Citizendia

For other uses, see Supremes (disambiguation).
The Supremes
The Supremes in 1965. Left to right: Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, and Diana Ross.
The Supremes in 1965. Left to right: Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, and Diana Ross. Florence Glenda Ballard Chapman, nicknamed "Flo" or "Blondie" ( June 30 1943 – February 22 1976 Mary Wilson (born March 6, 1944) is an American Singer best known as a member of the Motown soul and pop Diana Ross (born March 261944 is an American twelve-time Grammy and Oscar -nominated singer Record producer and actress whose musical repertoire
Background information
Also known asThe Primettes; Diana Ross & the Supremes
OriginDetroit, Michigan, United States
Genre(s)R&B, pop, soul, disco
Years active1959–1977
Label(s)Lupine, Motown
Associated actsThe Temptations
Former members
Florence Ballard (1959–1967)
Mary Wilson (1959–1977)
Betty McGlown (1959–1960)
Diana Ross (1959–1970)
Barbara Martin (1960–1962)
Cindy Birdsong (1967–1972, 1973–1976)
Jean Terrell (1970–1973)
Lynda Laurence (1972–1973)
Scherrie Payne (1973–1977)
Susaye Greene (1976-1977)

The Supremes were an American female singing trio. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Lu Pine Records was a small local Record label in Detroit Michigan, active during the late-1950s and 1960s "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan. The Temptations (sometimes abbreviated as The Temps or The Tempts) are a Grammy -winning vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful Florence Glenda Ballard Chapman, nicknamed "Flo" or "Blondie" ( June 30 1943 – February 22 1976 Mary Wilson (born March 6, 1944) is an American Singer best known as a member of the Motown soul and pop Betty McGlown-Travis (born 1943 in Detroit Michigan) is an African American Singer, one of the founding members of The Primettes later known as The Diana Ross (born March 261944 is an American twelve-time Grammy and Oscar -nominated singer Record producer and actress whose musical repertoire Barbara Diane Martin (born 1944 in Detroit Michigan is an African-American Singer; a short-lived member of The Primettes, later known as Cynthia Ann Birdsong (December 15 1939 better known by her stage name Cindy Birdsong is an Grammy -nominated American R&B / soul Jean Terrell (born Velma Jean Terrell November 26 1944, Belzoni, Mississippi) is an American Grammy -nominated Lynda Laurence (also spelled Lawrence, born Lynda Tucker on February 20, 1949 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania) is an American Scherrie Payne (born November 4 1944 in Detroit Michigan } is an African-American Singer. Susaye Greene (born September 13, 1949) is an African-American Singer, noted for being the last official member to join Motown girl The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A girl group is a Popular music act featuring several young Female Singers who generally harmonize together They were the most successful American vocal group of the sixties; second only to The Beatles in charts and sales and the most successful female singing group thus far. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Active from 1959 until 1977, the Supremes performed, at various times, doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, and disco. Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based Rhythm and blues music which developed in African-American communities in the 1940s and which achieved mainstream popularity both in the 1950s Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located A show tune is a Popular song originally written as part of the score of a "show" (or stage musical, especially if the piece in question has become Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define

The most successful of the Motown Records' signature acts, The Supremes charted twelve American number-one hits between August 22 of 1964 and December 27 of 1969. "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan. [1] Many of these singles were written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland. The crossover success of the Supremes during the mid-1960s paved the way for future black soul and R&B acts to gain mainstream audiences in the United States and overseas. Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States.

Founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1959, The Supremes began as a quartet called The Primettes. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. Founding members Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross and Betty McGlown, all from the Brewster-Douglass public housing project in Detroit,[2] were the sister act to The Primes (with Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, who would go on to form The Temptations). Florence Glenda Ballard Chapman, nicknamed "Flo" or "Blondie" ( June 30 1943 – February 22 1976 Mary Wilson (born March 6, 1944) is an American Singer best known as a member of the Motown soul and pop Diana Ross (born March 261944 is an American twelve-time Grammy and Oscar -nominated singer Record producer and actress whose musical repertoire Betty McGlown-Travis (born 1943 in Detroit Michigan) is an African American Singer, one of the founding members of The Primettes later known as The Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects is a residential Housing project owned by the City of Detroit, located in the Midtown-University section on the Public housing is a form of Housing tenure in which the property is owned by a Government authority which may be central or local Paul Williams ( July 2, 1939 – August 17, 1973) was an American second Tenor / Baritone Singer Eddie Kendricks (born Edward James Kendrick, December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992) was an American Singer and The Temptations (sometimes abbreviated as The Temps or The Tempts) are a Grammy -winning vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful [2] In 1960, Barbara Martin replaced McGlown, and the group signed with Motown in 1961 as The Supremes. Barbara Diane Martin (born 1944 in Detroit Michigan is an African-American Singer; a short-lived member of The Primettes, later known as Martin left in early 1962, and Ross, Ballard and Wilson carried on as a trio. Achieving success in the mid-1960s with Ross as lead singer, Motown president Berry Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross & the Supremes in 1967 and replaced Ballard with Cindy Birdsong. Berry Gordy Jr (born November 28, 1929, Detroit Michigan) is an American Record producer, and the founder of the Motown Cynthia Ann Birdsong (December 15 1939 better known by her stage name Cindy Birdsong is an Grammy -nominated American R&B / soul Ross left the group for a successful solo career in 1970 and was replaced by Jean Terrell. Jean Terrell (born Velma Jean Terrell November 26 1944, Belzoni, Mississippi) is an American Grammy -nominated After 1972, the lineup of the Supremes changed frequently, with Lynda Laurence, Scherrie Payne and Susaye Greene all becoming members before the group ended its eighteen-year existence in 1977. Lynda Laurence (also spelled Lawrence, born Lynda Tucker on February 20, 1949 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania) is an American Scherrie Payne (born November 4 1944 in Detroit Michigan } is an African-American Singer. Susaye Greene (born September 13, 1949) is an African-American Singer, noted for being the last official member to join Motown girl

