Before relocating to Detroit, Teresa Marbury’s maternal grandfather and his family were sharecroppers in Moorhead, Mississippi. In the late 1940s, they made the move north, in search of opportunity. Settling in Detroit changed their lives.

“They were so poor … and when they came here, they were able to find jobs immediately,” she said.

Her grandfather was a factory worker at Allen Industries and raised his family on Detroit’s east side. Three generations, including Marbury, lived together in one big house.

Marbury recalls her family’s love of music and performance.

“Watching my grandfather … he would tap dance through the house, and it was so amazing for us to watch,” she said.

Before coming to Michigan, her grandfather also sang in a quartet, which traveled and performed in the South.

Marbury continues that tradition as a singer in Detroit funk trio, Dames Brown. She lives in Westland.

This story is part of our Destination Detroit initiative, which through a series of interviews shares the rich history of the people who have shaped Southeast.

Watch more stories at onedetroitpbs.org/destinationdetroit.