Martha Reeves Recalls Motown Glory, Gaye, and Dusty
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- Martha Reeves was discovered by producer William Stevenson after winning an amateur contest and started at Motown as a secretary before becoming lead vocalist of the Vandellas
- Marvin Gaye spotted Reeves peering through his studio window, handed her 'Dancing in the Street,' and played all instruments on the track including the piano solo
- Reeves says 'Dancing in the Street' became a civil rights anthem that quenched rioting energy and redirected it into rejoicing and dancing
- Reeves bonded with Dusty Springfield at the Brooklyn Fox in New York after the English singer taught her the custom of throwing pottery against walls to release anxiety, and they later traveled to Brazil and London together
- Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote 'Heat Wave' and other Vandellas hits; Reeves says she mimicked Eddie Holland and thrilled him more than anyone she ever recorded with
- Reeves toured the Jim Crow South with the 1962 Motown Revue, recalling the 'white only' signs and watching them come down as audiences responded to the music
- Reeves served as a Detroit city councillor from 2005 to 2009 and claims credit for introducing America to the roundabout
Why it matters: Reeves' firsthand account is a rare oral history from one of Motown's defining voices, detailing how the label's factory-style assembly line—founded by ex-Ford worker Berry Gordy—produced songs that doubled as civil rights anthems. Her memories of Marvin Gaye's multi-instrumental 'Dancing in the Street' session and her friendship with Dusty Springfield offer intimate details unavailable from secondary sources.
