DANCING (AND LYING) IN THE STREET

BY DAN MILLER
(originally posted November 10, 2005)

Surely you remember the song "Dancing In The Street" by Martha and the Vandellas.

Martha Reeves was the lead singer of that popular Motown group.
Martha is 64 years old now, and this week -- for the first time -- she jumped into politics, being elected to the Detroit City Council.

She still performs occasionally, but says she wants to serve on the council to represent those who feel their opinions don't matter.

Good for her.
Now I'll tell you what crossed my mind when I saw her name in the news.

It was 1965, and I was hosting a Saturday dance show (Bandstand-style) on WRDW-TV in Augusta, Georgia.

My co-host was a local comic and newspaperman named Doug Harris.
We often wore matching sweaters (not unlike the Righteous Brothers) and between the songs, we would interview the kids and do some comedy skits.

One nice summer weekend, we decided it would be fun to stage the show outdoors, with the kids dancing on the front lawn of the TV station.
We had to clear it with a funeral home directly across the street, just in case there was a service scheduled for that day. There wasn't, and they gave us their blessing.

So we set up our cameras and big speakers there on the lawn.
And what better way to begin our big dance on the street, we figured, than with Martha and the Vandellas singing "Dancing In The Street".

What we hadn't counted on was the extent that traffic would back up along busy Georgia Avenue in North Augusta, as people slowed down to see the show.

As the teenagers danced on the grass and sidewalk, and Martha Reeves belted out her song, one car suddenly slammed into the back of another, and there -- not 20 feet from the dancing feet of teenagers -- a woman was lying in the street next to her wrecked car.

As the old adage dictates, the show went on.... though we did keep our cameras from showing the accident.

Next, James Brown belted out "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" as people attended to the woman.
Then -- she got up, and as they were helping her into a car seat -- came blasting through the speakers our third musical selection, "You've Got Your Troubles, I've Got Mine" by the Fortunes.
Strangely, I remember thinking, "that's a nice song, maybe it'll make her feel better."

We later checked, and the woman was OK.... not badly hurt.
I do wonder if she ever thinks about that day.

Later, we were told by the North Augusta police -- and station management -- and the neighboring funeral home -- that there would be no more outdoor dance shows.

By the way, congratulations to Martha Reeves on her election in Detroit.
I'm sure her supporters are dancing in the streets.
Be careful.

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