In 1957, Reeves joined a group called the Del-Phis, with
Rosalind Ashford,
Gloria Williams and
Annette Beard. Edward "Pops" Larkins formed the Del-Phis as a sister singing group to complement his male vocal group. The Del-Phis were popular local performers.) By 1961, the Del-Phis had changed their name to
The Vels The single became a hit. Martha and the Vandellas backed Gaye on his first three singles, his first album, and on stage—even after they had their own hits. That story is told a bit differently in the film
Hitsville. According to
Berry Gordy, Motown routinely recorded without a singer present, in violation of union rules: "We were recording sometimes tracks without the singer, and according to the Union, you had to have a singer singing it live. You couldn't do tracks in those days." A union representative made a surprise visit, and Berry said, "Everybody went crazy, saying, 'Well, you're doing a session in there and the union guy is coming.' We told Mickey, 'Man, we've got to put somebody on the mic.' His secretary overheard it....Then she grabbed the mic and started singing it, and she was Martha."
Martha and the Vandellas With her brassy and gospel-reared vocals, Martha Reeves helped Martha and the Vandellas ascend from background singers with early songs such as "
Come and Get These Memories" and "
Heat Wave", distinguishing the group from contemporaries and labelmates
the Marvelettes, who preceded them, and
the Supremes, who followed them. After "Heat Wave" became the group's first million-seller, Martha and the Vandellas quickly rose to become one of the label's top draws both as recording stars and as a successful live act. Martha was the one consistent member of the group staying throughout all the group's incarnations and lineups. After the exits of original members Annette Beard and Rosalind Ashford, members replacing them included
Betty Kelly,
Sandra Tilley (both formerly of
the Velvelettes) and one of Martha's sisters,
Lois Reeves. Their television appearances included
The Mike Douglas Show,
The Joey Bishop Show,
American Bandstand,
Where the Action Is, Shindig, ''
Swingin' Time, Soul Train, The Ed Sullivan Show, and with British soul singer Dusty Springfield, on the UK show Ready Steady Go!'' The group was also featured in major magazine articles in
Johnson Publishing Corp. publications including
Hep,
Ebony and
Jet, and in the newspaper
Soul and the magazine
Soul Illustrated. Reeves was also an early contributing writer for
Soul. When original member Rosalind Ashford left in 1968, Reeves recruited
Sandra Tilley In 1989, Reeves, Rosalind Ashford, and Annette Beard filed a lawsuit against Motown Records for royalties on the group's records not received since 1972. The company reached a settlement with the women in 1991.
Berry Gordy, Jr. apologized to Reeves for the length of time in reaching the agreement and the terms of the settlement were not made public. Reviewing in ''
Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies'' (1981),
Robert Christgau said, "This attempted masterpiece doesn't make it because Richard Perry has failed the fundamental test of the interpretive producer—matching performer and material. To an extent, this is Reeves's fault—her gorgeous voice has trouble gripping complicated ideas." She appeared as a musical guest on the
first season of
Saturday Night Live (hosted by
Candice Bergen) in December 1975, performing the Christmas standard "
Silver Bells" and a cover version of
Jackie Wilson's "
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher". In Los Angeles, Reeves took acting classes at the
Lee Strasberg Institute. She appeared in the movie
Fairy Tales and on the television series
Quincy, ME. Reeves also appeared on TV game shows such as
Hollywood Squares. In 1977, with the help of former Motown producer
Frank Wilson, Reeves became a
born-again Christian, joining the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, pastored by Reverend EV Hill. She released one album on
Arista Records, working with
Clive Davis, the Chairmen of the Board's
General Johnson and others, and two albums on
Fantasy Records, working with other former Motown colleagues
Hank Cosby and
Holland, Dozier and Holland. In 1983, she performed solo on the
Motown 25 special. She then performed in a
Broadway production of ''
Ain't Misbehavin''' and reunited with original members of the Vandellas in 1989 both on record (recording for the
London-based
Motorcity Records that year issuing the single "Step into My Shoes") and on tour. In 1995, Reeves and the Vandellas were inducted to the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and were inducted to the
Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2004, Reeves released her first album in 24 years,
Home to You, with songs she wrote and produced herself except for a
Billie Holiday cover and an updated version of "
Jimmy Mack". Between leaving the Vandellas and her solo career, Martha served as an early contributor to the music newspaper,
Soul, for which she was honored for by the Black Women in Publishing organization. She was also honored for her best-selling 1995 autobiography,
Dancing in the Street. "Wild Night" was featured on the soundtrack to the feature
Thelma & Louise. Reeves has sometimes opened her live performances with this number.
Current work After serving on the
Detroit City Council from 2005 to 2009, Reeves returned to full-time performing with nearly 50 shows annually, including a major tour of Australia in 2010. She regularly appears at festivals in the UK during the summer, and for her performances was nominated for two UK Festival Awards, as "Best Headliner" and "Feel Good Act of the Summer". Reeves is a board member of
SAG-AFTRA Detroit chapter. In 2007, she testified before Congress on behalf of musicians, session singers and recording artists for better wages and royalties. She was honored for her hard work and courage in 2007 by delegates and members of AFTRA. She is also on the board of
SoundExchange, a non-profit performance rights organization that collects royalties on behalf of sound recording copyright owners and featured artists for non-interactive digital transmissions, including satellite and internet radio. She made a cameo appearance in the
film Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, as a passer-by listening to the duo on the boardwalk. This information was revealed in the film's
DVD audio commentary by
Kyle Gass. Martha continues to perform concerts and club dates both solo and with her Vandellas—sisters Lois (Motown-era Vandella since 1967) and Delphine (since mid-1980s). In September 2019, Martha was one of the celebrity contestants taking part on the BBC One show
Celebrity MasterChef in the UK. In 2024, Martha received a star on The
Hollywood Walk of Fame, with Berry Gordy Jr.,
Smokey Robinson,
Stevie Wonder, and others paying tribute at the event. == Discography ==