African-American Women in Rock: Martha & the Vandellas

The brazen Motown girl group with an unyielding R&B edge.

Martha and the Vandellas were the Supremes' tougher, more grounded counterpart. With her cheeky, fervent vocals, Martha Reeves led the group in a string of dance anthems that are irresistible to this day. From the outset, Martha Reeves’ voice possessed an earthy, direct quality that distinguished her from other female singers—such as sultry Mary Wells or demure Diana Ross—at Motown. Her voice bore the righteous fervor of gospel and the flinty edginess of rhythm & blues, which, combined with Motown’s stylized pop-soul approach, made for a compelling package. Together with her backup singers, the Vandellas, Reeves recorded a classic run of singles in the mid-Sixties, most of them composed by the songwriting team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland. More on rockhall.com...

Image from the Rosalind Ashford-Holmes Collection on Martha and the Vandellas