Song:Why Am I Treated So Bad?
Album:Peace To The Neighborhood/Father Father
Most music fans should be familiar with Roebuck "Pops" Staples as the leader and patriarch of The Staples Singers. But you don't want to miss out on the two solo albums he recorded in the 90s. Fortunately they are available on CD as a twofer. He was born Dec. 28, 1914 in Winona, MS. As a teen he played with blues legends like Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson and Son House. Staples moved to Chicago in 1935. He started The Staples Singers in 1948 with his wife and children mostly to play at local churches. Staples always worked a day job. The act didn't become popular until the rise of the civil rights movement in the 60s. The group frequently appeared with Dr. Martin Luther King and Staples gave a lot of credit to King for helping them. Supposedly Why Am I Treated So Bad? was King's favourite song. Mavis Staples said this when I saw her in concert a couple of years ago. The Staples Singers first recorded the song on the 1965 album Freedom Highway on Epic Records. It charted when it was released as a single in 1967. Of course The Staples Singers had a lot of success in the 70s on Stax with songs like Respect Yourself. Then Mavis had success as a solo artist. But the group continued to perform together. Pops Staples never recorded solo until the 90s. He signed with Virgin Records and the 1992 CD There Goes The Neighborhood was hailed as one of the best albums of the year. Why Am I Treated So Bad? is from the 1994 album Father Father. The British label Arcadia released both albums as a twofer. They are a must for any blues fan. The Staples Singers were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1999. Pops Staples suffered a concussion when he fell in his home and he died on Dec. 19, 2000 at age 85. He was one of the all time greats of black music. Here's Pops Staples with The Staples Singers performing Why Am I Treated So Bad? at the 1981 Montreux Jazz Festival.
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