Whatever Happened To 'Queen Of Motown' Martha Reeves? What The Singer Is Up To Today

Thank to the incredible music she released with Martha and the Vandellas, Marth Reeves became known as the Queen of Motown — an incredible title considering that Motown gave us so many iconic female artists. Martha and the Vandellas released numerous timeless hits, such as "Heat Wave," "Quicksand," "Nowhere to Run," "I'm Ready for Love," "Jimmy Mack," and "Honey Child." Perhaps there most notable song is "Dancing in the Street," which became both an anthem during the Civil Rights Movement and a cross-genre standard which has been covered by numerous famous artists.

The band broke up in 1972, but that was not the end of Reeves' career. Since then, she shared a smooch with The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, became a politician, and earned her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — and she still wants to accomplish more.

"I guess I'm satisfied, but I always think that I can reach the next level and it's been prophesied that I'm going to another level," Reeves told Berklee Online. "I had this wonderful spiritual leader take me by the hand and tell me, 'Baby, prepare yourself. You're getting ready to go to another level.' I'm ready! [Laughter] I am ready." With that in mind, let's take a look at what Reeves has accomplished since the dissolution of her girl group — and what she's doing today.

When Martha and the Vandellas released "Dancing in the Street" in 1964, it reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for two weeks, behind "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann. From there, it became one of Motown's biggest standards. Other artists who recorded it include The Kinks, The Mamas & the Papas, the Grateful Dead, and Van Halen. However, the most famous cover version came from two classic rock icons: Mick Jagger and David Bowie. The two legends collaborated on a rambunctious new wave version of "Dancing in the Street" that introduced the song to the MTV generation with its high octane music video. Their cover charted at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of Bowie's biggest hits in the United States.

Despite the attention that the Jagger/Bowie cover received, Martha Reeves did not appreciate it. "I don't really want nobody else to sing my songs," she told The Guardian in 2026. "I'm selfish. They might not treat 'Heat Wave' nicely. I was jealous [when she heard Jagger and Bowie's version of 'Dancing in the Street']. I had a tropical dress I could have put on and done the video with them. I can out-dance both of them, and to see Mick Jagger and David Bowie dancing, honey, I wanted to be in that video. I told Mick Jagger when he came to Detroit — he smiled and gave me a big kiss."

Martha and the Vandellas entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Reeves almost didn't make it to the ceremony on time because of a snow storm but she was relieved to arrive onstage at the right time. Her group was inducted by Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson, members of The B-52s, a 1970s and 1980s band that was heavily influenced by classic 1960s music. At the ceremony, Martha and the Vandellas performed "Dancing in the Street." Reeves also sang Van Morrison's "Wild Night" with John Cougar Mellencamp.

In a 2019 interview with Cleveland.com, Reeves said this accolade was the best thing that ever happened to her band. "Being inducted was great, but that concert for the opening was just incredible," Reeves said. "Seeing all the people whose names were sometimes just faces, but getting to know the actual people, and perform with them, that was the biggest thrill I've ever had. To get to walk around in fellowship. Everyone was just so happy to be there and celebrate coming together." 

"I'm very proud to be counted as an honoree," Reeves said. "I'm proud to tell people we've been inducted. And we always get a round of applause when we tell people we've been celebrated in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame." Reeves said Martha and the Vandellas would not have received that honor if they hadn't learned so much from some of the great jazz musicians who had also been inducted into the Hall.

Few record labels have been as impactful as Motown. Few stages are as impactful as the Super Bowl halftime show. It's only natural for the Super Bowl to have a Motown tribute. In 1998, Super Bowl XXXII featured "A Tribute to Motown's 40th Anniversary." Martha Reeves, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Boyz II Men, and Queen Latifah all performed as part of the tribute. Notably, Queen Latifah became the first rapper to perform at the Super Bowl.