Contents

History

Origins

In 1958, Florence Ballard—a junior high school student in the Detroit Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects—met both Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, two members of a Detroit male singing group known as The Primes. Florence Glenda Ballard Chapman, nicknamed "Flo" or "Blondie" ( June 30 1943 – February 22 1976 Middle school or Junior High School serves as a "bridge" between the Elementary School and the High School Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects is a residential Housing project owned by the City of Detroit, located in the Midtown-University section on the Paul Williams ( July 2, 1939 – August 17, 1973) was an American second Tenor / Baritone Singer Eddie Kendricks (born Edward James Kendrick, December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992) was an American Singer and [2] Since Ballard sang, as did Paul Williams' girlfriend Betty McGlown, the Primes' manager Milton Jenkins decided to create a sister group called The Primettes. Betty McGlown-Travis (born 1943 in Detroit Michigan) is an African American Singer, one of the founding members of The Primettes later known as The [2] Ballard recruited her best friend Mary Wilson, who recruited classmate Diana Ross. Mary Wilson (born March 6, 1944) is an American Singer best known as a member of the Motown soul and pop Diana Ross (born March 261944 is an American twelve-time Grammy and Oscar -nominated singer Record producer and actress whose musical repertoire [2] The Primettes soon began performing songs by artists such as Ray Charles and The Drifters at record hops, social clubs, and talent shows around the Detroit area. Ray Charles Robinson ( September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) known by his Stage name Ray Charles, was an American The Drifters were a long-lived American Doo wop / R&B vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1962 though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today Sock Hop or soc hop (rarely is a term coined in the 1950s in the United States, following the growth in popularity of Rock and roll [2] The group's look and style also owed much to the inspiration of doo-wop group Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. The Teenagers are an American Doo wop group most noted for being one of rock music's earliest successes presented to international audiences by DJ Alan Freed [3] Ballard, Ross, and Wilson shared most of the lead. Within a few months, the Primettes added a guitarist, Marvin Tarplin, to their lineup. Marvin "Marv" Tarplin (born 13 June 1941, Atlanta, Georgia) is an American Guitarist and Songwriter [3]

After winning a local talent contest,[4] Ross arranged an audition for an old neighbor, Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson, in hopes of getting the Primettes signed to the local Motown label. The Miracles (known from 1965 to 1972 as Smokey Robinson & the Miracles) is an American Rhythm and blues group from Detroit Michigan, notable William "Smokey" Robinson Jr (born February 19 1940 is an American R&B and soul Singer-songwriter, Record producer, "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan. [5] Robinson liked the girls, but liked their guitarist even more. He hired Tarplin, who became the guitarist for The Miracles. [5] Robinson arranged for the Primettes to audition - acapella - for Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr., who felt they were too young and too inexperienced to be recording artists. Berry Gordy Jr (born November 28, 1929, Detroit Michigan) is an American Record producer, and the founder of the Motown [5] Undaunted, The Primettes made a single for the Lupine label in 1960, "Tears of Sorrow", backed with "Pretty Baby", which failed to find an audience. Lu Pine Records was a small local Record label in Detroit Michigan, active during the late-1950s and 1960s [6] During that same year, McGlown became engaged and left the group,[7] to be replaced by Barbara Martin. Barbara Diane Martin (born 1944 in Detroit Michigan is an African-American Singer; a short-lived member of The Primettes, later known as [8]

In January 1961, Gordy finally relented and decided to sign the group to Motown under the condition that they change their name[9] (the Primes had by this time combined with Otis Williams & the Distants and would soon sign to Motown as The Temptations). The Temptations (sometimes abbreviated as The Temps or The Tempts) are a Grammy -winning vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful [10] Gordy gave Ballard a list of names to choose from, from which she chose The Supremes. Both Wilson and Ross initially disliked the name, thinking it too masculine. [9].

Success

Between 1961 and 1963, the Supremes released eight singles, none of which charted within the Top 40 positions of the Billboard Hot 100. The Top Forty or Top 40 is a music industry shorthand for the currently most-popular songs in a particular genre. [1] Jokingly referred to as the "no-hit Supremes" around Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. offices,[11] the girls tried to make up for their lack of a hit by taking on any performing chore that was available at the studio, including doing hand claps and singing backup for Motown artists such as Marvin Gaye and The Temptations. "Hitsville USA" was the nickname given to Motown Records ' first headquarters Marvin Pentz Gay Jr, known as Marvin Gaye ( April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Singer-songwriter The Temptations (sometimes abbreviated as The Temps or The Tempts) are a Grammy -winning vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful During these early years, all three members took turns singing lead on various songs: Mary Wilson favoring the soft ballads; Florence Ballard favoring the soulful, hard-driving songs; and Diana Ross favoring the more mainstream pop songs. Most of their early material was written and produced by Berry Gordy or Smokey Robinson. William "Smokey" Robinson Jr (born February 19 1940 is an American R&B and soul Singer-songwriter, Record producer,

In December 1963, the Supremes song "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes", peaked at number 23 on the Billboard pop chart. "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" is a song written by Holland-Dozier-Holland and recorded in 1963 by Motown singing group "Lovelight" was the first of many Supremes songs written by the Motown songwriting and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland. [12] Also, in late 1963, Berry Gordy made Diane Ross, now going by Diana, the official lead singer of the group, because he felt her distinctive, nasal quality would help the group cross over to white audiences. [13] Ballard and Wilson were periodically given solos on Supremes albums, and Ballard continued to sing her solo number, "People", in concert for the next two years. [14]

In the spring of 1964, the Supremes recorded a single titled "Where Did Our Love Go". "Where Did Our Love Go" is a 1964 hit song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label [13] The song was originally intended by Holland-Dozier-Holland for The Marvelettes, who rejected it. The Marvelettes were an American singing Girl group on the Motown label [13] Although the Supremes did not like the song, the producers coerced them into recording it. [13] In August 1964, while traveling as a part of Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars tour, "Where Did Our Love Go" reached number one on the US pop charts, much to the surprise and delight of the group. Richard Wagstaff "Dick" Clark (born November 30, 1929) is an American Television, Radio personality, Game show host [15] It was also their first song to reach the UK pop charts, going to number three.

