Motown Girl Group Martha And The Vandellas Not Only Recorded An Anthem For The Civil Rights Era – They Fought For Fair Pay And Proudly Called Themselves Divas

BY AUSTIN MCCOY

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF HISTORY,

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

The CBS television show “It’s What’s Happening Baby” aired a music video featuring Martha and the Vandellas performing their hit song “Nowhere to Run” to kick off its national broadcast dedicated to Detroit on June 28, 1965.

In the video, the Detroit-based trio sang about how they could not escape missing an ex-lover after a breakup while sitting in a white Mustang moving slowly down the assembly line in the Ford Motor Co.’s River Rouge plant.

As a cultural and labor historian, I see the “Nowhere to Run” video as an iconic testament to Detroit’s reputation as the “Motor City” and the role of the autoworker in the American imagination.

Motown founder and CEO Berry Gordy, Jr. worked on the Ford assembly line and used it as inspiration for Hitsville U.S.A., the famed headquarters and music recording studio that served as a space to train performers and perfect the “Motown sound” for the masses.

Martha and the Vandellas were part of Motown’s illustrious roster of artists in the 1960s. Initially comprised of Martha Reeves, Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard, and with members changing over the next three decades, they helped establish the Black “girl group.” They presented themselves as working class in videos like “Nowhere to Run.”

Their classic anthem “Dancing in the Street” reflected the revolutionary mood of civil rights protesters, especially Black Americans in the 1960s. As lead singer, Reeves also emerged as a pioneering R&B “diva,” helping pave the way for Black female solo vocalists like Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige and Beyoncé.

A patient path to stardom

Martha Reeves was born in Eufaula, Alabama, on July 18, 1941. Soon after, her family moved to Detroit’s east side. Music occupied a central place in her life from childhood.

Reeves writes in her 1994 memoir, “Dancing in the Street: Confessions of a Motown Diva,” about her father serenading her mother with his guitar while she was pregnant with Martha. Her mother, Ruby, also sang. Reeves’ parents passed their love for music to her, and she sang in her church choir and aspired to a life of performance.

“At that young age I was already hooked on pleasing the crowd with my singing,” Reeves wrote.

Reeves graduated from Northeastern High School. As a teenager, she used fake IDs to get into night clubs to watch singers perform, and she sang in open mics and talent shows. She scored her first break after earning a three-night performance at the 20 Grand, a popular Detroit night club located on 14th Street and Warren Avenue.

It was after one of those performances when she met William Stevenson, Motown Records’ executive for discovering new talent. Stevenson invited Reeves to the label’s headquarters.

Reeves came to the studio, but she didn’t audition for reasons that aren’t entirely clear today. Instead, Stevenson told her she could answer the phones. That’s how she got a job in the A&R Department and began working with other Motown artists.

In 1957, Reeves joined her first group, the Del-Phis. Formed by Edward “Pops” Larkins, the Del-Phis also included leader Gloria Jean Williamson, Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard.

Reeves soon caught another break. In September 1962, Stevenson called for her to fill in for Mary Wells in a Marvin Gaye studio session. Reeves enlisted the other Del-Phis, and they performed so well that they became the supporting vocal group for Gaye.

After the Del-Phis toured with Gaye and recorded “I’ll Have to Let Him Go,” Gordy offered Reeves, Beard and Ashford a recording contract. The group also took on a new name, Martha and the Vandellas.

Martha and the Vandellas enjoyed commercial success soon after, with songs like “Come and Get These Memories,” “Quicksand” and “Heatwave.”

An anthem for revolution set to a groove

“Dancing in the Street,” written by Gaye, Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter, was released in the summer of 1964 and became a signature hit for Martha and the Vandellas.

Reeves wrote in her autobiography that she did not like “Dancing in the Street.”

However, she made it her own, and Reeves later acknowledged that the song embodied the spirit of civil rights protests.

“It became the anthem of the decade,” Reeves wrote.

She was right.

At the time of the song’s release, the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing. Black Americans in Harlem took to the streets to protest the killing of 15-year-old James Powell by an off-duty New York Police Department officer.

