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, 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", 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 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.
Later In 1991, Staton returned to UK popular charts by lending her vocals to
the Source's British hit "
You Got the Love". 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?'', appeared in 2009. She and Rick Hall reunited to make a half dozen more tracks for Staton's 2014 southern soul album,
Life Happens. 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. == Personal life ==