Quote Originally Posted by jobucats View Post
Hmmm. I wonder if Berry actually said those words to Martha, prior to her going out on the set of "Ready, Steady, Go" OR if this is actually someone's blown-up interpretation of what he might have said. Think about it, what purpose would it have served to mention this at that particular time? "Hey, Martha, I know you're about to go on stage. Come here a moment...here's the deal....." Naw, I'm not buying it. Maybe Martha had been sulking and complaining about her group was not being elevated and prioritized as much as she thought they would be being this was on one of her besties' [[Dusty) program.
Good point, Job. There was a point where Martha started questioning Berry about her royalties, which Berry took as a personal insult and betrayal. Being human, as he was, Berry took the occasional dig right back at her. [[If you'll recall, at the recording session for Martha/Vandellas' "The Hurt Is Over [[Since I Found You)" from The Vandellas' "Natural Resources" album, Berry dropped in long enough to suggest that Martha "Sing It Like Diana would sing it!" If the accusation was indeed true that he took Martha aside just before her "Ready, Steady, Go" performane, it was indeed cruel for the sake of being cruel. However, I don't think the royalty issue occurred until three or four years later. Why Berry would treat Martha so coldly at the time of her performance with Dusty is beyond me. But, then, I can't imagine Martha lying about it, either. If she said it happened, I tend to believe her.