Candi Staton - Born 1940
American Singer
Added to the album by Sarah, A Wonderful Woman
Her extraordinary voice, a soulful mix of euphoria and pain.
Dave Simpson, The Guardian
Never one to shy away from putting a little of my personal experience into the blog, regular readers will be well aware of my love of soul music and my particular love of all things disco, examples from Sharon Redd - Wonderful Woman No. 76 to Donna Summer - Wonderful Woman No. 113 (who was also one of Sarah's suggested album additions). Another booming voice of a true disco diva for today's blog entry, the fabulous and unmistakable Candi Staton.
From an early age, Candi's talent as a singer was clear to all, she began singing in her church gospel choir before joining a group of professional gospel singers. In 1968, Candi signed to Rick Hall's Fame Studios and began her solo career with a string of R & B hits, probably her most famous record Young Hearts, Run Free, released in 1976, had massive chart success both in her native USA and in the UK. Candi has released almost thirty solo albums, the most recent in 2009, marking her fifth decade in the music industry.
Like many people of my generation, the first time I came across Candi Staton was when she featured on You Got the Love with The Source, which was a Hacienda classic... this track made me aware of Candi Staton, a whole host of disco divas, and the concept of disco. It is only as I've got older that I've become aware about how disco fed into house.
Sarah
The release of The Source's 1991 club-hit You Got The Love, a track entirely representative of the rave-era, brought with it a fresh wave of success for Candi and a new generation of fans to enjoy her almighty voice.
Like many of the other Wonderful Women we have celebrated in this blog, such as Betty Ford - Wonderful Woman No. 24 and Amy Winehouse - Wonderful Woman No. 109, Candi has struggled with addiction. There were years lost to alcohol, an addiction she managed to overcome. As I have said many times, being a Wonderful Woman does not make one without fault or temptation, the fact that so much can be achieved despite these human blemishes is wonderful in itself.
A Wonderful Woman with a rich, emotive voice that for generations has had the power to touch and inspire... not to mention, with the ability to make any sell-respecting disco dolly throw her hands up in the air on a dancefloor, even though she may never have been born when the record was made.
Those songs were blessed. They raised your children, they bought you home.
Candi Staton
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