Легенда Motown Марта Ривз вспомнила первую встречу с 11-летним Стиви Уандером

Martha Reeves has recalled her first ever meeting with fellow Motown icon Stevie Wonder when he was just 11 years old - and says it's a moment she will never forget. Long before either of the pair had become the household names they are today, they crossed paths at Hitsville USA, the first headquarters and recording studio of Motown Records in Michigan, founded by Berry Gordy. Martha went on to become a Motown legend as she fronted Martha and The Vandellas in 1962. The band dominated the singles charts for almost a decade with timeless dunes such as Dancing in the Street and Jimmy Mack. But years earlier, when Martha was around 21 years old and working as an A&R secretary for Berry's organisation, she came across a young hopeful. ‌ She reveals Stevie's talents were clear without him singing a note - and he showed them in the most unique way. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, the Heatwave singer, now 85, shares how Ronnie White of The Miracles had urged Berry to take a look at the young child "from church" - something the Motown founder obliged to. She tells us: "Berry, being the gentleman that he is, said, 'Bring him to the studio after school.' So, they chose that day that I was there to bring him to the door without an escort." Martha says young Stevie was very polite, even though she had no clue why he was there as no one had informed her of his visit. And it was after he told her "Well, you sound like a nice person," that she realised he was visually impaired. ‌ She continues: "He came to me direct and he put his fingers all over my eyes, my nose, my mouth to get to see me. And I realised then that that's how Stevie actually introduced himself to people. And it was a wonderful experience. "And the next thing I know, he was on a typewriter that had no paper in it, and was typing away rhythms, ruining the ribbon! I said, 'Wait a minute, stop, kid! Don't do that. Give me that!' "And he moved from there to the telephone. A digital sound had just come into play. Stevie was playing a melody and a rhythm on that digital telephone. And I said, 'Stop, kid!' So, he moved from there to another telephone, which also had a digital sound. I said, "Stop, kid, you're calling Russia!" And he stopped." ‌ She admits the moment was frantic but fun, as she listened to how such a young child was able to find a rhythm with any object. And it was from there she said her relationship with the star blossomed as she became "sort of like his daycare nurse". "Whenever it was time to go and do finales, Stevie was so energetic, he would actually jump to the point of excitement. And if you didn't hold him, he'd jump in the band pit! [Studio A - a cramped recording room at the venue]...It was such a joy to be with Stevie." Years later, the pair were thrust into the limelight; Stevie as a solo artist, and Martha as the front of Martha and the Vandellas. Stevie, now 76, has sold over 100 million records worldwide, with his 1976 landmark double album, Songs in the Key of Life, being certified Diamond by the RIAA. He also boasts 25 Grammy wins, the most ever won by a male solo artist. ‌ Despite being older, Martha insists it was her learning from the Superstition singer during the peak of their powers. "He was so talented," she says. "He was born a genius. I learned from him. He could tell your things that you would never imagine with his sixth sense. "Being with Stevie at any time is educational. He taught me how to take a little rattle around in my purse, and whenever I'm sitting and listening to music, keep up the rhythm. He taught me rhythms. He's a genius. He's a magic genius." ‌ The connection between the pair can be felt in Martha's latest album, titled Searching. Her first album for 22 years sees her record her own take on To Know You Is to Love You, which was originally recorded by Syreeta Wright and Stevie Wonder in 1972. The lead track on Martha's album hit the world in June Martha says: "I'm thrilled and honoured that I'm doing a special tribute to Stevie from my heart doing his song. "There's a few others on the album that I'm doing just because I've had a relationship with the authors. I'm back in. I always record. I'll always be bringing something to the table. I'm a recording artist." It was another huge name in the industry who helped thrust her into superstardom. Her hit tune Dancing In The Street was released in 1964, during what became known as Freedom Summer. The track was quickly - and somewhat accidentally - turned into a civil rights anthem as the summer saw major push to register Black voters in the American South, with the United States deep in civil rights upheaval. ‌ Martha tells us how her version was created after she had been "admiring" its writer, legendary Marvin Gaye, through a studio window. "I was standing there just in awe of him," she says. "And I could see him and he could see me. So, he beckoned to me to come in the studio. I had no business in there. "So, I did go in and answered him, and he said, 'Sing this song for me.' I had heard him sing it a couple of times and I thought I liked it, but I'd rather be in an athletic theatre or on a stage at an Olympia or somewhere other than in the street. "I mean, I thought I should be dancing somewhere other than the street. But when I thought about the song and the words that it was saying, it was appropriate for the time, 'cause there were riots in several of our states here in the United States and we were trying to learn how to get along." ‌ She reveals, to her, the song was all about love and telling the world to 'stop fighting, stop rioting'. And while she hit it perfectly in her first take, she was fuming as she remembered the machine wasn't recording. Thankfully, the second take was just as good and the rest, as they say, is history. The tune has since been re-recorded by the likes of David Bowie and Mick Jagger, The Kinks, and Van Halen. Born in Alabama, Martha moved with her family to Detroit before she was one year old. And she admits time with her father helped her discover the love of music in the '40s. She went on to make her debut singing performance in high school, singing Bach's Aria. ‌ She gushes: "My dad was proud of me. My dad would put me between him and the guitar and teach me songs and teach me how to sing. "I'm 85 years old and I'm still sitting here talking about how much I love Daddy and how much of an influence he is still in my life. Like, nurturing me when I was four or five years old, sitting me in between him and his guitar, making Mama very jealous. "But there was 11 of us, so that didn't last very long 'cause other children came. But I got it. Dad blessed me, with God. And Mama, she taught me the same, too." Martha is one of 11 siblings raised by Elijah Joshua Reeves and Ruby Lee Gilmore. She was the third child, but eldest daughter. Younger sisters Lois and Delphine at times also joined Martha on her music journey with the Vandellas. ‌ She was recently criticised for a performance of the national anthem at the Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois, before a game between the Los Angeles Queens and New York Heights. But despite not touching on the performance, Martha reiterates her love for her career. "I'm enjoying the moment," she gushes. And she can't wait for the future following her latest release. She adds: "The miracles are coming true right now. I'm trying to be calm 'cause I'm overjoyed. I'm really excited, and this is another level in my life. "I'm expressing what I've learned, and I'm doing songs that I care for. Their lyrics too." Martha Reeves' new album, Searching, is out now. ‌ Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.