Martha Reeves: Answering Motown's Phones to a Seat on Detroit City Council

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Martha Rose Reeves was born in 1941 in Eufaula, Alabama, the eldest daughter of 11 children, and grew up in Detroit, where her grandfather was a minister. At Northeastern High School she trained with vocal coach Abraham Silver, who also taught future Supremes and Miracles. After singing with the Del-Phis and working the club circuit, she was spotted at the 20 Grand by A&R director Mickey Stevenson. She arrived at Motown the next morning without an appointment, was asked to watch the phones, and stayed on as a secretary who handled the payroll for the Funk Brothers.

Two stories explain her first session: Mary Wells missed a date and Reeves called in her old group, or, by Berry Gordy's account, a union inspection forced the label to put a singer on an instrumental recording. Martha and the Vandellas went on to Heat Wave, Nowhere to Run, Jimmy Mack and Dancing in the Street. When Motown moved to Los Angeles in 1972, Reeves negotiated her way out, and her expensive 1974 MCA solo album with producer Richard Perry flopped. In 1989 she and her bandmates sued over unpaid royalties, settling in 1991 with an apology from the label's founder.

The Vandellas sang backing vocals on Marvin Gaye's early records.
Her 1974 solo album cost about $250,000 and featured James Taylor and Billy Preston.
She served on the Detroit City Council from 2005 to 2009.
In 2007 she testified before Congress for better pay and royalties for session singers and musicians, and she sat on the board of SoundExchange.
She entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2024.

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