Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson visited the Hollywood Walk of Fame to celebrate the musical achievements of Martha Reeves, lead singer of Motown group Martha and the Vandellas.
Reeves, 82, was honored Wednesday, March 27, with the 2,776th star on the landmark.
The Vandellas climbed the charts in the 1960s and ’70s with hits including “Heat Wave,” “My Baby Loves Me,” and “Dancing in the Street.”
Reeves told the audience her late brother Benny Reeves, who was a member of Motown group The Contours, deserves some of the credit for her success.
“He took his little sister and protected her from all the bullies and told me to sing from my heart,” Reeves said. “And mama taught us all and said, ‘Always sing to the best of your ability. Don’t ever short stop God with this gift.'”
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Motown founder Berry Gordy and William “Mickey” Stevenson, the Motown executive who hired Reeves as a secretary before Gordy signed her to a recording contract, both spoke at the ceremony.
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas scored their first No. 1 single with “Heat Wave” in 1963, which received a Grammy nomination for best R&B performance.
The following year, they released “Dancing in the Street.” The group’s other hits include “Come and Get These Memories,” “Nowhere to Run,” “Quicksand,” and “Jimmy Mack.”
Reeves launched a solo career in 1974. To this day, she continues to perform solo as well as with the Vandellas.
She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. She is a hometown hero in Detroit and served as an elected city councilwoman from 2005 to 2009.
Her star is located at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Watch the star ceremony below:
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