During a 1998 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Reeves discussed her relationship with football. "I was captain of my cheerleading squad at Northeastern High School in Detroit, so I know how to play football," the Queen of Motown said. "I have been tackled. I was rolled over along the sideline by one of our star players." Despite this, she seemed happy to perform at the Super Bowl. "I have never been anywhere near a Super Bowl; this is my first one," she continued. "We are going to party at this Super Bowl." It was incredible that so many great musicians were together on the same stage, and the performance was well-received. 

In the 1960s, many popular singers worked politics into their music, but Martha Reeves was one of the few stars from that era who ran for office. From 2005 to 2009, she served on the Detroit City Council. In an interview with Berklee Online, the Queen of Motown noted that her time on the city council exemplified how eclectic her time in the public eye has been.

During a 2026 interview with The Guardian, Reeves discussed her venture into politics. "I have properties in the city of Detroit and I wanted to know what to do with them: why the property tax is so high, and how I could benefit from the purchasing of the properties I bought," she explained. "I did wonderful. I didn't go to jail! I had a few of my little laws that I introduced. I even introduced America to the roundabout. We've got several roundabouts here in Michigan now."

In 2011, Reeves told Detroit Metro Times she still did not consider herself to be a politician. This was because, in her view, a politician has to be deceitful. The "Dancing in the Street" singer said she didn't take any bribes and funded her campaigns with her own money.

In an interview with Berklee Online, Martha Reeves discussed her connection to the state of Alabama. "[I was] born in Eufaula, Alabama," she recalled. "E-u-f-a-u-l-a! They used to kid me about that. They'd make little jokes like 'You fall, I catch you' kind of jokes. We moved to Detroit when I was 11 months old." While Reeves joined Motown, the most famous record label in the history of Detroit, the people of Alabama never forgot her. In 1995, she was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

In 2019, Reeves' home state decided to honor her with the Distinguished Artists Award. The same day, she appeared at the Alabama House of Representatives. There, she performed a musical version of "The Lord's Prayer" followed by "Dancing in the Streets." When she performed the latter song, Alabama lawmakers started singing along. While we live in deeply polarized times, people from different backgrounds and political persuasions can still come together and enjoy the magic of a Motown classic.

Released in 1964, "Dancing in the Street" was heavily associated with the Civil Rights Movement. In fact, some activists used it as an anthem to protest against police brutality. This surprised Martha Reeves.

During a 2020 interview with The Guardian, Reeves finally explained what she was thinking about when she recorded the track. "I sang the song the way I felt it," said Reeves. "I thought back to when I was a child. My dad worked for the city water department, and Mr. Elliott, who lived on the corner, worked for the bus company. So, being city employees, they requested from the city council to let us block off the street every Saturday night so we could dance in the street. We had no dance hall. So, this was our reward for a hard week of work or school. On those nights, we felt so free."

Reeves was surprised that people felt "Dancing in the Street" had a political meaning, but she knew that people needed to push back against police brutality. Reeves dismissed press reports claiming the song was responsible for violence. During an interview with Berklee Online, she said the lyrics of "Dancing in the Street" were designed to bring people across the globe together.

Numerous Motown hits were the work of the songwriting team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland, more famously known as Holland–Dozier–Holland. The trio were behind timeless tunes such as The Supremes' "Stop! In the Name of Love," "You Can't Hurry Love," and "Where Did Our Love Go," the Four Tops' "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)," and Martha and the Vandellas' "Heat Wave," "Nowhere to Run," and "I'm Ready For Love."

Lamont Dozier died in 2022 at the age of 81. During a 2022 interview with Billboard, Reeves paid tribute to him. "[He] had the greatest sense of humor," she recalled. "He made you laugh and made you comfortable more than Eddie and Brian. They seemed a little more serious than Lamont. Lamont had a sense of humor that made you feel lighter when you were singing their songs. Their songs all had wonderful hooks and beautiful words but were not easy to sing. But Lamont made it easier to do that." In addition, Reeves added "I think all the artists at Motown felt like they were writing songs just for us, and we knew they were going to be hits." Holland–Dozier–Holland left behind a musical legacy that will last for generations.

