MarthaReeves:“My life is onstage, mylife is showbusiness”

Motown legend MarthaReeves has had anextraordinary career,and, she tells ELLAWALKER, she has noplans to slow down yet

WHEN we speak, ultimate divaMartha Reeves has done hermorning vocalisation and

her bible studies, so she’s ready totalk. And she loves to talk.

The 73-year-old soul singer whosevoice – treacly but booming – isbehind hits like Dancing in the Streetand Jimmy Mack, recently openedfor Secret Garden Party headlinersFat Freddy’s Drop with her bandand backing singers The Vandellas.Stepping out on stage, shimmeringin head-to-toe sequins, sheproceeded to chat her way throughthe entire set and then refused,cackling, to leave the stage on time(“You know we had agood time!”).

Here’s hoping she’ll be in asgood a mood when she comes toCambridge Corn Exchange, becausethe woman is the stuff of Motownlegend.

Born in Alabama and raised inDetroit, where she served on thecouncil between 2007 and 2009, shestarted singing “in my grandfather’schurch at the age of 3. Pianos andorgans and guitars and bass havealways been what inspired me andgiven me tones and kept me in tune,and taught me how to feel abouttrue music.”

Singing jazz and blues innightclubs to make ends meet, shemet Motown Records’ A&R directorMickey Stevenson, turned up twodays early for an audition and endedup taking charge of his office beforesnagging a record deal herself.

Then things really kicked off,leaving with her an extensive backcatalogue of anecdotes she’s morethan happy to reel off.

“Oh there are so many I don’t knowwhere to start,” she replies merrily, ifformulaically, when asked to pick acareer highlight. “What about beingin the studio when Marvin Gayewas recording Dancing in the Streetand looked over to [producers] IvyHunter and William Stevenson andsaid ‘Hey man, let’s try this song onMartha,’ and gave it to me?

“I don’t know if it could be whenwe did our 25th anniversary and sawMichael Jackson do the moonwalkfor the first time; I don’t know if itwas when I saw Stevie Wonder inhis audition and he could play everyinstrument in the studio at theage of 8.”

“I mean what?!” she guffawshappily. “There’s so many things! It’sa great life and there’s a lot of thingsthat I can say. I have lots of joy frommy career, lots of joy.”

Despite the extensive roll call ofhistory making moments, Reevesis pretty magnanimous about allof her shows. She’s smooth toowhen it comes to media speak,telling me again just how much sheenjoyed Secret Garden Party: “Everyperformance has its own joy and itsown spark of light, that’s what makesit enjoyable, that’s what makes itsomething I love doing.”

So, there are absolutely no plansto retire? “Oh no, and I wonder whypeople ask me that. Music lastsforever. If you find me somewherewithout a mic in my hand, that’swhen I’ll retire: lying with my eyeswide open and a song on my lips.”

Of course, she does take theoccasional day off, but she’s veryclear: “My life is on stage, my life isshow business.”

That doesn’t mean she has muchinterest in current music though:“a lot of the soul and the feelingshave gone out of it, the compassionis missing,” nor in the diva’s sheopened the gates for. The likes ofBeyoncé and Rihanna hold littleinterest for her she admits: “I’ll behonest with you, I haven’t had alarge experience with a lot of musictoday. I mostly listen to gospel andthe music we’ve made over the years,not just my music alone, but all theMotown acts. We were discoveredas a family.”

At this she tumbles into anotherseemingly pre-rehearsed story aboutworking with The Funk Brothers asa teenager, and the talents of theMotown signees: “I think it’s all cometo fruition, it’s all happening to besomething I cherish, somethingI live for.”

However practised her anecdotesthough (and fair enough, she getsasked about her famous hey daysconstantly), she is utterly sincere andgruffly confident.

“I’m still doing it. I’m writing andrecording, I’ve authored a book, I’vewritten a couple of plays that I hopeI can have performed, I receivedmy doctorate in humanities and mymasters in religious studies,” Reevesbuzzes when asked if there’s anythingleft she wants to achieve. “Everythingthat I want to do, I have the freedomto do it.” How many people are ableto say that, and mean it?

“All right darling,” she adds justbefore ringing off. “I love your voice.Do you sing? You sound like youcould sing a beautiful song, andthank you for calling me.”

See, told you she was smooth.

28 | September 11, 2014 | cambridge-news.co.uk | Cambridge News

Music

� Martha Reeves and The Vandellas,Cambridge Corn Exchange, Wednesday,September 17 at 7.30pm. Tickets £24.50-£28.50 from (01223) 357851 / cornex.co.uk.

Round-up� THIS weekend it’s Open Cambridgetime. “A weekend of history, heritageand culture”, it’s running from Friday toSunday at various colleges and universitybuildings. There will be talks, scenicwalks around centres you’re not normallyallowed into, and culminates with theNews backed 5-mile charity Bridge theGap walk on Sunday for Arthur RankHospice and Press Relief. For full detailsvisit opencambridge.cam.ac.uk.� IN the run up to Oxjam CambridgeTakeover in October, this Saturdaytalented under 18s will be competing fora place on the main festival’s line-up.Dubbed Teenjam, head to CambridgeJunction for 6pm (music starts at 7pm)to see local acts Tommy Froggat, SohamDe, Grape Marmalade (excellent namethat), and many more perform. Entry is £5– call (01223) 511511 to book – withall proceeds going to Oxfam.� NATURE writer Helen McDonaldwill be talking about her new book, His for Hawk, at Ely Literary Festival onThursday, September 18. Inspired byher love for falconry as a child and T. H.White’s classic book The Goshawk, afterthe death of her father McDonald foundherself writing a novel that interwove hergrief and her love of winged beasts. Thetalk takes place at St Peter’s Church, Elyat 7.30pm. Tickets are £7 on the day, or£6 in advance from (01353) 645005.� CJ Mahony & Georgie Grace’s TheHand That Takes is, we’re told: “Animmersive promenade performanceusing live voice, recorded sound anddarkness to set the stage for a journeyinto loss, financial abstractions, andthe mysteries of the market.” Soundsintriguing, no? Get involved at CambridgeJunction on Tuesday, Wednesday andThursday at various times. Tickets are£5 from (01223) 511511. Let us knowwhat you discover…

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