| Alabama born and Detroit raised Reeves started her career at Motown as a secretary. One day, Mary Wells failed to show up for a recording session, and musicians' union rules demanded that a lead vocalist be present on the mic — so secretary Reeves was hastily tapped to sing "I'll Have to Let Him Go." That song went on to become the first single credited to the newly renamed Martha & the Vandellas in 1963; their second single, the ballad "Come and Get These Memories," reached the R&B Top Five. Martha & the Vandellas racked up an impressive slate of Motown classics that included the Top Five smashes "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street," plus "Nowhere to Run," "I'm Ready for Love," "Jimmy Mack," and "Honey Chile," all of which made the R&B Top Five. Despite the occasional personnel turnover, and the fact that rivals the Supremes had become Motown's female group of choice, Martha & the Vandellas' run of success continued through 1967. Unfortunately, feeling the pressure to keep up, Reeves developed an addiction to prescription drugs, and in 1968 a bad acid trip prefigured a nervous breakdown that slowed the Vandellas' momentum even further. Although they continued to perform and record for several more years, they never matched the success of old and disbanded in December 1972 after a farewell concert in Detroit. Her first solo album was released on MCA in 1974, followed by a stint on Arista in 1977 and then a move to Fantasy records in 1978. That move had Reeves steeped in the disco genre. A 12" single of "Love Don't Come No Stronger" received moderate play and for a brief moment it looked like Martha might have found solo success. However the second 12" single erased all credability that she had gained. "Skating In The Streets (Dancing In The Streets)" was a lame attempt to cash in on her Motown days. The public and more importantly the club D.J.'s weren't buying it. The one interesting fact of that release was it's arrangement by Herb Jimmerson of Paradise Express fame. After that disappointment Reeves gave up the ghost on her solo career. She spent the early 1980's working on various Motown package tours, and eventually put together a new version of the Vandellas. In 1989, she reunited with original Vandellas Annette Sterling and Rosalind Holmes and cut the single "Step Into My Shoes" for British producer Ian Levine's Motor City label. However, she mostly continued to make her living on the nostalgia circuit. Reeves was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. |
