She was a member of the soul group the Staples Singers, along with her father Roebuck "Pops" Staples and her sisters Mavis and Cleotha. Pops, Mavis, Cleotha, and brother Pervis started out performing in churches on the South Side of Chicago before making records and expanding beyond the Windy City in the 1950s. Their music combined gospel, pop, funk, and soul. Their recordings made the Top 40 eight times; their hits included "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There". Brother Pervis was replaced by Yvonne in 1970.
