Best 23 quotes of Mavis Staples on MyQuotes

I feel so good singing songs that I sang with my father.

If I wasn't my age, I would turn a flip. I would do some cartwheels. That's how I feel.

I have fun just about everywhere I go.

I have to pinch myself sometimes. It's unbelievable, but it's not. Because I know that this would not be happening if it hadn't been for Dr. Martin Luther King.

I just had a wonderful life, and I couldn't ask for anything else.

I'm old enough to be Obama's grandmom. But I still like seeing good-looking things. Nothing wrong with that.

I'm singing these songs to inspire you, to keep you going, to lift you up and give you a reason to get up in the morning

I'm so blessed that I can still be here to bring the music and have new generations of fans. My Pops would be so proud.

I never sang for a Grammy, for money, for fame. That's my whole purpose for singing: for people, for the fans.

I started writing letters home to my mother, saying that I wanted to come home, grandma won't let me sing.

I was not fortunate enough to run into Obama. We were at the same church per se, but I would never be there when he was there.

I won't wear rings and jewelry on the stage because I don't want you looking at my hands. I want you hearing what I'm saying.

I would get in fights a lot. My voice was so heavy, kids would say you sound like a boy, so I would start beating them up.

My purpose: to lift your spirit and to motivate you.

My uncle was 16, in junior high, and he heard me singing and snatched me off the stage. I thought he was happy and was going to pat me on the head and say I was good. But he took me home and told my grandmother this youngin' was at school singing the blues.

My voice is my gift. And Pops had me using it in the right way. I had many offers to sing pop, to sing rhythm and blues. Pops said "Mavis, this record company want to give you a million dollars." I said, "No daddy, I want to sing with the family." And I did. I never wanted to branch out by myself. But I've had to now. It's my mission. I've been left here to do it. And I'm grateful.

One day, when I was about eight years old, some kids pushed me on stage at school during a talent show because they knew I could sing.

There is a great feeling in a small venue, with the closeness of the people and the intimacy.

There's still injustice happening in my world. I sing my songs at concerts and I'm so grateful that the people are ready to hear them.

We enjoyed the fact that we were called to the folk festivals and we got to know Joan Baez, Dylan. We were singing strictly gospel, but then after we started hearing songs that they would sing, we saw that those songs were very fitting for us because they were singing the truth, and truth is gospel.

Well Lord, I'm still on the case. I'm still doing what Dr. King and Pops want me to do. I'm still on that freedom highway, and I'm going to walk on it until Dr. King's dream is realized.

We stay strong. We stay positive, keep our heads up, love one another, spread love. The Devil can't win when you have God on your side.

Whenever somebody tells me they want me to stop singing, I'm gone.