The current manager of Motown singer Martha Reeves of the famed Motown girl group, Martha and the Vandellas, is raising money for her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
A former manager nominated Reeves for a star in 2021, the Detroit Free Press reports. During that time, the manager was responsible for handling the costs of the star and Reeves’ induction ceremony was to be last year.
According to the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s website, the cost is $55,000 to cover the star’s installation and maintenance. Honorees often launch fundraising efforts when a related movie studio or record label does not pay the fee.
The former manager assured Reeves that funding for the star was available but that was not the case. Her new manager, Chris Roe, has launched a fundraiser to help raise the money by June to secure her star for next year.
“If we do not make a sizeable [sizable] indentation to our goal, it is likely that Martha’s Hollywood Star selection will be withdrawn, and we will have to start the nomination process all over again (which could take several years),” Roe wrote on the campaign page MarthaReeves.net. “There is a time limit to receive your star after being selected.”
Roe, who began working with Reeves last summer, told the Free Press that his client’s previous management did not understand the process. “Martha’s former representation got in over their heads on this,” he said. “They didn’t realize how hard it would be and wasted a year of fundraising time. Now we’re down to the wire.”
To reach the $55,000 goal, Roe is working with corporate benefactors and private individuals. He is a veteran talent manager who has also raised funds for actor Malcolm McDowell and the late filmmaker George A. Romero as part of their Hollywood Walk of Fame campaigns.
He is determined to secure Reeves’ star among fellow Motown icons such as Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and label founder Berry Gordy.
“That star is there for generations to come, and Motown will always be stitched into the fabric of our society,” Roe said. “So it’s a great accomplishment, Martha is very deserving, and I’m happy to take her across the finish line.”
The Hollywood Walk of Fame campaign coincides with Martha and the Vandellas’ 60th anniversary with Motown. Reeves is selling an autographed limited-edition art print on her website for $100. All proceeds go toward her Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony.
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