MYSQL_INSERT not working - php

Question

I have tried multiple times to insert into a database. The values contain a single quote - magic quotes are turned off, addslashes() and mysql_real_escape_string() both escape the characters but the script dies without adding to the database. I have also manually escaped but this failed as well. However, even removing the apostrophe, the script still dies.
The error is: Could not insert staff: You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '11, Hazel, Blonde, Has never missed a day of work, Graduated from Berkley, Serve' at line 2
Anyone see any issues?
<?php
include('header.php');
$amount = 1;
$staffnum = '0101';
$height = array("5'11", "5'4", "6'2","5'5", "6'4");
$eye = array("Blue","Green","Hazel","Brown");
$hair = array("Brown", "Black", "Blonde", "Red");
$about1 = "Has never missed a day of work";
$about2 = "Graduated from Berkley";
$positions = array('Server, Bartender', 'Bartender, Host', 'Sever, Host, Bartender', 'Cocktail Server, Bartender, Server');
$img = "none";
// arrays
$times = 1;
while($times <= 50) {
$staffnum ++;
$heighta = mysql_real_escape_string($height[array_rand($height)]);
$eyea = mysql_real_escape_string($eye[array_rand($eye)]);
$haira = mysql_real_escape_string($hair[array_rand($hair)]);
$positionsa = mysql_real_escape_string($positions[array_rand($positions)]);
$about1 = mysql_real_escape_string($about1);
$about2 = mysql_real_escape_string($about2);
$img = mysql_real_escape_string($img);
$staffnum = mysql_real_escape_string($staffnum);
$insert_staff = "INSERT INTO staff (staffnum, img_link, height, eye, hair, abt1, abt2, titles)
VALUES ($staffnum, $img, $heighta, $eyea, $haira, $about1, $about2, $positionsa)";
$insert_query = mysql_query($insert_staff);
if($insert_query) {
?>
<center>
Member # <?php echo $staffnum; ?> has been added to the database.<br />
<?php
} else {
die('Could not insert staff: ' . mysql_error());
}
$times ++;
}
include('footer.php');
?>
Return To Staff Insert
</center>

Answer 1

You need to put quotes around the string variables you're inserting:
$insert_staff = "INSERT INTO staff (staffnum, img_link, height, eye, hair, abt1, abt2, titles)
VALUES ('$staffnum', '$img', '$heighta', '$eyea', '$haira', '$about1', '$about2', '$positionsa')";

Answer 2

It's a little bit complicated when you want to send so many variables with basic mysql_query.
You should try PDO or mysqli but if you need to use your code, it should be more like
$insert_staff = "INSERT INTO staff (staffnum, img_link, height, eye, hair, abt1, abt2, titles)
VALUES ('".$staffnum."', '".$img."', '".$heighta."', '".$eyea."', '".$haira."', '".$about1."', '".$about2."', '".$positionsa."')";