Biography
Observers compared their initial shows so closely to the Staple Singers that listeners supplied the name the Staples Jr. Singers adopted for their sibling gospel-soul ensemble from Mississippi, an act that remained limited to regional audiences for decades before wider notice arrived. In their first active period the group issued only two singles and the 1975 album When Do We Get Paid on a modest gospel imprint; the recording preserved their fervent delivery and raw, forceful singing. David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label rediscovered the set and reissued it in 2022, prompting a reunion that produced the deeply soulful follow-up Searching.
The Brown siblings of Aberdeen, Mississippi assembled the group as children in 1967. Within several years the roster consisted of vocalists Edward Brown, Annie Brown, and Cleveland Brown, guitarist and vocalist A.R.C. Brown, and bassist Ronnell Brown. Steeped in traditional Southern gospel, the family first sang in church and later at schools and private events. After touring the South and Midwest they took the Staples Jr. Singers name in tribute to their chief inspiration and made their recording debut in 1974 on the local Brenda label with the 7-inch “Waiting for the Trumpet to Sound” b/w “We Got a Race to Run,” originals composed by Edward and Annie respectively. The following year Brenda released the full-length When Do We Get Paid, tracked in a single day with Corl Walker on drums; the songs moved from exuberant soul to hypnotic blues and centered on the reflective title track, an appeal for equality. Distribution stayed minimal, so the Browns sold copies at shows and from their home. A second single appeared on the Praise label in 1979.
Although no further album materialized at the time, the Browns kept performing and also recorded with outfits such as the Caldwell Singers, which featured Annie Brown after she became known as Annie Brown Caldwell, and the Sensational Brown Brothers. Ronnell Brown passed away in 2011. In 2019 Luaka Bop, the label founded by David Byrne, placed “We Got a Race to Run” on the anthology The Time for Peace Is Now, which led to the 2022 reissue of When Do We Get Paid. Edward, Annie, Cleveland, and A.R.C., augmented by additional relatives, revived the Staples Jr. Singers for several concerts tied to the re-release. Buoyed by renewed interest from classic-soul and gospel listeners, the group entered the Message Center studio in West Point, Mississippi in October 2023 to cut their long-delayed second album, with Edward Brown and Annie Brown Caldwell handling lead vocals, A.R.C. Brown on guitar and vocals, Troy Brown supplying backing vocals, and Gary Brown and Jaylin Brown on bass and drums. Luaka Bop issued Searching, a potent reminder of 1970s soul, funk, and gospel idioms, in June 2024.
The Brown siblings of Aberdeen, Mississippi assembled the group as children in 1967. Within several years the roster consisted of vocalists Edward Brown, Annie Brown, and Cleveland Brown, guitarist and vocalist A.R.C. Brown, and bassist Ronnell Brown. Steeped in traditional Southern gospel, the family first sang in church and later at schools and private events. After touring the South and Midwest they took the Staples Jr. Singers name in tribute to their chief inspiration and made their recording debut in 1974 on the local Brenda label with the 7-inch “Waiting for the Trumpet to Sound” b/w “We Got a Race to Run,” originals composed by Edward and Annie respectively. The following year Brenda released the full-length When Do We Get Paid, tracked in a single day with Corl Walker on drums; the songs moved from exuberant soul to hypnotic blues and centered on the reflective title track, an appeal for equality. Distribution stayed minimal, so the Browns sold copies at shows and from their home. A second single appeared on the Praise label in 1979.
Although no further album materialized at the time, the Browns kept performing and also recorded with outfits such as the Caldwell Singers, which featured Annie Brown after she became known as Annie Brown Caldwell, and the Sensational Brown Brothers. Ronnell Brown passed away in 2011. In 2019 Luaka Bop, the label founded by David Byrne, placed “We Got a Race to Run” on the anthology The Time for Peace Is Now, which led to the 2022 reissue of When Do We Get Paid. Edward, Annie, Cleveland, and A.R.C., augmented by additional relatives, revived the Staples Jr. Singers for several concerts tied to the re-release. Buoyed by renewed interest from classic-soul and gospel listeners, the group entered the Message Center studio in West Point, Mississippi in October 2023 to cut their long-delayed second album, with Edward Brown and Annie Brown Caldwell handling lead vocals, A.R.C. Brown on guitar and vocals, Troy Brown supplying backing vocals, and Gary Brown and Jaylin Brown on bass and drums. Luaka Bop issued Searching, a potent reminder of 1970s soul, funk, and gospel idioms, in June 2024.
Albums
Singles
