Candi Staton
Born: March 13, 1940
2014 AMHOF Inductee
The first Contemporary Christian song she wrote, A Let Go And Let God was an immediate success and her first Christian album, A Make Me An Instrument was nominated for a Grammy.
A native of Hanceville, AL., Candi Staton has received Grammy nominations in both Rhythm and Blues and Gospel categories during her illustrious career. She began traveling with the Jewell Gospel Trio at age 13.
Her secular career began in Muscle Shoals where she recorded classic rhythm and blues hits such as "Stand By Your Man", and "I'd Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart (Than A Young Man's Fool)" for Capitol Records under the direction of Rick Hall at FAME Recording Studios.
Her phenomenal success as an R&B artist propelled her live performances with artists like Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Teddy Pendergrass, B.B. King, and Johnny Mathis, plus her own sell-out performances as a live Las Vegas headliner.
Moving on to other labels, Miss Staton recorded the million sellers "Young Hearts Run Free" and "Disco Hit Victim". She has shared the stage with artists such as Mac Davis, Al Green, Bobby Womack, Freda Payne, Ashford and Simpson, B.B. King, Boz Scaggs, Little Richard, The Commodores, Johnny Mathis and Donny Hathaway.
In 1979, Miss Staton was a special guest of President Jimmy Carter during the Black Music Association Dinner on the White House lawn, along with Andrae Crouch, Joe Williams and Chuck Berry.
In 1980, she began her move into gospel music, and has since created her own label and established a long running television series, "New Direction", on the Trinity Broadcasting Network.
Two time Grammy Award nominee Candi Staton began her career in Muscle Shoals, launching an incredible string of over a dozen hit albums combining stylistic simplicity with Southern Gospel roots. She galvanized R&B audiences with million seller hits like A Disco Hit Victim and A Young Hearts Run Free.
Candi Staton reached the pinnacle of her profession performing in her unmistakable style everywhere from the Midnight Special to the White House lawn. But finding a dimension lacking in this success, in 1980 Candi Staton arranged her life in a new direction by turning to God.