One Step Away

The only memoir Motown told from the inside. The unsung heroes behind Motown’s greatest hits are finally heard. For fans of Hidden Figures, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and Questlove’s Music Is History, this is the missing story of the Black women who made Motown sing. They sang on “My Guy,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” and countless other classics that defined an era. Yet their names were left out of the spotlight. In Unsung, Motown legend Louvain Demps, with Emmy Award-winning journalist Paul Milliken, finally tells the story of The Andantes – the powerhouse trio of Black women who secretly shaped the soundtrack of a generation. Marlene Barrow. Jackie Hicks. Louvain Demps. Together, they were Motown’s “clean-up girls” – the voices called in when the stars couldn’t hit the notes. They recorded background vocals for tens of thousands of songs, more Billboard hits than Elvis, Mariah, or Beyoncé. But they were paid $10 a session, denied credit, and erased from history. Now, in a story as warm and electrifying as the music itself, Louvain pulls back the curtain on Motown’s golden years: from the rowdy Detroit street corners where she first sang, to Studio A, to her personal journey of resilience, reinvention, and survival. Part overlooked history, part personal memoir, and part cultural reckoning, Unsung restores The Andantes to their rightful place in American music, alongside the legends whose voices they helped immortalize. The Hidden Voices Behind America’s Soundtrack: From “My Guy” to “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Stop! In the Name of Love,” The Andantes’ voices defined the Sound of America. Unsung restores Louvain Demps, Jackie Hicks, and Marlene Barrow to their rightful place in music history, ensuring their contributions are finally recognized.