Real Talk Digest reports Motown singer Rosalind Ashford has died at 83, leaving a catalog that helped define Martha and the Vandellas’ legacy.
Ashford died Tuesday of natural causes in Redford, Michigan, the publication reported. It did not provide an exact date or time of death.
As a founding member of Martha and the Vandellas, Ashford helped build the group behind “Heat Wave,” “Dancing in the Street,” “Nowhere to Run,” “Quicksand” and “My Baby Loves Me.”
She is survived by her son, Damon Holmes, along with four grandchildren and a daughter-in-law.
The City of Detroit offered condolences to Ashford’s family, friends and listeners. Its tribute said her voice “helped shape the sound of Motown” and would remain part of the city’s legacy.
Ashford began her musical career in 1957, when she formed the Del-Phis with Annette Beard and Gloria Williams. Martha Reeves joined several years later, and the group changed its name to the Vels.
Berry Gordy then signed the quartet to Motown Records and renamed the group the Vandellas. The singers also provided backing vocals for Marvin Gaye.
Ashford left Martha and the Vandellas in 1969. Still, her connection to the group endured through the recordings that carried her voice to later generations.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Martha and the Vandellas in 1995 during a ceremony in New York.
In February 2004, Ashford and Beard performed together at a Detroit event honoring Levi Stubbs of The Four Tops. Ashford also attended Motown Family Night in New York City in May 2013.
Ashford and Reeves had reportedly reconciled recently, though the timing and details were not disclosed. Reeves marked Ashford’s death with an Instagram tribute and a collection of older and recent photographs.
Reeves wrote:
“I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Rosalind Ashford. 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.”
Detroit delivered its own farewell: “We send our condolences to her family, friends and all who loved her music. Her voice and legacy will forever be part of Detroit.”
Fame often centers on the face at the microphone, but enduring music also depends on the voices beside it. Rosalind Ashford earned her place in that history.
