Alabama Shakes, the Athens, AL-raised band, comprised of vocalist/guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, and bassist Zac Cockrell exploded onto the scene in 2012 with their debut album Boys & Girls, (ATO Records), which entered Billboard’s Independent Albums chart at No. 1. Boys & Girls earned the band multiple GRAMMY nominations and was hailed as one of the year’s best albums by numerous publications, including Rolling Stone, which also named lead single “Hold On” the #1 Best Song of 2012. Soon after its release, the bandmates found themselves thrust into the global spotlight, achieving such milestones as performing at the White House and on Saturday Night Live.

The band’s legacy continued to grow with the groundbreaking Sound & Color (ATO Records). Released 10 years ago, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, won GRAMMY Awards for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. The first single, “Don’t Wanna Fight,” took honors in the Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song categories. Sound & Color marked a profound evolution from Alabama Shakes’ debut album, as The New York Times Magazine observed, heralding the band’s “soul-stirring, shape-shifting new sound.” Both Sound & Color and Boys & Girls were certified Platinum by the RIAA.

The Shakes’ Cockrell, Fogg, & Howard reunited in the studio and released a new single, “Another Life,” last year.

Mavis Staples is one of the most enduring and influential voices in American music. Now in her eighth decade as a performer, the Grammy Award–winning singer rose to prominence with her family group, The Staple Singers, whose music helped soundtrack the Civil Rights Movement. Over the course of her extraordinary career, Staples has collaborated with icons including Bob Dylan, Prince, Aretha Franklin, and Willie Nelson, earning multiple Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement honor, and recognition from the Kennedy Center.

At 86, Staples continues to perform and record with the same conviction and warmth that made her a legend. Her latest album, Sad and Beautiful World, produced by Brad Cook, blends reimagined classics with new material and features contributions from artists including Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Tweedy, Derek Trucks, and Justin Vernon. With her unmistakable voice and message of hope, compassion, and resilience, Mavis Staples remains a powerful force in music today.