Marth and the Vandellas: The Story of a Girl Group

Martha and the Vandellas, an American Motown successful girl group in the 1960s, were well-known for a churchier and more southern-styled soul than the Supremes. The members of this band are Martha Reeves, Gloria Williamson, Annette Beard, and Rosalind Ashford. Before becoming Martha and The Vandellas, they were known as The Del-Phis and The Vells. The first single of this group was “I’ll Have to Let Him Go” followed by the great success “(Love is Like a) Heat Wave” and “Quicksand.”

All these hits are just a part of what these girls could perform because their biggest hit, “Dancing in the Street,” caused some polemic due to the fact that their lyrics apparently represented the riots of many cities. After replacing two girls who left the group, “Honey Chile” was recorded, which became their last original Top 40 hit; however, the subsequent releases did not get the expected results from the public. Besides this, another former member was fired from the group.

Matters were even worse since Martha was hospitalized because of her addiction to many prescription drugs. In addition, she also suffered a nervous breakdown that undoubtedly would affect the image and success of the group. In 1972, the group disbanded through a farewell concert. After that, Martha started a solo career; but neither any member nor the band could recover the success again. Sometimes, Martha makes tours with some of Vandellas.