The 1960s set off a string of “long, hot summers” as racial tensions intensified. Black folks in the Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles in 1965 protested in the streets in response to police violence.

More than 100 protests were organized in response to Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968, from Chicago to Washington and Baltimore.

Detroit erupted a year earlier, in July 1967, after Detroit police officers raided a “blind pig,” or an unlicensed bar, on 12th Street.

The iconic opening lines of “Dancing in the Street” announced a new attitude among Black folks: “Calling out around the world/ Are you ready for a brand new beat?”

The high-octane, optimistic song is laced with slogans interpreted as invitations to take action. Martha and the Vandellas’ declaration that “Summer is here and the time is right for dancing in the street” reflected Black Americans’ willingness to not only march, but to take measures in their own hands and fight for equality and justice.

Battle for fair pay and recognition

The late 1960s and early 1970s were a time of transition for Reeves and the Vandellas. The Supremes were on the rise and threatened to displace them as the most prominent girl group on the Motown label. Reeves also experienced creative differences with Motown executives and struggled with drug addiction. Then, in 1972, Gordy moved Motown to Los Angeles so he could try his hand at filmmaking.

Martha and the Vandellas broke up later that year after the release of their album, “Black Magic.” However, Reeves continued as a solo artist, releasing five albums, including her self-titled debut “Martha Reeves” in 1974, “The Rest of My Life” in 1976 and “We Meet Again” in 1978, among others.

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, along with many Motown artists, experienced a resurgence in popularity during the 1980s. Motown Records’ 25th anniversary show in Pasadena, California, in 1983 launched them back into the mainstream. The group reunited and started performing again in 1989.

Also, Reeves and the group sought to resolve their old conflicts with Motown Records. Reeves and various members of the Vandellas sued Gordy and Motown in 1989 for unpaid royalties. Motown Records settled the suit in 1991 for an undisclosed amount.

Four years later, the B-52s inducted Reeves and the Vandellas into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The diva archetype

Martha and the Vandellas played a vital role in laying the foundation for future all-Black female groups like En Vogue, TLC, SWV and Destiny’s Child.

They helped set the standard for turning songs about the trappings of love and heartbreak into anthems. Reeves embraced being an “R&B Diva” long before music critics applied the persona to singers like Mary J. Blige and Beyoncé. Reeves was not just a larger-than-life vocal presence; she showed future generations of Black female vocalists that, to be a diva, one must have control of one’s own career.

“We became the Vandellas and with me being the only lead singer, my name was put out there because I did all the work,” Reeves said in a 2020 interview. “I did all the singing … I managed to just come up with my own destiny, with my own future in show business.”

READ ORIGINAL STORY HERE

Stevie Wonder, John Legend Headline Motown Tribute Concert

Berry Gordy, left, and Diana Ross onstage during Motown 60: A GRAMMY Celebration at the Microsoft Theater on Tuesday, Feb.12, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

BY JONATHAN LANDRUM JR.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Stevie Wonder jammed with his harmonica, John Legend crooned while playing the piano and Ciara pranced onstage dressed like Rick James on Tuesday night at Motown Records’ 60th anniversary concert.

Wonder closed out the all-star lineup performing more than a half-dozen songs at the “Motown 60: A Grammy Celebration” at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The tribute hosted by Smokey Robinson and Cedric the Entertainer will air April 21 on CBS.

Motown founder Berry Gordy said he fulfilled his dreams of creating a record label to make music for “all people.” The legendary music mogul started the historic label in 1959, which was home to numerous music artists including Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, The Temptations, The Supremes and Diana Ross.

“My dream was to make music for all people,” Gordy said as the crowd applauded. “Well, my dream came true. ... I want to thank all of you fans, and your parents, and their grandparents. All around the world. I could say their great grandparents, but that would make me older than I want to be.”

Some of Motown’s greatest hits were on display: Legend covered Gaye’s “Mercy Me” and Ne-Yo sang The Jackson 5′s “I’ll Be There.” Ciara sported a Rick James-like braided wig with beads during her rendition of “Give It to Me Baby.”

