‘I can out-dance Bowie and Jagger!’ Martha Reeves on Motown, Dancing in the Street and smashing crockery with Dusty Springfield

The useful part

eamonmcc William Stevenson discovered me after I had won an amateur contest. My dad worked for Ford and [Motown founder] Berry Gordy worked there as an employee. It taught Berry Gordy the way to represent and how to manage and how to give people assignments.

How it works

• It was like a dream come true that a producer would come and approach me and say, "You have talent, come to Hitsville, USA." I took his advice and showed up the next day unannounced and was immediately...

Details worth keeping

Now 84, the voice of Heat Wave and Jimmy Mack is releasing a new album. She answers your questions on Marvin Gaye, popularising the roundabout and why she hates cover versions of her songs You were part of perhaps the richest and most exciting era of music since the German and Italian classics of the 19th century. It felt real good that I was at the right place at the right time.