Soul star Martha Reeves has spoken about her efforts to have a street in Detroit named after Motown founder Berry Gordy.
Berry Gordy founded Motown in 1959, with money loaned to him by his family. Over the next ten years the label would grow into a global institution, scoring countless hits to become 'The Sound Of Young America'.
However the label's hometown of Detroit has always been slow to recognise its contribution. Hugely successful singer Martha Reeves attempted to put this right recently, after being elected as a councillor.
The soul icon was elected to power without the backing of prominent business people, going it alone to represent the views of the city. Amongst Martha Reeves' achievements were getting West Grand Boulevard renamed Berry Gordy Jr Boulevard.
West Grand once housed Motown's offices, with the re-naming ceremony bringing together many of the label's surviving acts. "He had seven houses, big houses, on that block that he bought as the company grew, and then finally moved into a twelve-storey building" she explained to ClashMusic. "But he owns that street and his name should have been on it, and the city said no."
"They said, ‘No, you can’t do it. We’re not gonna pay for it’. So I went in and I solicited private funds and I got it done. None of the council members - I think one - were in agreement with me, and you have to have a majority of five out of nine people to get something passed, but I was able to, with just that one and the outside benefactor, get the name put on. It was a struggle."
"He came in for it - they give a yearly anniversary celebration for Hitsville at Motown here in Detroit - and when he came in I was there for a press conference and was able to stop him right there in the street and unveil his name. I will always cherish the look on his face, and I feel that I’ve given back to him and shown my gratitude for what he did for so many of us by being the conscientious and genius man that he was. He looked at us and saw whether we had talent or not, he made sure his writers were supported until they got hits, and he nurtured us and trained us and made us the artists that we are. "
Martha Reeves has since returned to her music career, arranging a series of British tour dates. The Motown icon will play:
July
10 Canterbury Lounge On The Farm
18 Glasgow Arches
21 Leamington Spa Assembly
22 Cork The Opera House
23 Dublin The Helix
24 Nottingham Orston
Click here to buy tickets for Martha Reeves!