Ross brought attendees to their feet when she opened her set singing to Gordy while sitting next to him. After singing a couple of songs onstage, she returned back to Gordy and sang “My Man.”

“This is your legacy,” Ross told Gordy. “I want you to know that you have been a gift to all of us.”

The tribute comes after Jennifer Lopez’s criticized performance honoring the label at the Grammys on Sunday. The Latin singer-actress faced some backlash from social media for her lead participation in the tribute, but received support from Robinson, who joined her in a duet at the awards show.

Lopez’s performance did not come up during the show. The main focus much of the night was how Motown influenced different cultures, genders and races.

Meghan Trainor, Fantasia, Chloe x Halle, Thelma Houston, Tori Kelly and Martha Reeves took turns in a “Women of Motown” medley.

Another highlight included the “First Four Bars” segment hosted by Cedric the Entertainer. The house band played several Motown hits and random audience members grabbed the microphone and sang the opening to songs like “My Girl,” ″Super Freak,” ″Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “I Heard It Through The Grapevine.”

“I’m going to have to make this into a TV show,” the comedian-actor sarcastically said.

Remembering Michael Jackson One Year Later

A classic of its own...Richard Pryor mceed Motown 25th Anniversary, an-all star cast...Unbelievable, Michael is gone, man!!

Michael Jackson: Remembering and the Celebration of Life

June 25, 2009, was what looked like a beautiful day when I woke up in the morning for another thank Lord, I made it day, feeling summer all around me. And the coastal weather did look nice through the afternoon. Nobody had expected any sad story, not of Michael Jackson.

Around some minutes after three o'clock in the afternoon, a friend called me and said, "Michael Jackson is dead. He had suffered a cardiac arrest at his Holmby Hills home. Doctors couldn't revive him."

"What?" I said.

"Michael Jackson is dead," he further exclaimed.

"I am stunned, let me call you back," I said.

On the other line was my daughter whom I guess was coming up with the same breaking news of Michael's death. "Dad, did you hear what happened?" she asked.

"Michael Jackson died, right?" I said.

While my daughter was still on the phone, another call came from Maryland whose voice wasn't clear -- Michael's death has broken people down and everybody is talking about what might have went wrong in the King of Pop's sudden death after going through some rehearsals the previous day in preparation for his O2 Arena concert in London.

"Ah, they killed him," my friend, Emeka Amanze, would say. Another call came from a friend who said, "Babe, I know you love music and you love Michael Jackson... it's sad he died." The calls kept coming in, Michael Jackson is dead.

I have been speechless and do not know what to do. Michael Jackson is gone and we all hope he finds peace that eluded him while on Earth.

On June 4, I had blogged on Michael's new image and the O2 Arena concerts coupled with movie deals, record deals, memorabilia, world tour and other packages that was going to net him a staggering four hundred and something million dollars by the time he's done with all the shows. He never made it. He's gone.

I have vivid memories of the 70s Motown blasts. As a little kid, Michael, little as well, had already turned what would be Hitsville into something else, evolving from a 5-year-old singing sensation to a superstar by the time he turned 13. The group Jackson 5 had appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and the whole world had seen a rising star.

While in high school through the late 70s, the Jackson 5 went through many paths --Motown, Philly Sounds and Epic Records. Growing up in the disco era when Harry Wayne Casey and colleagues at TK Records changed our moods catapulting most to the top, disco fever was all over and, the epidemic was widespread and had become hard to find a cure. We all had been stricken by this disease called disco fever and in UK, it was more like the 1920's influenza epidemic.

When disco popped up, Michael was still there, and an incredible talent about to blow up. He had been a Jackson 5 all along, cutting some solo singles on the way. During the days of our high school ballroom dances, proms and other social events around the dorm, Michael was there but not loud enough. There was the pure funk engineered by George Clinton which saw the likes of Bootsy Collins' chained Rubber Band and Uncle Jams Parliament/Funkadelic. And there was the New, New Super Heavy Funk ordained to the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, as Minister, who had been Michael's mentor in those amazing steps. But then again, came da groove, da soul, da funk and da dance, a collective from the three major recording concerns of back in the day studio recordings that exploded in the 70s through the 80s.

