Martha Reeves

Four decades of Motown - and still going strong

Her music provided the soundtrack to the American civil rights movement - and, nearly forty years on, Martha Reeves is still going strong.

This morning, she came in to the Breakfast studio to talk about the heady days of the early sixties, when Martha and the Vandelas were at their peak.

"I want to get one thing straight, " she told Jeremy and Sophie."Dancing in the street wasn't the theme tune of the civil rights movement - that was We Shall Overcome.

"But we were celebrating the fact that we could dance in the street, after the riots and marches."

"It was music to make a segretated audience get up and integrate"

click here to see Martha Reeves' interview on Breakfast in full

Martha Reeves was born in Eufaula Alabama.

Her parents Ruby and Elijah Reeves moved to Detroit, Michigan before her first birthday.

Detroit was to become the home of Motown records - and Martha was one of their brightest stars.

BBC 1964 Music page with Martha Reeves interview

Remaining dates for Martha's UK Tour:

Wednesday May 29: Portsmouth Guildhall 7.30pm

Friday May 31: Southend Cliffs Pavilion 8.00pm

Saturday June 1: Northampton Derngate 8.00pm

Sunday June 2: London Palladium 7.30pm

Monday June 3: High Wycombe Swan Theatre 7.30pm