Mostly good news in the election results from last night, including an openly gay candidate finishing first in the City Council primary (which to the rest of the world at least will look like progressive thinking, not star worship). I am overall pleased, although with Matt Naimi not finishing in the top 18 I won't be on a special Detroit homo task force anytime soon. Oh well.
The only incumbent to not make the cut, other than pre-convict Monica Conyers, was Martha Reeves. Now let's face it, Martha was out of her league from the get-go, although the amazing platform that got her elected (to rename West Grand Boulevard "Berry Gordy Jr. Boulevard" and erect statues of Motown stars) was a pretty good indicator of things to come.
So let's not focus on the sloppy has-been mess she became as Martha-Rose, and instead let's take a minute to reflect on the glory that once was Martha Reeves. She lacked the polish and beauty of Diana Ross but made up for it with grit and soul and a much much better voice. And she was good friends with Dusty Springfield!
Here at Supergay Detroit, we prefer to remember what once was, and what could have been if she had laid off the fried catfish and continued to be professionally styled. Here are a few Martha Reeves moments for you to enjoy.
7 comments:
Love it Supergay, keeping it positive!
That last one is great. Love the Soul Train of the early 70s.
I knew I’d arrived when I crawled out of the “cabbage patch,” bought an apartment at 1300, and brushed up against fame - sightings of Martha on the elevator. Ah, good times.
Took me about 5 listens, while drunk mind you, to realize that the same Martha Reeves that sang "Nowhere To Run" is the same Martha Reeves that took a giant dump all over Detroit. I am somewhat glad, but also somewhat depressed that I subscribed to your blog. The depressed part has nothing to do with you though, don't worry!
It took me about five listens while SOBER to realize the same Martha Reeves that sang "Nowhere to Run" is the same Martha Reeves that sang "I'll Be There" in the National Coney Island with Charlie LeDuff! Man her voice is shot!
I am sorry that you got depressed on the blog, motz, but keep in perspective that so many other public officials took such bigger dumps on Detroit that the Reeves dump is like a tiny rabbit pellet in comparison!
This is true. Now that I have sobered up, I am happy and smiling. Mainly because I won't have to hear about Martha Rose Reeves antics anymore. Thank god we got the DPS to help fill the shudder-about-corruption-in-Detroit quota filled!
Thanks for this awesome post.
Amazing that such a top-notch artist, and such a physically lovely woman, could over time transmogrify into such a horrifyingly repulsive dimwit and petty theif. Fame and fortune has done that time and again. Ugh. Let that be a lesson for the kids out there.
But what a treasure she was. Thanks for reminding us.
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