Berry Gordy's Motown, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philly Sounds and Dick Griffey's Sound of Los Angeles Records were the three major labels that produced top performers in between two decades in the class of funk, soul and R&B.

The competition was tight and the vibes came in different flavors. But Michael was special from the moment he went solo after Jackson 5 opened up acts for James Brown, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. That did it. Hits upon hits were made. "ABC." "I Want You Back." "I'll Be There," etc. and Michael's number one single on the Billboard charts "Got To Be There."

I was not into Michael and all the Jackson growing up tunes which blended rock, soul and funk until the Jacksons first all out written songs produced the album "Destiny." That was in the summer of 1978 and the single "Blame It On The Boogie" began to jam around all the pubs, the hangouts and in my neck of the woods. You don't blame it on the sunshine, you don't blame it on the moonlight, you blame it on the boogie; such was the vibe.

Also, before the "Destiny" album smashes, Teddy Pendergrass' "Life Is A Song Worth Singing," album, Chic's "Le Freak Ces't Shit," Fat Larry's Band "Down On The Avenue," George Clinton's "One Nation Under A groove," Brass Construction's "Changing," B.T. Express' "Bus Stop," T Connection's "Do What Ya Wanna Do," and the reggae explosions of U Roy, I Roy, Nicodemus, Prince Jazzbo, Dillinger, Mighty Diamonds, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Johnny Clark, Max Romeo, Burning Spear, Lee "Scratch" Perry coupled with the studio time sessions of Sly Dumbar and Robbie Shakespeare, had made significant impacts in my days, growing up.

"Destiny" changed all that and Michael had just arrived, independent, free of Gordy, an adult, already 20 and ready to prove his point. In every gathering, ballroom dances, the melting nite clubs, even at the makeshift mama put, the roadside food joints, "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)" was the song of all songs. Anywhere you go, you got to shout, dance and shake your body to the ground because the rhythm was so compelling one had no choice. Yes, let's dance, let's shout... A blend of of some soul, jazz and funk had been ushered in and disco had begun to wane.

Da moves, da groove, da dance and da funk, Michael turned everything around. In every party you got to shake that your body to the ground. But hey, it wasn't long after the overwhelming commercial success of the "Destiny" album that the original studio rat, Quincy Jones, found home in the complex of Epic Records for a thorough and tasty dish we all will be licking our fingers up until today.

The year was 1979, and it was around summer, I think, and we were just hanging out on the front porch of Esther's Beer Parlor at 21 Item Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt, and everybody was just loud, perhaps for the fact that US and UK imports invaded our entire neigborhood. This was before Boy George's Culture Club and Eurythmics invaded the United States. Yes, it was nothing but US, UK imports overshadowing our local ensembles -- Wings, The Apostles, Doves, Heads Funk, SJOB Movement, Black Children, Black Souls and the rest.

Hanging out at Esther's and academic pursuits, and youths on job hunts, was just fun. There was Kaje Igwah, George Ekweh, Fidelis Awasianya, Mike Uzoma (I nicknamed him Jack Lord, and he took it), Onyema Uche, Mike Ozulumba, Kawawa (never knew his real name), Ajamiwe "Ajammy Junky" Ihekwoba, Obiora Ihekwoba, Cornelius "Hugo" Kanu, Charles Douglas, Joy Douglas, Eddie Bongo Brown of Nteje who loved storytelling and numerous others. The girls stopped by a whole lot and the gist always was about Michael and what had happened to the music world.

Da moves, da groove, da dance and da funk, Michael Jackson, a new era had just begun. Igwah, Ekweh and I had just been back from what youngsters normally do. We walked into the complex of 21 Item Street, and the place was being blasted with some loud speakers set up by Ajamiwe, and the music was what the studio rat had cooked for a year, and the artist was none other than Michael, and the album was "Off the Wall," and the track was "Don't Stop till You Get Enough," and it was all boys and girls, and the party had just begun and we all had fun. Never have I seen anything like that. Da moves, da groove, da dance and da funk, Michael Jackson, it's a new era.

