CHICAGO, USA (AP) — Cleotha Staples, the eldest sibling in the highly influential gospel group The Staple Singers, has died. She was 78.

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.

Cleotha Staples

The Staple Singers began as a way for Roebuck ‘Pops’ Staples to entertain his family, which included five children — Cleotha, known as Cleedi, Pervis, Yvonne, Mavis and Cynthia. He taught the children gospel songs and accompanied them on his guitar. Two decades later they became unlikely hit makers for the Stax label.