"Where Did Our Love Go" was followed by four more US number-one hits: "Baby Love" (also a number-one hit in the United Kingdom), "Come See About Me", "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Back in My Arms Again". This article is about the song recorded by The Supremes. For other uses see Baby Love (disambiguation. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Come See About Me is the name of a DVD featuring John Lee Hooker " Come See About Me " is a 1964 hit song recorded by " Stop! In the Name of Love " is a 1965 number-one single recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label " Back in My Arms Again " is a 1965 hit song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label "Baby Love" was nominated for the 1965 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and "Stop! In the Name of Love" was nominated for the 1966 Grammy for Best Contemporary Rock & Roll Group Vocal Performance. The Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording was awarded from 1959 to 1968 The Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal has been awarded since 1966 After 1965, the Supremes' singles were less uniformly massive, though, between late 1966 and early 1967, the Supremes charted four more number-one hits in a row: "You Can't Hurry Love", "You Keep Me Hangin' On", "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone", and "The Happening". " You Can't Hurry Love " is a number-one single recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label released during the summer of 1966 " You Keep Me Hangin' On " is a 1966 hit song originally recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label " Love Is Here and Now You're Gone " is a 1967 number-one hit single recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label " The Happening " is a 1967 song recorded by Motown artists The Supremes. The combination of Holland-Dozier-Holland's songwriting and production, Ross' lead vocals, and Wilson and Ballard's background vocals made for a winning combination.

Impact

Unlike their predecessors, the Supremes became the first black female performers of the rock era to embrace a more feminine image. Much of this was accomplished at the behest of Motown chief Berry Gordy and Maxine Powell, who ran Motown's in-house finishing school and Artist Development department. Also, unlike many of her contemporaries, Diane Ross sang in a thin, calm voice, and her vocal styling was matched by having the girls embellish their own femininity instead of imitating the qualities of male groups. Instead of the plain appearances and basic dance routines, the Supremes' on-stage appearance featured high-fashion gowns and wigs, detailed makeup, and graceful choreography created by Motown choreographer Cholly Atkins. Charles “Cholly” Atkins ( September 13 1913 - April 19 2003) was an American Dancer and Vaudeville performer who Gordy wanted the Supremes, like all of his performers, to be equally appealing to black and white audiences, and he also sought to erase the image of black performers as being unrefined or lacking class.

By 1965, the Supremes were international stars. They toured the globe, becoming almost as popular abroad as they were in America. Almost immediately after their first number-one hits, they recorded songs for motion picture soundtracks, appeared in the 1965 film Beach Ball, and endorsed dozens of products, even at one point having their own brand of bread. Bread is a Staple food prepared by Baking a Dough of Flour and Water. By the end of 1966, their number-one hits also included "I Hear a Symphony", "You Can't Hurry Love", and "You Keep Me Hangin' On"; and their 1966 album The Supremes A' Go-Go became the first album by an all female group to peak at number-one on the US album chart. " I Hear a Symphony " is a 1965 hit song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label " You Can't Hurry Love " is a number-one single recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label released during the summer of 1966 " You Keep Me Hangin' On " is a 1966 hit song originally recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard

Because the Supremes were popular with white audiences as well as black audiences, Gordy had the Supremes cater to their middle American fan base, grooming them for performances at renowned supper clubs such as the Copacabana in New York. Middle America is an American Colloquialism used to describe either a cultural mindset or region of the United States that geographically comprises the A supper club is an American dining establishment generally found in the Upper Midwestern states of Wisconsin Minnesota and Michigan Copacabana (often referred to as The Copa) was a famous New York City Nightclub. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Broadway and pop standards were incorporated into their repertoire alongside their own hit songs. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located As a result, the Supremes were among the first black musical acts to become a complete and sustained crossover success. The black rock and roll musicians of the 1950s saw many of their hit tunes covered by white musicians, with the covers achieving more fame and sales success than the originals. Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African Partially because of Diana Ross’ pop-friendly voice, The Supremes became hugely popular with international mainstream audiences. The group broke down many racial barriers, becoming one of the first black musical acts to appear regularly on television programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show, Hullabaloo, The Hollywood Palace, and The Della Reese Show. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic The Ed Sullivan Show was an American television Variety show that ran from June 20, 1948 to June 6, Hullabaloo is a musical variety series that ran on NBC from January 12, 1965 through August 29, 1966. The Hollywood Palace is an hour-long Television Variety show that was broadcast weekly (generally on Saturday night on ABC from January Della Reese (born Delloreese Patricia Early on July 6, 1931) is an American Actress and Singer. The group's crossover success helped pave the way for the mainstream success of label mates such as The Temptations, The Four Tops, and The Jackson 5. The Four Tops are an American vocal Quartet, whose repertoire has included Doo-wop, Jazz, Soul music, R&B, Disco The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five or The Jackson 5ive, and later known as The Jacksons) was an American popular music Family

Name and personnel changes

Personnel problems within the group and within Motown Records' stable of performers led to tension among the Supremes. Many of the other Motown performers, particularly Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas, felt that Berry Gordy was lavishing too much attention upon The Supremes—-and Diana Ross, in particular. Martha Rose Reeves (born July 18, 1941) is an American R&B and soul singer and was the lead singer of the Motown Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas) were among the most successful groups in the Motown A resulting romantic relationship between Gordy and Ross further complicated matters, creating a schism between Ross and the other Supremes. As Ross became the focal point of the group, Florence Ballard felt pushed aside in the group she had founded. Depression caused Ballard to start drinking excessively, and she gained weight until she no longer could comfortably wear many of her stage outfits. In the fields of Psychology and Psychiatry, the terms depression or depressed refer to both expected and pathologically chronic or severe The friendship, and later the working relationship, between Ross and Ballard became strained. Although the Supremes scored two number-one hits during the first quarter of 1967, "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" and "The Happening", the group as a unit began to disintegrate. " Love Is Here and Now You're Gone " is a 1967 number-one hit single recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label

In late 1966, rumors began circulating that Motown would be renaming the group Diana Ross & the Supremes, a change which was officially announced in early 1967, after one concert when they were billed as The Supremes with Diana Ross. The Miracles had become Smokey Robinson & the Miracles two years prior. The fall of 1967 saw Martha & the Vandellas become Martha Reeves & the Vandellas. However, after learning that Ross would begin receiving top billing, David Ruffin unsuccessfully lobbied to have the Temptations renamed as David Ruffin & the Temptations. David Ruffin (Davis Eli Ruffin ( January 18, 1941 &ndash June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer most famous for his work Although Gordy maintained that the name changes were done so that Motown could demand more money for live bookings (because they would be providing two acts – a lead singer and a group – instead of just one), the name change for the Supremes sparked rumors of a possible Ross solo career, and helped to dismantle the group.

