By Rachel Sokol

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Rock & Roll Hall of Fame icon Martha Reeves, 85, has already lived a life most musicians could only dream of. 

As the legendary voice of Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, she helped define the Motown sound with unforgettable hits including “Dancing in the Street,” “Heat Wave,” “Jimmy Mack” and “Nowhere to Run.” These are epic songs you still hear all the time at parties, on the radio, and going viral on social media. 
  But Reeves isn’t done making music yet. At 85, she’s still moving and grooving—and hit the recording studio once again this year. Her latest album, Searching, launched on August 14, 2026, blending soul, jazz, gospel and blues into a deeply personal collection. Recorded in New Orleans with acclaimed trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis and Reeves’s co-producer Chris Roe, the album marks 22 years since Martha’s last album hit the radio waves.
   And Martha isn’t stopping there! She’s also teamed up with The B-52s’ Fred Schneider for a brand-new dance remix of her iconic song “I Got It Bad.” 

   It’s an unexpected and exhilarating meeting of two unmistakable voices from completely different corners of music history: Motown and New Wave coming together on the dance floor. The result is wild, infectious and so much fun—we can’t wait for you to hear it!
  Despite more than six decades in the music business, Reeves tells Preferred Health Magazine she is still energized by the simple act of making music. “Right now I’m singing the best I can,” she says. 

   For Reeves, that ability was nurtured long before Motown fame. A Detroit native, she credits the teachers who encouraged her to tap into her musicality–eventually making her a superstar. 

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“I had wonderful music teachers,” she recalls, citing them as Emily Wagstaff at Russell Elementary and high school teacher Abraham Silver at Northeastern High School. “They were wonderful people who taught me the basics. I read and write music and I love it; I’ve got the basics, so that allows me to say I’m qualified and can be a professional in this world because I’ve had lessons.” 
  Reeves is concerned that children today may not receive the same musical education she did. 
  “It hurts my heart to know that schools aren’t teaching music like my teachers did when I was young, that allowed me to be a performer,” she says. “It gave me the foundation I needed to be in show business and to be all over the world.” 

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The early stages 
Another Detroit memory? Martha Reeves was in the studio while Marvin Gaye was recording the classic dance song: “Dancing in the Street.” 
   “When he called me into the studio and said, ‘Martha, I want you to sing this song for me,’ I was overwhelmed and thrilled,” she recalls. “It’s his glory and honor and I only sing it the way he asked me to. And I feel really grateful that I benefited so much just by being outside of the studio admiring Marvin as he recorded.” 

   That one song would become much more than a Motown hit. 

Released in 1964, just weeks after President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the landmark Civil Rights Act into law, Reeves believes the song’s joyous spirit offered people another way to express themselves during a tumultuous time in American history. 
  “That song freed a lot of things,” she says. “It freed a lot of people to actually stop fighting and breaking windows and burning houses to actually dancing and singing and rejoicing and thanking God for freedom.” 

Heat Wave 
As for the classic song, “Heat Wave?” Reeves says: 
“It didn't hurt me too bad when I heard someone (else) try to sing ‘Heat Wave,’ but I sang it exactly like Eddie Holland wanted it, and I knew I pleased him with his good-looking self.”
  Reeves also tells Preferred Health Magazine about the importance of putting genuine feeling into every song. When asked what advice has stayed with her throughout her career, she replied: “Never sing a song unless I feel it.” 
Does she wish one of her lesser-known songs was more popular in mainstream music? 
   “I don't have regrets. I don't have any moments like that. I'm just happy. If anybody else plays my music, I'm just happy.” 

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Searching for a fellow…and more 
Since Reeve’s new album is called Searching, we had a good chuckle when she said at 85 she’s still searching for “a fellow! A man!” (And hey, why not?)
  She describes the experience of recording the album as joyful, particularly working alongside Marsalis and watching him direct the musicians. “I think everybody should listen to how wonderful Delfeayo Marcellus put this music together,” she says. “It was all magic and all talent and all genius.” 
  The album also reflects Reeves’ vivid imagination. While recording each song for Searching, she pictured it as part of a movie, especially “Mood Indigo.” 
 

Records and beyond 
When asked to share an interesting fact about her extraordinary life, she says: “I recently got a record player. I've got over 1,000 long-playing records from my past. I keep them on my shelf here in my house.”
  Adds Reeves: “I'm thinking about taking some of them to the record store and making a deal because I can't really store them all. I've collected albums all these years and I’ve got a good collection.” 
  After a lifetime of impressive musical accomplishments, Reeves’ greatest lesson is that there is always something new to experience. She says Jesus Christ keeps her going at 85, and she is grateful to still be doing what she loves. She wants listeners to experience that same joy when they hear “Searching.” 

  “I think this album should be in everybody's hands; everybody should listen to how wonderful Delfeayo Marsalis put this music together. You must have had my ability. We were all able to express ourselves. There was no stopping and starting. It was all just going. It was wonderful to meet the people there.” 
  She adds: “In my life, I’ve been blessed, and I’ve been thrilled.” 

Learn more about the iconic Martha Reeves via her official website: https://marthareeves.net. Autographed hard copies of 'Searching' are available for purchase on her site and available for download on Spotify and other streaming platforms.