So did the grooves of Michael's vibes and those amazing steps took us to the jams at Orupolo Nite Club, Lido Nite Club, Manatee and the Presidential Hotel Night Club on Aba Road. You can never stop until you get enough. Every dish in "Off the Wall" was well cooked and tasty. Quincy Jones, the studio rat, did it here superbly. Michael has exceeded superstardom, but the best is yet to come.

I was in Lagos and my hangouts were similar to the Port Harcourt days. There was the Afternoon Jump at the National Assembly complex that had been turned to jam sessions, and radio DJ's, Pat Oke, Jacob Akinyemi Johnson, Bode Seriki and many others stopped by to spin, and Michael's "Off the Wall" was always on top. Michael has taken over all the airwaves rocking every soul.

Da moves, da groove, da dance and da funk. Everybody wants to be like Mike. The glittering white socks. The tux. The gloves. The handcrafted custom made shoes. Michael conquered the universe. It was all over the pubs in Lagos. Club Phoenicia at Bristol Hotel. Gondola Nite Club. Ikoyi Hotel. Jazz Temple. Club Ace. Fantasy Nite Club. Tagged Restaurant. Durbar Hotel Night Club. Ritz. Hot Spot. The local pot-smoking joints in the ghettos of Ajegunle, Mushin, Agege, Iponri, Amukoko, Orile, Olodi and the surrounding red light districts, you name it, Michael was all over rocking with every soul. He was simply the best. I had emulated my rhythm and dance steps from him. And we never stopped until we got enough.

The studio rat had thought about Michael's remarkable success and how "Off the Wall" brought in a new era. He went back to Epic to prepare some more delicious dishes. Right On, Black Beat, Hit Parader and Rolline Stone Magazines wrote extensively about it -- a new blend had been in the making.

As of 1981, when Brothers Johnson, Kool & the Gang, Shalamar, Dynasty, Delegation, Whispers and Klymax had trooped to rock National Theater, Orile, Iganmu, courtesy of Ben Bruce Murray's Silverbird Productions, we Michael fanatics wondered what had happened in a new album. But our worries would soon be over.

In 1982, what would be the biggest selling album in history -- covering rock, funk, soul, R&B and jazz funk in a new generation -- was out with all casts. Eddie Van Halen. "Beat It," "Billy Jean," "Thriller," "Wanna Be Starting Something," and all that funk. The music videos, first of its kind in the modern era. The concerts and all the awards. Motown's 25th Anniversary and hell getting loose upon Michael performing the moonwalk suspense "Billy Jean." The Grammys. The Hollywood Walk of Fame.

There was nothing like that moment when Motown came home as predicted by Diana Ross in "Someday We'll Be Together." I watch that classic all the time for many reasons: memories, my boyhood, Michael's "Billy Jean," Richard Pryor's character, Diana Ross, Berry Gordy and how he built Motown and developed Hitsville.

When the 1984 Grammy Award nominees were announced, the news spread fast. I had walked into Suru Lere Nite Club for happy hours with my colleagues before the jam sessions. The news was all over. And we were in Lagos not in Hollywood. Michael's "Thriller" had 12 nominations. Lionel Richie had been assigned to MC the one of its kind function. Puerto Rican native, Irene Cara, had been scheduled to perform her hit single "What A Feeling." The talk was all over town. The newspapers and magazines carried it. Michael Jackson had won 8 of 12 Grammy nominations including Best Rock, "Beat It," smashing all records. Michael Jackson is the new King of Pop. He earned it.

And right now, we have a legend. It's a bottleneck driving through the Jackson's family compound on Havenhurst and Ventura Blvd. in Encino. The entire area around his Holmby Hills home by Sunset is totally closed to the public. There has been a 24/7 vigil on his star in Hollywood. His songs are played 24/7 on every station that knows what the stuff is all about.

Michael, you are a legend. The King of Pop. You called the shots in showbizness.