By 1967, Ballard would sometimes not show up for recording dates or arrive at shows too inebriated to perform. For some live shows in early 1967, she was replaced by Marlene Barrow of Motown's in house backing group, The Andantes. The Andantes were a prolific female session singing group for the Motown record label during the 1960s In April 1967, Gordy contacted Cindy Birdsong, a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles who superficially resembled Ballard, and began plans to bring her in as Ballard's replacement. Cynthia Ann Birdsong (December 15 1939 better known by her stage name Cindy Birdsong is an Grammy -nominated American R&B / soul Labelle is an American R&B / Soul group who melded Disco with Funk and Glam rock. Birdsong stepped in for a benefit concert at the Hollywood Bowl on April 29, 1967, but returned to the Bluebelles afterwards as she was still committed to that group through the end of June. The Hollywood Bowl is a famous modern Amphitheatre in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles California, USA, that is used primarily for music Performances Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. In May, Ballard came back to the group for what she thought was a probationary period.

June 28, 1967 marked the group's first appearance as Diana Ross & the Supremes at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The Flamingo Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the famed Las Vegas Strip in Paradise Nevada and is owned and operated by Harrah's Entertainment. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally After only three days of performances, Ballard was permanently dismissed from the Supremes, and Birdsong officially assumed her place during the second July 1 show. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Later in the month, Motown released "Reflections", a number-two US Billboard hit single, which was the first single to feature the new group name. Diana Ross & the Supremes: Greatest Hits, a number-one album in both the US and the UK, became the first album to do so when released in October of 1967.

Florence Ballard's release from Motown was made final on February 22, 1968, with Ballard receiving a one-time payment of $139,804. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 94 in royalties and earnings. [16] Attempting a solo career with ABC Records, (she rejected an offered solo contract from Motown as part of her settlement) Ballard's two 1968 singles failed to chart and her solo album was shelved. ABC Records started in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records the record label of Am-Par Record Corporation (a subsidiary of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres In 1971, Ballard sued Motown for $8. 7 million, claiming that Gordy and Diana Ross had conspired to force her out of the group; the judge ruled in favor of Motown. Ballard eventually sank into poverty and died on February 22, 1976 at the age of thirty-two. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. At the time of her death, Florence was making a comeback and planned to give her solo career another start.

Slowdown

Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown in early 1968 after a dispute with the label over royalties and profit sharing, and the quality of Motown's output (and Diana Ross & the Supremes' records in particular) began to falter. From the release of "Reflections" in 1967 to the release of "The Weight" in 1969, only six out of the eleven released singles reached the Top 20, and only one of those, 1968's "Love Child", made it to number one. " Love Child " is a 1968 number-one hit single released by the Motown label as a single for Diana Ross & the Supremes, although Diana Ross Because of the tension within the group and stringent touring schedules, neither Mary Wilson nor Cindy Birdsong appear on many of these singles; they were replaced on these recordings by session singers such as The Andantes. Session musicians are musicians available for hire as opposed to musicians who are either permanent members of a musical outfit or who have acquired fame in their own right The Andantes were a prolific female session singing group for the Motown record label during the 1960s

The changes within the group and their decreasing sales were signs of changes within the music industry. The gospel-based soul of female performers like Aretha Franklin had eclipsed the Supremes' pop-based sound, which had by now evolved to include more middle-of-the-road material. Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25 1942 Franklin has had a total of twenty number-one singles on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart, two of which became #1 hits on the In a cultural climate now influenced more than ever by countercultural movements such as the Black Panther Party, the Supremes found themselves attacked for not being "black enough", and lost ground in the black music market as a result. Counterculture (also " counter-culture " is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a Cultural group, or The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxist / Maoist African-American organization established

In mid-1968, Motown began a number of high-profile collaborations for the Supremes with their old colleagues, The Temptations. Besides the fact that both groups had come up together, the pairings also made financial sense, since the Supremes had a mostly white fanbase, and the Temptations a mostly black fanbase. Among the joint projects were two studio LPs (Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations, featuring the number-two hit single "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", and Together), a joint tour, and two NBC television specials, TCB (aired December 9, 1968) and G.I.T. on Broadway (aired November 12, 1969). Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations is as the title implies a collaborative album combining Motown 's two best selling groups Diana Ross & the " I'm Gonna Make You Love Me " is a soul song written in 1967 by Kenneth Gamble Leon Huff, and Jerry Ross Together, released by Motown Records in 1969 (catalog number MS 692 was the second and final duets studio album combining Diana Ross & the Supremes The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic TCB was a 1968 Television special produced by Motown Productions and George Schlatter - Ed Friendly Productions (of Laugh-In Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. GIT on Broadway was a 1969 live Television special produced by Motown Productions and George Schlatter-Ed Friendly Productions Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. TCB was, also, the third Number One album for The Supremes.

Exit Diana Ross

By 1969, Motown had begun plans for a Diana Ross solo career. A number of candidates, most notably Syreeta Wright, were considered to replace Ross as the lead singer of The Supremes. Syreeta Wright ( August 3, 1946 – July 6, 2004) who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was an American After seeing twenty-four-year-old Jean Terrell performing with her brother Ernie in Florida, Berry Gordy decided that she would be Ross' replacement. Jean Terrell (born Velma Jean Terrell November 26 1944, Belzoni, Mississippi) is an American Grammy -nominated Ernie Terrell (born on April 4, 1939 in Belzoni Mississippi) is an American Singer, Record producer, and former World Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Terrell was signed to Motown and began recording the first post-Ross Supremes songs with Wilson and Birdsong during the day, while Wilson and Birdsong toured with Ross at night.

