Martha Reeves
Martha Rose Reeves (born July 18, 1941)[1] is an American R&B and pop singer. She is best known for being the lead singer of the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas, which scored over a dozen hit singles, including "Come and Get These Memories", "Nowhere to Run", "Heat Wave", "Jimmy Mack", and their signature "Dancing in the Street". From 2005 until 2009, Reeves served as an elected councilwoman in her hometown of Detroit, Michigan, U.S.[2] Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Reeves at number 151 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[3]
This article is about the singer. For the anchorite, see Martha Reeves (anchorite). For the sociologist, see Martha Ellen Reeves.
Martha Reeves
Martha Rose Reeves
Martha LaVaille
July 18, 1941
Eufaula, Alabama, U.S.
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Singer
1957–present
Early life[edit]
Martha Rose Reeves was born in Eufaula, Alabama,[1] the first daughter of Elijah Joshua Reeves and Ruby Lee Gilmore Reeves, and the third of the couple's 11 children. She was a baby when the family moved from Eufaula to Detroit, Michigan, where her grandfather, Reverend Elijah Reeves, was a minister at Detroit's Metropolitan Church. The family was very active in the church and its choir. Elijah played guitar, and Ruby liked to sing; the children acquired their love of music from their parents.[4][5][6][7] At Detroit's Northeastern High School, her vocal coach was Abraham Silver, who also worked with Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson (of the Supremes) and Bobby Rogers (of the Miracles).[4][5][7] Raised on gospel, and inspired by singers like Lena Horne and Della Reese, Reeves became a fan of R&B and doo-wop music. She joined the Fascinations[5] in 1959, but left the group before they became a recording act.