Rest In Peace, my man!
Michael Jackson visits Freddie Mercury backstage. 1980.

Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney, who team up on duets, are seen recently in a recording studio. Jackson was 5 when the Beatles invaded America. He and McCartney also spend hours together watching cartoons. Both are collectors. (1983). Image: Linda McCartney.

The Jackson 5, the famous pop singer group, where Michael Jackson began his singing career at age five with his four brothers, pose with legendary singer Diana Ross. (1970)

A Tribute To The King Of Pop Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson RIP

I'm just speechless. RIP Michael.

Gist Around Da Hood

The magnificent Ivorian Didier Drogba celebrates in style after scoring that amazing first goal beating Everton 2-1 in the season finale of Road to Wembley. He will be negotiating a new paycheck to effect his contract extension with Chelsea. A three year contract and bonuses draws him closer to Europe's highest earning players and sits on the elite role of African football players.

Staples Center, 1111 Figuroa Street, Los Angeles, California 90015
Sonia Sotomayor, President Barack Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court. If confirmed, she will be the first Latino, according to some sources, to be on the Supreme Court. Her parents moved from Puerto Rico to New York. A feminine radical in the 70s and had always defended the underdog but her critics say that's not enough to be confirmed though the overwhelming Democratic majority in Congress is in her favor.

In this world there's much confusion.

And I've tasted the city life and it's not for me

Now I do dream of distant places

Where I do not know but is destiny

If it's the rich life I don't want it

Happiness ain't always material things

I want destiny ...

Neverland Ranch was a rich life. Oh, by the way, the king of pop is about to rise like a phoenix. I have followed this legendary performer all my life and I do think I have every of his recorded album throughout the many phases of his career -- Jackson Five, The Jacksons and the solo acts -- and my favorite tune of all time, Destiny, besides the jams, Shake Your Body Down To The Ground, Thriller, Off The Wall, Enjoy Yourself, ABC, The Girl Is Mine and many other stimulating tracks.

The gist now is billionaire Tom Barrack and AEG Live owner Philip Anshutz are coming to the king of pop's rescue. They want a rebirth of the Thriller years and from media sources, Michael will be heading to the studios soon because his backers -- Barrack and Anshutz have confidence in him and had envisioned a thoroughly remade Michael when the entire deal is struck which would include a three year world tour, series of singles coupled with packages of a museum, casino and movies. Barrack who said Michael could make $500 million a year once he puts his mind into it acknowledged Michael 'is' one of very few artists who could reach that mark in showbizness and at any given time.

But Michael is not done. His 50 concert series at the O2 Arena in London kicks off July 13 and tickets are already sold out. One other thing, though is can Michael do fifty gigs without getting exhausted? We'll see how it plays out starting July 13. Michael in his own words regarding the 50 shows in London: "Thank you for your love and support, I want you guys to know I love you very much," ... "I don't know how I'm going to do 50 shows. I'm not a big eater - I need to put some weight on"


Also, around the block, came some political talks about President Barrack Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, whom I haven't followed until she was nominated by Obama, last week. And now following her like a tweeter, I know she was one of 70s feminine radicals on campus at Princeton University. She did not like the way Princeton was run and had always defended the underdog. From Princeton to Yale, and as a prosecutor in New York to corporate lawyer and serving on the federal bench for seventeen years, methink the new Democratic controlled congress should let her walk in without much ado so she could start punching the badass Clarence Thomas in his face, and his "high-tech lynching of an uppity black man."

And if confirmed which I expect she would be, overwhelmingly, making her the second Latino on the Supreme Court, although the political blogosphere on Sotomayor's side claims she'd be the first Latina on the Supreme Court, if confirmed, which would nullify the claim from other circles of Justice Benjamin Cardozo whose parents were of Portuguese descent, in the 30s, as first Latino on the Supreme Court. Enough.