At the same time, Diana Ross began making her first solo recordings. One of them, "Someday We'll Be Together", was set to be her first solo single. " Someday We'll Be Together " is an R&B / soul song written by Johnny Bristol, Jackey Beavers, and Harvey Fuqua in Gordy instead had the song released as the final Diana Ross & the Supremes single, though neither Mary Wilson nor Cindy Birdsong sang on the record. In November 1969, Ross' solo career was officially announced. The next month, "Someday We'll Be Together" hit number one on the American pop charts, becoming not only the Supremes' final number-one hit, but also the final number-one hit of the 1960s.

The "New Supremes"

Diana Ross & the Supremes gave their final performance together on January 14, 1970 at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The New Frontier was a Hotel and Casino located on the famed Las Vegas Strip in Paradise Nevada, USA, that had operated continuously [17] After the stupendous Frontier Hotel performance, Ross officially began her career as a solo performer. Over the next twelve years, Ross would record six number-one Billboard pop hits on her own, among them songs like "Touch Me in the Morning", "Love Hangover", and "Upside Down". " Touch Me in the Morning " is a Song recorded by Diana Ross. " Love Hangover " was a single for Motown singer Diana Ross, released in 1976. " Upside Down " is a song by Motown legend Diana Ross. In addition, Motown successfully helped Ross break into acting, featuring her as the star of three Motown-produced feature films: Lady Sings the Blues, Mahogany, and The Wiz. Mahogany is a 1975 Feature film, produced by Motown Productions and released to theaters by Paramount Pictures on October The Wiz is a 1975 Broadway musical, based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L

As Ross prepared her debut solo album, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong continued working with Jean Terrell on the first post-Ross Supremes album, Right On. Diana Ross (later reissued as Ain't No Mountain High Enough) was the debut solo album for Diana Ross. Right On is a 1970 Album recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label the first Supremes album not to feature former lead singer The Terrell-led Supremes – known unofficially at first as "The New Supremes," and in later years informally called the "70's Supremes" – had a few hits of their own, including the US and UK Top Twenty hits "Up the Ladder to the Roof" (US #10, UK #6), "Stoned Love" (US #7,UK #3), and "Nathan Jones" (US #16, UK #5), all of which were produced by Frank Wilson. " Up the Ladder to the Roof " is a 1970 hit single recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label " Stoned Love " is a 1970 hit single recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label "Nathan Jones" is a hit single recorded by The Supremes, and released in spring 1971 (see 1971 in music) on the Motown label Frank Wilson is an African American former Songwriter and Record producer for Motown Records. Each of these three singles were also R&B Top Ten hits, with "Stoned Love" going to number-one on the R&B charts in late 1970. Songwriting/production team Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson produced another Top 20 hit for the group, a Supremes/Four Tops duet version of Ike & Tina Turner's "River Deep - Mountain High". Nickolas Ashford (born May 4, 1942, in Fairfield South Carolina) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946 in The Four Tops are an American vocal Quartet, whose repertoire has included Doo-wop, Jazz, Soul music, R&B, Disco Ike & Tina Turner were an American Rock & roll and soul duo made of the husband-and-wife team of Ike Turner and Tina Turner " River Deep - Mountain High " is a 1966 single by Ike & Tina Turner. Many music critics proclaimed the "New Supremes" as a "blacker" act than the Ross-led group, if not quite as unique.

In 1972, The Supremes had their last Top 20 hit single release, "Floy Joy", written and produced by Smokey Robinson, followed by the final US Top 40 hit for the Jean Terrell-led version of the group,"Automatically Sunshine" (US #37, UK #10,). "Floy Joy" is a pop / Soul song recorded in 1971 and released as a single in 1972 by popular Motown female singing group The Supremes "Automatically Sunshine" is a single written by Smokey Robinson and released as a single by Motown singing group The Supremes as the third single "Automatically Sunshine" in turn became the group's final top ten single in the UK. "Automatically Sunshine" is a single written by Smokey Robinson and released as a single by Motown singing group The Supremes as the third single Motown, by then moving from Detroit to Los Angeles to break into motion pictures, put only limited effort into promoting The Supremes' new material, and their popularity and sales began to wane. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Cindy Birdsong left the group in April 1972, after recording the Floy Joy album, to start a family; her replacement was Lynda Laurence, a former member of Stevie Wonder's backup group, Wonderlove. Floy Joy is a 1972 album released by The Supremes on the Motown label Lynda Laurence (also spelled Lawrence, born Lynda Tucker on February 20, 1949 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania) is an American Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13 1950 name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris) is an Successful producer Jimmy Webb was brought in to produce the group's next LP, The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb, but the album and its only single "I Guess I'll Miss the Man" failed to make an impact on the Billboard pop chart, with "I Guess I'll Miss the Man" charting at number 85. Jimmy Layne Webb is an American songwriter From his initial success with " Up Up and Away," " By the Time I Get to Phoenix," " Wichita The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb is a 1972 album released by The Supremes on the Motown label In late 1973, Laurence prevailed upon her old mentor Stevie Wonder to write and produce a hit for the Supremes, but the resulting "Bad Weather" peaked at number 87 on the US pop charts and number 37 in the UK. "Bad Weather" is a song composed and produced by Stevie Wonder and released as a single by Motown vocal group The Supremes in 1973 Dismayed by this poor-performing record, Jean Terrell left the group and was replaced by Scherrie Payne, sister of Invictus Records recording artist Freda Payne. Scherrie Payne (born November 4 1944 in Detroit Michigan } is an African-American Singer. Invictus Records was a Record label created by Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland (known collectively as Holland-Dozier-Holland Freda Charcelia Payne (born September 19 1945 in Detroit Michigan) is an African-American Singer and actress best known Almost immediately afterward, Laurence left for the same reason as Birdsong; to start a family.

