Some artists have great songs. Others help shape the sound of a generation. Mavis Staples has done both—and on Friday, Sept. 25, Chico has the rare opportunity to experience one of American music’s most celebrated voices live at Laxson Auditorium.
For more than 70 years, Staples has been a defining force in gospel, soul, R&B and Americana. She first rose to prominence with her family group, The Staple Singers, whose unmistakable sound produced enduring songs including “I’ll Take You There” and “Respect Yourself.” The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, recognized for music that brought together gospel, soul and a message of hope and social change.
But Staples’ story is far from finished.
At 86, she remains a vital recording and touring artist—and in 2026, she added two more Grammy Awards to an already extraordinary career, winning Best Americana Performance for “Godspeed” and Best American Roots Performance for “Beautiful Strangers.” She now has five Grammy wins and 16 nominations.
From the White House to Laxson Auditorium
Staples’ career reads like a history of American music.
She has collaborated with artists including Prince, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Jeff Tweedy and Bonnie Raitt. She is a Kennedy Center Honoree and has been inducted into the rock, blues and gospel halls of fame.
She has also performed at the White House. In 2013, Staples joined artists including Justin Timberlake, Sam Moore, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite for “In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul,” where she performed the Staple Singers classic “I’ll Take You There.”
Her music has continued reaching new audiences across generations, including appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and collaborations with some of today’s most acclaimed artists.
And now, she’s coming to Chico.
Hear That Voice Live
There is something different about hearing a voice this iconic in person.
Staples’ rich, unmistakable vocals have carried songs of joy, resilience, love and change for decades. Her latest album, Sad And Beautiful World, continues that tradition, bringing together music spanning seven decades of the American songbook alongside collaborators including Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Tweedy, Derek Trucks and Justin Vernon.
Friday night is a chance to hear that voice fill Laxson Auditorium—not on a record, through a documentary or in a clip online, but live, right here in Chico.
Make a Night of It
Come early for Party on the Patio beginning at 6 p.m., featuring live music from Chico’s own Scout the Wise. Grab dinner from the food trucks, enjoy music outside Laxson and settle in for the evening before the auditorium doors open.
Singer-songwriter Jamie Drake will open the show before Mavis Staples takes the stage at 7:30 p.m.
Mavis Staples
with Jamie Drake
Friday, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Laxson Auditorium
Party on the Patio begins at 6 p.m.
For an artist whose career has taken her from the heart of the civil rights movement to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Kennedy Center, the White House and the Grammy stage, an evening with Mavis Staples is more than another concert.