Candi Staton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Candi Staton
Staton in 2012
Born	Canzetta Maria Staton (1940-03-13) March 13, 1940 (age 85) Hanceville, Alabama, U.S.
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Spouse(s)	Joe Williams ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1968)​ Clarence Carter ​ ​ (m. 1970; div. 1973)​ Jimmy James ​ ​ (m. 1974; div. 1977)​ John Sussewell ​ ​ (m. 1980; div. 1998)​ Otis Nixon ​ ​ (m. 2010; div. 2012)​ Henry Hooper ​ ​ (m. 2017)​
Musical career
Genres	Soul R&B gospel house dance disco
Years active	1953–present
Labels	Apollo Savoy Warner Bros. Fame Positiva Intersound
Associated acts	The Source

Candi Staton (born March 13, 1940) is an American singer and songwriter. She is famous for her songs in different styles like soul, disco, and gospel music. In the United States, she is well-known for her 1970 song "Stand by Your Man" and her 1976 disco hit "Young Hearts Run Free".

In Europe, her biggest song is "You Got the Love" from 1986. She worked with a group called the Source on this song. Candi Staton has been nominated for four Grammy Awards. She is also part of the Christian Music Hall of Fame.

About Candi Staton

Her Early Life and Music

Candi Staton was born in Hanceville, Alabama. When she was about 11 or 12, she and her sister Maggie moved to Nashville, Tennessee for school. At Jewell Christian Academy, people quickly noticed Candi's amazing singing voice.

The school's pastor was very impressed. He put Candi, her sister, and another girl named Naomi Harrison together. They formed a group called the Jewell Gospel Trio. As teenagers in the 1950s, this group traveled and sang gospel music. They performed with famous gospel artists like Mahalia Jackson. The trio recorded several songs between 1953 and 1963.

Starting Her Solo Career

In 1968, Candi Staton began her solo career. She became known for singing Southern soul music. She had 16 R&B hit songs with Rick Hall's FAME Studios. People started calling her the "First Lady of Southern Soul."

She was nominated for a Grammy Award for her R&B versions of songs like "Stand by Your Man" and "In the Ghetto". Candi Staton also appeared on the TV show Soul Train in 1972.

Disco Hits and More

In 1976, Candi Staton started making disco songs. She worked with producer David Crawford. Their song "Young Hearts Run Free" became a huge hit. It reached number 1 on the US R&B charts and number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. The song was so popular that it was remixed and re-released in 1986.

Other popular songs included "Destiny" and her version of "Nights on Broadway". In 1979, she released "When You Wake Up Tomorrow" and "Chance." These songs were also popular in dance clubs. In 1982, her version of "Suspicious Minds" was a hit in the UK.

Returning to Gospel Music

In 1982, Candi Staton decided to focus on gospel music again. She and her husband at the time, John Sussewell, started Beracah Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia. Since then, Candi Staton has recorded twelve gospel albums. Two of these albums were nominated for Grammy Awards.

Later Career and Recent Work

Candi Staton returned to the UK music charts in 1991. She sang on the Source's hit song "You Got the Love". In 1995, she signed with Intersound Records. She released her eleventh album, Here's a Blessing, in 2000.

In 2004, a British record label released a collection of her soul songs from the 1960s and 1970s. This album was simply called Candi Staton. She released a non-gospel album in 2006 called His Hands. Her children, Cassandra Williams-Hightower and Marcus Williams, helped her on this album.

Another album, Who's Hurting Now?, came out in 2009. In 2014, she worked with Rick Hall again on her album Life Happens. The song "I Ain't Easy to Love" featured Jason Isbell and John Paul White. They performed the song on the Late Show with David Letterman. Candi Staton also had her own TV show called New Direction on TBN.

She has also appeared on the Praise the Lord TV show. In August 2018, Candi Staton released her 30th album, Unstoppable. This album was described as a mix of old-school and modern R&B. A music journalist said it showed her strong confidence and power. Candi Staton has explored many music styles, from soul and R&B to gospel and electronic dance music.

Personal Life

Candi Staton has been married several times and has five children. Her first marriage was to Joe Williams from 1960 to 1968. They had four children: Marcus, Marcel, Terry, and Cassandra. In 1970, she married singer Clarence Carter, and they had one child, Clarence Carter Jr. They divorced in 1973.

From 1974 to 1977, Staton was married to Jimmy James. In 1980, she married John Sussewell, a drummer. They were married for 18 years until 1998. From 2010 to 2012, Staton was married to former baseball player Otis Nixon. She has been married to Henry Hooper since 2017.

In October 2018, Candi Staton shared that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Music Albums

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

• The Best of Candi Staton (1995)
• The Ultimate Gospel Collection (2006)
• Evidence: The Complete Fame Records Masters (2011) – This album includes all 48 songs she recorded for Rick Hall's label between 1969 and 1974. Many of these songs were released for the first time on this collection.

Singles (Some Popular Songs)

See also

In Spanish: Candi Staton para niños