Between the departures of Terrell and Laurence in 1973 and the first Supremes single with Scherrie Payne, "He's My Man", a disco single on which Payne and Wilson shared lead vocal, released in 1975, Motown was slow in producing contracts for Payne and the returning Birdsong. Before the release of the album in 1975, The Supremes remained a popular live act, and continued touring overseas, particularly in the United Kingdom and Japan. The group's new recordings were not as successful as their earlier releases, although "He's My Man", from the album The Supremes was a popular disco hit in 1975 reaching number one on Billboard's disco singles chart. The Supremes is a studio album by The Supremes, released in 1975 (see 1975 in music) on Motown Records. In 1976, Birdsong, dissatisfied with the management of the Supremes (handled at the time by Mary Wilson's then-husband Pedro Ferrer), left again and was replaced by Susaye Greene, another former member of Wonderlove. Susaye Greene (born September 13, 1949) is an African-American Singer, noted for being the last official member to join Motown girl This final version of the Supremes released two albums, High Energy (which features Birdsong on some of the tracks) and Mary, Scherrie & Susaye, both of which reunited the Supremes with Holland-Dozier-Holland. High Energy is a 1976 album by The Supremes released on the Motown label Mary Scherrie & Susaye is the final 'official' studio album by The Supremes, released in 1976 (see 1976 in music) on the Motown During that same year, the Supremes released "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking", their final Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and their third number-one single on the disco singles chart. "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking" is a Disco -styled soul single composed by the Holland brothers Eddie and Brian, members

On Sunday June 12, 1977, supported by singer/songwriter Billy Ocean, the Supremes performed their farewell concert at the Drury Lane Theater in London and officially disbanded. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Billy Ocean (born Leslie Sebastian Charles, 21 January 1950 Fyzabad, Trinidad) is a Grammy Award -winning British -based This article is bout the final 1977 performance of the Supremes Drury Lane is a street in the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The show was originally intended as a farewell concert for original member Mary Wilson, with Scherrie Payne and Susaye Greene continuing the group, although at that stage no replacement member had been auditioned or named.

After their disbanding and announcements that all three members (particularly Wilson) would begin solo careers, there were soon rumors that Payne and Greene had auditioned several candidates for Wilson's replacement, including Joyce Vincent Wilson, formerly of Tony Orlando and Dawn. Joyce Vincent Wilson (born 14 December 1946, Detroit, Michigan) is an American Singer, most famous for being one-third Tony Orlando and Dawn (originally known as Dawn, and later as Dawn featuring Tony Orlando) is a Pop music group that was popular in the 1970s But, Motown felt that since no original member would be in the group, it was time to call it quits for The Supremes. In 1979, Wilson had her first solo album, Mary Wilson, released by Motown, which included a single titled "Red Hot". That same year, Payne and Greene released an album titled Partners under the names "Scherrie & Susaye". Scherrie Payne released a single titled "Fly"; the single's b-side, "When I Looked At Your Face", was recorded for the Jodie Foster film Moi, Fleur Bleu. A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch Vinyl records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19 1962 is a two-time Academy Award, BAFTA, and Golden Globe -award winning American

Epilogue

Works inspired by The Supremes

Several fictional works show notable inspiration from the story of the Supremes. The 1976 feature film Sparkle, starring Irene Cara, features the story of a Supremes-like singing trio called "Sister & the Sisters" from Harlem, New York. Sparkle is a 1976 American film directed by Sam O'Steen and released by Warner Bros Irene Cara Escalera ( March 18, 1959) is an American singer and actress Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African American cultural and business center The film's songs and score were composed by soul musician Curtis Mayfield, and a soundtrack album by Aretha Franklin was a success, with the Supremes-esque "Something He Can Feel" becoming a number-one R&B hit. Curtis Lee Mayfield ( June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, R&B, and Funk Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25 1942 Franklin has had a total of twenty number-one singles on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart, two of which became #1 hits on the " Something He Can Feel " is a song composed by Curtis Mayfield for the soundtrack to the 1976 motion picture Sparkle. A remake of Sparkle, to have been produced by Whitney Houston's BrownHouse Productions, was in development in the early 2000s, with R&B singer Aaliyah in the lead, but was shelved after Aaliyah died in 2001. Whitney Elizabeth Houston' (born August 9 1963 is an American Singer-songwriter, Actress, Film producer, Arranger and former Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16 1979 – August 25 2001 better known as Aaliyah (əˈliːə was a Grammy -nominated American Singer [18] As recently as 2003, the Sparkle remake was announced as being in development for Disney Channel star Raven-Symoné. For the Disney Channel in other countries see Disney Channel around the world. Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman (born December 10 1985 known professionally as Raven-Symoné or Raven, is an American actress and R&B [19]

On December 21, 1981, the Tony Award-winning musical Dreamgirls opened at the Imperial Theater on Broadway and ran for 1522 performances. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, which opened on December 20, 1981 at the Imperial Theatre. For other uses see Imperial Theatre. The Imperial Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 249 West 45th Street Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located The musical was loosely based on the history of the Supremes, following the story of The Dreams, an all-female singing trio from Chicago, Illinois who become music superstars. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Several of the characters in the play are analogues of real-life Supremes/Motown counterparts, with the focus of the story centering upon the Florence Ballard doppelgänger Effie White. A doppelgänger ( or fetch is the ghostly double of a living person a sinister form of Bilocation. While influenced by the Supremes' and Motown's music, the songs in the play are closer to a broader mix of R&B/soul and Broadway music. Mary Wilson loved the musical, but Diana Ross was reportedly angered by it and refused to see it. [20] A motion picture adaptation of Dreamgirls was released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures on December 25, 2006. Dreamgirls is a 2006 American Musical film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures DreamWorks LLC, also known as DreamWorks Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, or DreamWorks Studios, is a major American Film studio Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and Distribution company, based in Hollywood California. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The feature-film version of Dreamgirls, written and directed by Bill Condon, contains more overt homages to Motown and The Supremes: for example, the Dreams in the film version are from Detroit, not Chicago. William "Bill" Condon (born October 22, 1955) is an Academy Award -winning American Screenwriter and director. The Dreamgirls film stars Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover, Jennifer Hudson, and Anika Noni Rose. Jamie Foxx (born Eric Marlon Bishop; December 13, 1967) is an Academy Award -winning American Actor, Singer Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born September 4 1981 commonly known as Beyoncé (biːˈɑn Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy (born April 3 1961 is an Academy Award -nominated Golden Globe - Screen Actors Guild Award -winning American Danny Lebern Glover (born July 22 1946 is an American Actor, Film director, and Political activist. Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12 1981 is an American actress, singer and model. Anika Noni Rose (born September 6, 1972) is an Tony -awarding winning American singer and actress

