Martha Reeves is a true living legend with musical heritage very few artists could dream of…she and her Vandellas went from being Marvin Gaye’s original backing singers in 1963 to global success with era defining songs including “Nowhere to Run,” “Jimmy Mack,” and the signature smash hit, “Dancing In The Street.”
Determined to succeed, before she got her break in front of the microphone, she became an essential part of the Motown story as a key organiser of every aspect of the label’s operation. When people say she started at Motown as a secretary, Martha corrects them, laughing, “I was never a secretary. I was a singer who could type.” Then one day, when Mary Wells missed a session, Martha stepped up to the mic and the rest is history.
Films her voice has featured in include “Good Morning Vietnam” and “Thelma and Louise”, while artists who have covered her songs include Mick Jagger and David Bowie, the Mamas and the Papas, Dusty Springfield and the Grateful Dead. Martha Reeves and the Vandellas are listed among Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Immortal Artists.”
Outside music, Martha continues to relish new challenges, she served on the Detroit City Council from 2005-2009 and took part in the 2019 series of Celebrity MasterChef on BBC1.
