Dancing in the Street: Confessions of a Motown Diva

In the early '60s Martha and the Vandellas were among the most successful female pop acts in the world; by the end of the decade they had largely been upstaged by Motown labelmates Diana Ross and the Supremes. Writing with Bego ( Madonna: Blonde Ambition ), Reeves here recounts both the excitement and energy of Motown in its heyday and her frustrations in making a comeback after she was abandoned by music industry moguls. Although she proclaims to set the record straight about her alleged feuds with Diana Ross and Motown president Berry Gordy, Reeves tends to soft-pedal these issues, and her feelings about Gordy are so obviously conflicted as to leave readers befuddled about their true relationship. Consequently, the book is of interest more as an account of a career in the entertainment industry than as an expose of the Motown scene. Reeves's story of her exploitation by her managers, her ongoing drug addiction and a string of relationships gone sour is poignant, and she emerges as a stoic and likable survivor. Photos not seen by PW. Author tour. (Aug.)