Rosalind Ashford, one of the original voices behind Motown’s iconic Martha and the Vandellas, has died at age 83. She passed away Tuesday of natural causes in Redford Township, a suburb of Detroit, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Ashford was there at the start. Born on September 2, 1943, she was attending Wilbur Wright High School when she, Annette Beard and Gloria Williams formed The Del-Phis. Reeves joined later, and the group also recorded as The Vels.
In 1962, after backing Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells in the studio, they caught the attention of Berry Gordy. The label offered them a deal, and they became Martha and the Vandellas after Williams left. The group’s lineup solidified as Ashford, Reeves, and Beard.
Their first chart success came with “Come and Get These Memories” in 1963. It reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 6 on the R&B chart. That same year, “(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave” received a Grammy nomination, peaking at No. 4 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on R&B. Their follow-up “Quicksand” also hit the Top 10.
In 1964, after Betty Kelly replaced Beard, Martha and the Vandellas scored their biggest hit. “Dancing in the Street” climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has been covered by The Mamas & the Papas, Van Halen, and the Grateful Dead.
Other Top 10 hits included “Nowhere to Run” in 1965, “I’m Ready for Love” in 1966, and “Jimmy Mack” in 1967. Ashford left the group in 1969 but remained active in music, performing occasionally with former Vandellas members while working for Michigan Bell Telephone Co.
Ashford’s voice was a significant part of nearly two dozen Top 40 singles on Billboard’s R&B chart. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, becoming the second all-female group to receive that honor.
Berry Gordy, in a statement, said, “Rosalind played an important part in the early days of Martha and the Vandellas. Her voice will forever be with us through our great recordings together, and she will be missed but never forgotten. Our Motown family has just gotten a little smaller. My heart is heavy.”
Her survivors include her son Damon and four grandchildren. She continued to perform with former group members over the years but stepped back from the spotlight after leaving the Vandellas.
In a scene saturated with voices that shaped Motown’s sound, Ashford’s remains one of the most recognizable. Her contribution helped craft a legacy that endures through hits like “Dancing in the Street” and “Heat Wave,” songs that remain fixtures in American musical history.
According to Hollywood Reporter.