Yvonne Staples, a member of the famed Staples Singers, died in her hometown Chicago, ABC News has confirmed. She was 80.
A rep for Staples' sister Mavis Staples confirmed Yvonne Staples' passing. The family declined to make a statement.
Yvonne Staples' soulful baritone was featured on such hits as "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There," alongside her sisters Mavis and Cleotha Staples and their father, guitarist Pops Staples.
The group received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2005 and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.
Their music -- a mixture of gospel, soul, pop and funk -- served as a backdrop to the Civil Rights Movement and the group members became symbols of black pride and achievement in the '70s.
Yvonne Staples was born in Chicago, the middle daughter of Roebuck "Pops" and Oceola Staples. She began singing with younger sister Mavis Staples and their brother Pervis Staples in the 1940s in their uncle's church. But she didn't join the Staples Singers until 1970, when she replaced Pervis Staples.
The harmonies of the three sisters, along with Pops' guitar, produced the group's signature sound.
The Staples Singers made more than 30 albums, racking up a string of hits for the Stax label in the '70s, including "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)" and "Respect Yourself." They earned their first No. 1 hit with "I'll Take You There" in 1972.
They also appeared in the 1972 documentary "Wattstax," alongside Isaac Hayes and Richard Pryor.
Pops Staples died in 2000 and Cleotha Staples, the oldest of the three sisters, died in 2013.
Mavis Staples, 78, the remaining Staples sister, continues to perform and is currently touring for her latest album, "If All I Was Was Black."
The Staple Singers - "Respect Yourself" live at Wattstax from Scott Serota on Vimeo.
