Martha Reeves Biography

The American R&B singer Martha Reeves was born in 1941 in Alabama. Long before Reeves rose to fame as the lead singer of the group Martha and the Vandellas, she grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where she sang in her grandfather’s church choir. While attending high school, Martha studied music and after graduating, she started performing around town in various jazz clubs.

During one of these performances, Martha Reeves was discovered by an A&R representative from Motown Records. While at Motown, she provided backup vocals for “Stubborn Kind of Fellow,” recorded by Marvin Gaye. Eventually, Motown signed Martha Reeves to her own recording contract as part of the group Martha and the Vandellas.

After the release of their hit “(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave,” Martha and the Vandellas rose to become one of Motown’s most successful groups. At the height of their success, the group spawned hit after hit, including: “Dancing in the Street,” “Honey Chile,” “Jimmy Mack,” “I’m Ready for Love,” “Nowhere to Run,” “In My Lonely Room,” and “Quicksand.” But as the Supremes rocketed to success, Motown placed Martha and the Vandellas on the back burner, and the group slowly dissolved.

Martha Reeves embarked on her own solo career in 1974, releasing a self-titled album which featured the songs “Wild Night” and “Power of Love.” Although the album was a critical favorite, it was not as successful commercially, although Reeves released a few additional albums in the years following: For the Rest of My Life (1977), We Meet Again (1978), and Gotta Keep Moving (1980.) Reeves surprised fans with the release of another album, Home to You, in 2004, but in 2005 she instead focused her attention on a career in politics, serving on the Detroit City Council for four years.

Most recently, Martha Reeves has made a sudden re-appearance with her collaboration on the song “I’m Not Leaving,” with Crystal Method. In 2012, the single shot to the top twenty on the dance charts, and it was followed by a number of life appearances by Reeves, at such high-profile venues as Carnegie Hall, the Blue Note, San Diego’s Anthology, and the Dakota Jazz Club.