Two of the Supremes have written autobiographies. Mary Wilson's best-selling autobiography Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme was published in 1986 (and remains one of the most successful music autobiographies of all-time), and in 1990, she published the follow-up Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together. Dreamgirl My Life as a Supreme is the name of a 1986 Autobiography that features the Memoirs of Mary Wilson, one of the founding members In January 2000, the two books were released together as Dreamgirl & Supreme Faith: My Life as a Supreme, and included an afterword. Diana Ross had her own autobiography, Secrets of a Sparrow: Memoirs, published in 1993.

Awards and followers

Although the Supremes were twice nominated for a Grammy Award – for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording ("Baby Love", 1965) and Best Contemporary Rock & Roll Group Vocal Performance ("Stop! In the Name of Love", 1966) – they never won an award in competition. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording was awarded from 1959 to 1968 The 7th Grammy Awards were held in 1965. They recognized accomplishments of musicians for the year 1964. The Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal has been awarded since 1966 The 8th Grammy Awards were held March 15, 1966. They recognized accomplishments of musicians for the year 1965. [21] Three of their songs – "Where Did Our Love Go" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (both 1999) and "Stop! In the Name of Love" (2001) – have been named to the Grammy Hall of Fame. The 41st Grammy Awards were held on February 24, 1999. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1998 The 43rd Grammy Awards were held on February 21, 2001. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year The Grammy Hall of Fame Award is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old and that have "qualitative [22] In addition, the Supremes songs "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "You Can't Hurry Love" are among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. [23]

They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994, and entered into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor what they term "the Greatest Vocal Groups in the World" In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the group #97 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published [24]

The Supremes are also notable for the influences they have had on the black girl groups who have succeeded them in popular music. Among these acts are groups such as The Three Degrees, The Emotions, The Pointer Sisters, En Vogue, TLC, Destiny's Child and Cleopatra. The Three Degrees are a female Philly soul and Disco vocal Musical group formed in 1963 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The Emotions are an all female soul, Disco, and R&B singing group of the late-1970s and into the 1980s The Pointer Sisters are an American Grammy Award -winning Pop / R&B recording act from Oakland, California that achieved En Vogue is a Grammy nominated American female R&B vocal quartet assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy. TLC was a Grammy Award -winning American Contemporary R&B, hip hop and pop group consisting of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins Destiny's Child (sometimes referred to as DC or DC3) was an R&B and pop Girl group comprising lead singer Beyoncé Knowles Cleopatra are a platinum selling BRIT Awards and MOBO Awards nominationed R&B/Pop Girl group from the UK whose members are sisters Cleo [25]

Reunions

Fan interest made the idea of a Supremes reunion tour a very profitable one during the 1980s. In 1982, around the time that Motown reunited all of The Temptations, it was rumored that Motown would reunite The Supremes. The Temptations (sometimes abbreviated as The Temps or The Tempts) are a Grammy -winning vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful The 1974 line-up of the Supremes; Mary Wilson, Cindy Birdsong, and Scherrie Payne were considered for this reunion, which was to include new recordings and a tour. Under advisement from Berry Gordy, Wilson declined to reunite, and the idea was scrapped. Diana Ross briefly reunited with Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong to perform "Someday We'll Be Together" on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special, broadcast on NBC on May 16, 1983. Motown 25 Yesterday Today Forever was a 1983 Television special produced by Suzanne de Passe for Motown The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar)

In 1986, Mary Wilson, Cindy Birdsong, Jean Terrell, and Scherrie Payne were approached to again reunite The Supremes. Wilson, now a solo artist, was not interested. Terrell, Birdsong and Payne agreed, however at the last minute, Birdsong declined to participate. Ironically, in this new incarnation, she was once again replaced by Lynda Lawrence. Terrell, Payne, and Lynda Laurence began touring the US, Europe, and Japan as the FLOS: Former Ladies of the Supremes. The Former Ladies of the Supremes, or FLOS, is a singing group that was formed by 1970s Supremes Jean Terrell, Lynda Laurence and Scherrie Payne [26] Terrell, Laurence, and Scherrie Payne recorded a cover of "Stoned Love" for British producer Ian Levine in 1989. Ian Levine is an English Songwriter, producer, and DJ. He is also a well-known (and often controversial fan of the long-running television When Terrell decided to quit to return to the family business in 1992, new member Sundray Tucker, sister of Lynda Laurence, but someone who had never been an official Supreme, stepped in and the trio continued performing and recording. Sundray Tucker (born March 23 is an American Singer. She is the eldest daughter of the late Ira Tucker (of the Dixie Hummingbirds) and Louise Tucker [27] Their first release was an album for the U. S. based Altair label titled Supreme Voices, which was recorded in the U. Altair (α Aql / α Aquilae / Alpha Aquilae / Atair is the brightest Star in the Constellation Aquila and the twelfth brightest star S. for producer Rick Gianatos. The ladies then hooked up with British fan Steve Weaver, which resulted in the album Supremely Yours on the Reflections label. Supremely Yours included a cover of The Supremes' 1971 single "Touch". Reverting back to the more comfortable name the Supremes, they then embarked on the project of re-recording virtually all of the old hits. Ironically, neither Payne nor Laurence originally sang on many of the original hit versions. These tracks appear on numerous "greatest hits" compilations, billed (incorrectly) as being by "the Supremes", around the world. Payne and Laurence continue to tour under the FLOS name with third member Freddi Poole, who joined the group in 1996, but had never been a Supreme. The FLOS celebrated their twentieth anniversary in 2006 (with Birdsong, Tucker and Susaye Greene in the audience),[26] although sometimes they are billed, incorrectly, as just the Supremes. Recently, The FLOS changed their name to a more suitable billing: Scherrie Payne and Lynda Lawrence: Former Ladies of the Supremes.

