In the early ‘70s with a string of hit R&B records, produced by her great friend, the late Rick Hall of the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals: “I’d Rather Be an Old Man’s Sweetheart (Than a Young Man’s Fool),” “I’m Just a Prisoner (of Your Good Lovin’),” “Sweet Feeling,” “Stand by Your Man” and a cover of “In the Ghetto” that remains nearly as celebrated as Elvis Presley’s original. In the late ‘70s, she reinvented herself as a disco diva, returning to the charts with “Young Hearts Run Free.” She then returned to her gospel roots, a move that unexpectedly led to her career resurgence in the ‘90s and 2000s, as two songs originally written as Christian anthems, “You Got the Love” and “Hallelujah Anyway,” won new audiences with dance remixes.
After a lifetime of great music, Staton has accumulated many well-deserved accolades, including induction into the Christian Music Hall of the Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. But as proud as she is of those acknowledgements, she’s even more proud of her work with victims of domestic violence through her non-profit organization, A Veil of Silence — and deeply grateful that she’s able to continue dazzling audiences with her age-defyingly energetic live shows, mixing music from every era of her storied career.