Down the street in da hood, talks are popping up on soccer. Obviously, the soccer moms have taken it to a whole new heights which is quite engaging with kids. We called it football until the Yankee's crazy sports began to blow up our minds. I mean, too many in the mix and soccer got to be. The world's most watched sport and we won't erase soccer and permanently keep its original logo? Come on, now, there's tennis not lawn tennis; there's basketball not netball; there's ping pong not table tennis; there's baseball, not cricket and there's football not rugby, whatever that is.

So as it happened, the English FA Cup gathered storm. Ivorian and Chelsea striker, Didier Drogba and his colleagues lifted the FA Cup amid 85,400 and something soccer freaks in Wembley Stadium beating Everton 2-1 which ended the season's crazy-dubby Road to Wembley. Drogba's contract has been extended to another three years and expect the field dynamo's pocket to surpass the 80,000 British Pounds Sterling a week paycheck.

The World Cup is fast approaching and all that Brazillian influence is still hanging on. The quality of play, pattern of play, dribbling style, the celebration, jubilation and the samba has entirely nothing to do with what is going on at USC. Am I perturbed by all the scandals that is now hitting the sports program walls of Pete Carroll saying he knew nothing about Houses and gifts given to the parents of Reggie Bush, the running back for the New Orleans Saints? Nope! There's always something and that's just the way it is. As Bush' investigation continues, popped up another accusation. This time on Tim Floyd, the school's basketball coach, on payments made to O.J. Mayo's associates. And now that NCAA has cut in, we probably would get to know about all the scandals of gifts and cash exchanging hands by the time it's through with its own independent investigation.

In my little political alley, the behind closed doors pundits at Yahooligans, the talk now is why would Obama make Ghana his second point of call and not the sleeping giant, Nigeria. Citing Obama as a second generation immigrant who had adopted Abraham Lincoln's style of approach and politics, and bringing about a "New Dawn" of the internet age in "change has come to America" platform, the economy is still biting and the "Stimulus Package" hasn't been able to subdue the Bush-Cheney made meanspirited economy yet, in my own assessment because the people, I mean, the American people are still talking and complaining.

Well, it's showtime on Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles where Staples Center, home of the Los Angeles Lakers sits comfortably with Hotel Figueroa, Nokia Center and the Convention Center as neigbors. Tonight, the Lakers will be tested by the hungry Orlando Magic in Game 1 of 2-3-2 series. "All road leads to downtown and it's Lakers all the way," says one Lakers accessories hawker. "We gonna get them, baby!"

I know I have gunned for Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Mickael Pietrus when they whooped Lebron James and his Cavaliers. I have already neutralized the firepower of the magic, and hey, this is my hood and my Lakers ain't taking that for granted. It is Lakers all the way and with all the pubs full to the brim, hell will surely get loose if...

We want destiny!

Adios and enjoy the finals.

Four Tops' Levi Stubbs Mourned By Motown

Abdul Fakir, right, known as Duke, the last surviving original member of the Four Tops, greeted guests at the funeral for Levi Stubbs at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit on Monday. (Carlos Osorio/Associated Press)

If you grew up in the 70s and never heard of Motown, you must be living in some kind of woods. Motown, to me, is not a fairy tale. It's an empire founded by Berry Gordy which brought the best musical cast of all time. For Levi Stubbs who died October 17 and buried yesterday in Detroit his was a magic. Growing up in the 70s and listening to the Four Tops I have fond memories, though most of their hits were released in the mid to late 60s.

They had a string of soul hits beginning with "Baby I need Your Loving" which caught the eyes of the hippies and funksters of the day. "I Can't Help Myself" which vibrates with a follow up "Sugar Pie Honey Bunch" made methink "Sugar Pie Honey Bunch" was the real track.

Stubbs, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Duke Fakir and Lawrence Payton formed the Four Aims in 1956 in Detroit and later on would change the band's name to the Four Tops after signing a contract with Chess Records. At Chess Records, nothing much happened in terms of producing a successful album which led the band to team up with Berry Gordy Jr, the founder of Motown. At Motown, everything the legendary baritone voice of Stubbs and the Four Tops touched was gold. Hits upon hits were made. Stubbs vocals made Four Tops a world famous group.

Adios Stubbs, your voice is still alive.