Bad Times Are Good6Beware, She's After Your Man7Treat Me Like a Secret8Where Were You When You Knew?9Three Minutes to a Relapse10Never Even Had the Chance11Go Baby Go12My Heart's on Empty13Have You Seen the Children?14A Better World Coming15Where I'm At. The lead Americana radio single, "I Ain't Easy to Love", featured Jason Isbell and John Paul White (formerly of The Civil Wars). The trio performed the track on Late Show with David Letterman. Staton's television show New Direction aired on TBN.
Staton has also made appearances on the Praise the Lord telecast with the late Paul Crouch and his late wife Jan Crouch, as well as regularly performing on Robert Tilton's Success-N-Life show. In August 2018, Staton released her 30th album, Unstoppable×Unstoppable24 August 2018 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Confidence4:422I Fooled You, Didn't I?3:503Love is You5:014It Ain't Over3:475People Have the Power3:576Revolution of Change5:587Stand Up4:268(Whats so Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding4:069The Prize is Not Worth the Pain4:1410Can I Change My Mind3:26, which has been touted as a retro psychedelic R&B project. NPR music journalist, Alison Fensterstock, wrote that it, "Delivers the kind of forthright confidence and soul-girding power that can only be summoned by a grown woman who has learned a thing or two. And Staton has lived many lives. Creatively, the quadruple Grammy nominee and Christian Music Hall of Famer has moved between soul and R&B, gospel, disco and even EDM before returning to her roots as an elder stateswoman."

Personal life

Staton has been married six times and has five children. She was first married to Pentecostal minister, Joe Williams, from 1960 until 1968. Together they had four children: Marcus Williams, Marcel Williams, Terry Williams and Cassandra Williams-Hightower. In 1970, Staton married singer Clarence Carter and together they had one child, Clarence Carter Jr. They divorced in 1973. Staton was married to Jimmy James, her then manager, from 1974 until 1977. Two years after divorcing James, Staton married John Sussewell, who was a drummer for Ashford & Simpson and also on Dory Previn's sixth album We're Children of Coincidence and Harpo Marx in 1980. They divorced in 1998 after 18 years of marriage. From 2010 until 2012, Staton was married to former baseball player Otis Nixon. She has been married to Henry Hooper since 2017.
On October 30, 2018, Staton announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Compilations

The Best of Candi Staton (1995 Warner Archives) Originals (not re-recorded)
The Ultimate Gospel Collection (2006)
Evidence: The Complete Fame Records Masters (2011) – For the first time ever all 48 of the tracks she made for Rick Hall's label between 1969 and 1974 are together in one place. 22 have never been on CD before and 12 are previously unreleased.