Martha Reeves on Cee Lo Green, Gladys Horton, and being one of the last Motown stars
Martha Reeves is one of the last survivors of the Motown era. In recent years, many of the legendary recording studio's original headliners have passed.
Only two of the original Temptations are still alive. All but a handful of the Funk Brothers, Motown's backing band, are gone. Jack Brokensha died in October.
And two weeks ago, Glady Horton, the original singer of the Marvelettes, died in a Sherman Oaks retirement home at 66.
I had Reeves on the phone when the news broke, and her Detroit home was being bombarded with phone calls from reporters for comment. Though she hadn't spoken with Horton in at least three decades, the death was a poignant one.
Without the Marvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas would not have been. "They were our pioneers," she said.
On Saturday, Reeves performs a sold-out show at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in honor of Valentine's Day. I previewed the show for Live.
The rest of the story is here.
Below, Martha and the Vandellas performing "Dancing in the Street".
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
Comments
"In recent years, many of the legendary recording studio's original headliners remain."
Just a heads up, but after reading subsequent paragraphs, is that what you really meant to say?
Posted by: Sucio410 | February 10, 2011 2:46 PM
@sucio410 updated!
Posted by: Maza | February 10, 2011 3:03 PM