One Step Away // My Story of The Andantes, Motown, and the Women Behind the Sound of Young America (Pre-order, Dec 1 2026)

The little-known heroes behind Motowns greatest hits are finally heard in this moving memoir filled with the rich historical atmosphere and emotional resonance ofHidden Figures, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,and QuestlovesMusic Is History.

Their voices can be heard on Motown classics such as My Guy, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, and Stop! In the Name of Loveimmortal songs that defined an era. Relegated to the shadows behind the stars, the three professional backup singers who contributed to these smash hits and countless others were rarely known to the public.

InOne Step Away,Motown legend Louvain Demps, joined by Emmy Awardwinning journalist Paul Milliken, flips the record to at last tell the story of The Andantesthe powerhouse trio of Black women who secretly shaped the soundtrack of a generationshining a warm spotlight on their talent and contributions.

Marlene Barrow. Jackie Hicks. Louvain Demps. They were Motowns clean-up girls the voices called in when the stars couldnt hit the notes. They recorded background vocals for tens of thousands of songsmoreBillboardhits than Elvis, Mariah, or Beyonc. Yet for their contributions they were paid $10 a session, denied credit, and excluded from history.

Now, in a story as electrifying as the music itself, Louvain recreates Motowns golden years and her experiences in helping to build the brand, taking us from the rowdy Detroit street corners where she first sang to Studio A.One Step Awayis both an intimate personal portrait of a legendary time and a journey of resilience, reinvention, and survival.

Part overlooked history, part heartfelt reminiscence, part cultural reckoning,One Step Awayis the missing story of the Black women who made Motown sing. Informative and entertaining, it restores The Andantes to their rightful place in American music and popular culture, alongside the legends whose voices they helped immortalize.

Louvain Dempsis a true Motown legend, known to fans around the world as one-third of The Andantes. With Marlene Barrow and Jackie Hicks, Louvain provided background vocals on almost every major hit released by Motown Records in the 1960s and early 1970s, including the Grammy Hall of Fame inductees Stop! In The Name of Love (The Supremes), I Cant Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) and Reach Out Ill Be There (The Four Tops). In 2005, she was a featured performer in the PBS specialMotown: The Early Years.Her story has also been highlighted in the Emmy Award-nominated segmentMotowns Hidden Figureon FOX 5 Atlanta (2017) and the Emmy-winning AARP produced documentary short The Andantes: Motowns Secret Blend (2022). In 2014, the group was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Museum Hall of Fame. Louvain is also an inductee into the Douglas County (Georgia) Hall of Fame and is featured in the Douglas County Museum of History and Art. A resident of Metro Atlanta since 1973, Louvain is also an in-demand speaker and music minister, performing internationally with Gospel Through Music (GTM) Ministries

• Publisher: Harper
• Publish Date: December 01, 2026
• Pages: 288
• Language: English
• Type: Hardcover
• EAN/UPC: 9780063483217
• Dimensions:9 in H | 6 in W | 0.9 in T | 1.4 lb Wt
• BISAC Categories: Music, Biography & Memoir