Dicky tried to in Motown (7)
I believe the answer is:
detroit
'motown' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'dicky tried to' is the wordplay.
'dicky' indicates anagramming the letters (dicky can mean ill or non-functioning).
'tried'+'to'='triedto'
'triedto' anagrammed gives 'DETROIT'.
'in' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for detroit that I've seen before include "City also called Mo'town in USA" , "US motor city" , "Origin of Motown" , "Where cars are made" , "City in Michigan nicknamed Motown" .)