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Rosalind Ashford, original Martha and the Vandellas singer, dies at 83

Rosalind Ashford, the soprano behind hits from Martha and the Vandellas including “Dancing in the Street” and “Heat Wave,” has died. She was 83.

The singer died of natural causes on Tuesday in the Michigan suburb of Redford Township, per the Detroit Free Press.

Ashford was an original member of the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas, best known for their timeless soul pop songs. She sang on more than 20 of the group’s top 40 singles on Billboard’s R&B chart, including “Heat Wave,” which hit No. 1, and “Dancing in the Street,” which peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Rosalind Ashford,” Martha Reeves said in a statement. “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.”

In 1995, Martha and the Vandellas were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, becoming the second all-female group to land the acclaim.

Born on Sept. 2, 1943, to John and Mary Ashford, the budding soprano developed her chops singing in the church choir and then in the glee club at Wilbur Wright High School in Detroit. In 1957, the musically inclined teen landed an audition at the Detroit YMCA, and it was there that she, Annette Beard and Gloria Williams linked up with local music manager Edward “Pops” Larkins, and formed the girl group the Del-Phis.

According to the Motown Museum, the Del-Phis invited Reeves — then a secretary to William “Mickey” Stevenson, Motown’s Artists and Repertoire director — to join their girl group. Together, they took on gigs as backup singers, including on Marvin Gaye’s early songs “Hitch Hike” and “Pride and Joy.”

The Del-Phis became Martha and the Vandellas when “My Guy” singer Mary Wells missed a fortuitous recording session. Reeves, with the Del-Phis singing backup, filled in for Wells, and Motown was so impressed, the label signed the group to the Gordy label in 1962, sans Williams, who left the group around this time.

The trio’s breakout hit, “Come and Get These Memories,” was released in 1963 and performed well on the Billboard charts, reaching No. 6 on the R&B singles chart. “(Love Is Like a) “Heat Wave” dropped the same year and topped the charts, followed by “Quicksand,” which also became a top-10 hit. The 1967 song “Jimmy Mack” went to No. 1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart and was the final top-10 hit in the U.S. for the group.

“Heat Wave” scored the group a Grammy nomination for best R&B recording for 1964 and made the trio the first Grammy-nominated Motown group.

Ashford left the group and the music business behind in 1969, and worked at the Michigan Bell Telephone Co., though she would occasionally reunite with former Vandellas members for reunion performances.

Classic Motown posted a tribute to the singer on Thursday, writing that her harmonies served as the soundtrack to a generation. “The Motown family mourns the passing of a true icon, Rosalind Ashford,” read the statement. “As an original founding member of Martha and the Vandellas, Rosalind’s vocal talent helped define the golden era of the Motown sound.

“Rosalind’s contribution to American music and Motown history will never be forgotten. Rest in power, Rosalind. Thank you for the music.”



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Ray LaMontagne topples over onstage in Nashville, where the high hits 101

Folk singer Ray LaMontange was treated for heat-related dehydration after collapsing onstage during a weekend performance amid triple-digit heat in Nashville.

On Saturday, the 53-year-old toppled to the side while performing his popular track “Jolene” in front of a sold-out,crowd at Ryman Auditorium, according to recorded fan footage.

There were reports that LaMontagne had lost his place earlier in his set when performing “Hannah,” per Consequence. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in the Nashville area reached a high of 101 degrees.

Later that night, LaMontagne’s management released a statement through his Instagram stories, sharing that the Grammy winner was in “good hands with local EMS” and that he was being treated for “heat-related dehydration.”

LaMontagne returned to the stage the following night, performing at the Louisville Palace in Kentucky, where he made no mention of the incident.

Last month, the Americana singer — best known for tracks “You Are the Best Thing” and “Hold You in My Arms” — had kicked off his 20th anniversary tour.

The tour is named after his 2004 debut album, “Trouble,” which is platinum certified in both the United States and United Kingdom; though the album reached only No. 164 on the Billboard 200 chart, it hit No. 5 on the U.K. Albums chart.

Known for his gruff vocals, LaMontagne first came to the scene in the early aughts as a timid troubadour. The New Hampshire-born, Utah-raised artist was once a former shoe factory worker from Maine whose singer-songwriter journey began when he woke up one morning to Stephen Stills’ “Treetop Flyer” on his clock radio.

All nine of LaMontagne’s albums — with the exception of his independently released 2024 LP, “Long Way Home” — have charted in the Billboard 200.

LaMontagne will continue on with his Trouble tour — which features special guest the Weather Station — through Oct. 3, closing out at New York City’s Beacon Theatre.



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