Cleotha Staples, the eldest sibling in the popular gospel group The Staple Singers, died Thursday at age 78, according to the Associated Press.
Staples' family friend and music publicist Bill Carpenter says Staples died Thursday at her Chicago home after suffering from Alzheimer's disease for the last decade.
The Staple Singers included sisters Pervis, Yvonne, Mavis and Cynthia, but Cleotha was the backbone, defining herself by being the "strong, silent type," said Carpenter, author of "Uncloudy Day: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia."
"When she was young they used to call her granny because she acted like a granny in terms of being wise and always sure of the best thing to do," Carpenter said.
Cleotha Staples was instrumental in the family group's success which went on to sell tens of millions of records and scored hits such as "I'll Take You There," "Respect Yourself" and "Uncloudy Day."
"Her twang as a vocalist was unique," said Al Bell, who oversaw produced many of the Staple Singers, according to the Chicago Tribune.
"And it was the color, the spirit and the attitude of Cleotha, too, that made the group special. She was always complimenting, encouraging and pushing everyone else along. In 'I'll Take you There,' you'll hear Cleotha urging on Mavis: 'Sing your song!' That was Cleotha the person relating to her sister. She embellished Mavis' uniqueness, actively encouraged it. They were together, always, and Cleotha was so vital to that."