In 2023, Rolling Stone released its list of the greatest singers of all time. Aretha Franklin was No. 1, followed by Whitney Houston, Sam Cooke, Billie Holiday, and Mariah Carey. Down at No. 151 was Martha Reeves. The publication contrasted Martha and the Vandellas with another Motown girl group. 

"Diana Ross and the Supremes were sweet, but Martha and the Vandellas were powerful, starting with their lead singer," the magazine opined. "Martha Reeves' gleeful, girlish, gritty voice cut straight through the airy harmonies of her group mates." Notably, Rolling Stone ranked Ross at No. 87 on the same list.

The list proved to be very controversial. Some outraged fans of Celine Dion traveled from Canada to Rolling Stone's offices to protest her exclusion from the list. Despite her placement toward the bottom of the list, there appeared to be no controversy. Any placement is, of course, is a testament to her vocal prowess and the way her music has aged like a fine wine.

In 2023, Martha Reeves received one of the biggest honors in show business: her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She received this major accolade in the same year that marked that anniversary of Martha and the Vandellas' first two records: "Come and Get These Memories" and "Heat Wave." Some of the speakers at the event included Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, and William "Mickey" Stevenson. Notably, Stevenson served as the co-writer and producer on "Dancing in the Street."

WalkofFame.com reports Ana Martinez, the producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, also gave a speech at the induction ceremony. "We are very proud to honor Martha Reeves with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame," Martinez said. "It is wonderful to see that her legacy and contributions to the music world will be recognized. Being a Motown great, it is fitting that her star will be on the strip where many iconic Motown acts such as The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations and The Miracles have also been honored with their own stars!"

According to NBC, Reeves was very proud to receive such recognition. She thanked all her fellow musicians who were at the unveiling. She added that life had been very good to her. 

In mid-August 2026, Martha Reeves will release "Searching," her first album in over two decades. During a 2026 interview with Americana Highways, she said she had no interest in retiring. "Searching" blends the sounds of Motown with the sounds of New Orleans, the city where the album was recorded. Reeves said "Searching" is her masterpiece.

During a 2026 interview with Rolling Stone UK, Reeves named her favorite track from the album. "The one special one is 'Golden Hour' because it's Delfeayo [Marsalis] and his wife's love song," she explained. "And I've had a chance to meet her. They live upstairs above the studio — I'm giving away too many secrets, that's their home in New Orleans — and she's beautiful and this is a song that he wrote and I was given it on sheet paper, but I learned to sing it with Lamar Willis, one of our co-partners. 'The Golden Hour' is their love song, and I love singing it." Another song on the album is titled "Thank You, Jesus." Reeves said she was happy to have a song with that message on "Searching" and that the musicians who helped her record the track were just as joyful as she was.

Martha Reeves' album "Searching" produced a cover of Stevie Wonder's "To Know You Is to Love You." The song has a classic funk sound. DJ Eric Kupper revamped the song with a disco sound. During a 2026 interview with Rolling Stone UK, Reeves said the remix was amazing. "It was so disco, but I've been there before," she recalled. "We had music like that on Arista and on Fantasy, and I'm just reliving it. But it's the greatest one I've heard so far." Reeves said that the remix reminded her of the music of Gloria Gaynor, the singer who gave us the disco anthem "I Will Survive." Reeves revealed that hearing a disco version of one of her songs was a dream of hers for a long time.

Reeves also praised the remixer. "That guy Eric Kupper, he is fabulous," she opined. "He knows his stuff, and I've heard he's famous for a lot of other artists of the 2000s. Now we have to say I'm from the 90s, '85, the '61. How far back do I need to go? The music is, is growing, it's going back to real instrumentation and I'm loving that."