In 2000, plans were made for Ross to join Wilson and Birdsong for a planned Diana Ross & the Supremes: Return to Love reunion tour. However, Wilson and Birdsong both passed on the idea, because, while the promoters offered Ross $15 million to perform, Wilson was offered $3 million and Birdsong less than $1 million. [28] Eventually, the Return to Love tour went on as scheduled, but with Scherrie Payne and Lynda Laurence joining Ross, although none of the three had ever been in the group at the same time and neither Payne nor Laurence had sung on any of the original hit recordings that they were now singing live. Former Supreme Susaye Greene was also considered for this tour, but refused to audition for the tour. The public and music critics cried foul and were disappointed by both this and the shows' high ticket prices, and, after playing only half of the dates on the itinerary, the tour was cancelled. [29]

A touring group billed as "The Sounds of the Supremes," is a group fronted by Kaaren Ragland. Ragland claims to have been a member of the Supremes from the late 1970s into the 80s; in reality, she was a backing vocalist for Mary Wilson on her solo work following the disbanding of the group. [30]

Personnel

Main article: The Supremes chronology

Discography

Main article: The Supremes discography

Filmography

Television work

From the success of "Where Did Our Love Go" in mid-1964 until spring 1977, the Supremes became regular faces on television, appearing on variety shows, music shows, talk shows, and even having two of their own television specials. This page is a chronology of the Motown singing group The Supremes. Florence Glenda Ballard Chapman, nicknamed "Flo" or "Blondie" ( June 30 1943 – February 22 1976 Mary Wilson (born March 6, 1944) is an American Singer best known as a member of the Motown soul and pop Diana Ross (born March 261944 is an American twelve-time Grammy and Oscar -nominated singer Record producer and actress whose musical repertoire Betty McGlown-Travis (born 1943 in Detroit Michigan) is an African American Singer, one of the founding members of The Primettes later known as The Barbara Diane Martin (born 1944 in Detroit Michigan is an African-American Singer; a short-lived member of The Primettes, later known as Cynthia Ann Birdsong (December 15 1939 better known by her stage name Cindy Birdsong is an Grammy -nominated American R&B / soul Jean Terrell (born Velma Jean Terrell November 26 1944, Belzoni, Mississippi) is an American Grammy -nominated Lynda Laurence (also spelled Lawrence, born Lynda Tucker on February 20, 1949 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania) is an American Scherrie Payne (born November 4 1944 in Detroit Michigan } is an African-American Singer. Susaye Greene (born September 13, 1949) is an African-American Singer, noted for being the last official member to join Motown girl This is a listing of all of the singles and albums released by Motown singing group The Supremes. The TAMI Show is a 1964 Concert film, released by American International Pictures.

DVDs

Notes

  1. ^ a b All Music Guide. Greatest Hits Live in Amsterdam is a DVD by The Supremes released in 2006
  2. ^ a b c d e f Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986). Pg. 29–36.
  3. ^ a b Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986). Pg. 38.
  4. ^ Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986). Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme. New York: St. Martin's Press. Pg. 51.
  5. ^ a b c Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986). Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme. New York: St. Martin's Press. Pg. 53–56.
  6. ^ Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986). Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme. New York: St. Martin's Press. Pg. 69–71.
  7. ^ Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986). Pg. 62.
  8. ^ Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986). Pg. 71.
  9. ^ a b Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986). Pg. 84–85.
  10. ^ Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986). Pg. 81.
  11. ^ Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986). Pg. 136.
  12. ^ Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986). Pg. 141.
  13. ^ a b c d Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986). Pg. 141-143.
  14. ^ Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986). Pg. 173.
  15. ^ Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986). Pg. 147.
  16. ^ Knight, Jack (October 29, 1971). Ex-Supreme rejected in Motown suit. Detroit Free Press.
  17. ^ A live recording of the performance was released later that year in a double-LP box set titled Farewell
  18. ^ "The It List: Aaliyah". A live album &ndash commonly contrasted with a Studio album &ndash is a recording consisting of material (usually music recorded during stage performances A box set (sometimes referred to as a boxed set) is a compilation of various musical recordings Films Television programs or other collection Farewell is a 1970 live album by Diana Ross & The Supremes. The album was recorded over the course of the group's final engagement together at the Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,131380_4_0_,00.html on November 11, 2006.
  19. ^ Schmitz, Greg Dean. "Sparkle". Greg's Previews. Retrieved from http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/preview/1808405989 on November 11, 2006.
  20. ^ O'Niel, Tom. "Diana's 'Dreamgirls' decision". TheEnvelope. com. Retrieved from http://theenvelope.latimes.com/awards/oscars/env-oneill-dreamgirls-18oct18,0,2314826.story?page=1&coll=env-home-headlines on November 11, 2006.
  21. ^ Skurow, Andrew (2000). The Supremes [CD boxed set liner notes appendix]. The Supremes is a 2000 Box set compilation of the material by Motown 's most popular act of the 1960s The Supremes. New York: Motown Record Co. /Universal Music.
  22. ^ (2007). "Grammy Hall of Fame Awards". Grammy. com. Retrieved April 27, 2007.
  23. ^ (2007). "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll (by artist)". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 27, 2007.
  24. ^ The Immortals: The First Fifty. Rolling Stone Issue 946. Rolling Stone.
  25. ^ Chin, Brian and Nathan, David (2000). Pg. 48.
  26. ^ a b (2005). Former Ladies of the Supremes biography. Richard De La Font Agency, Inc. Retrieved April 7, 2007.
  27. ^ (2007). Former Ladies of the Supremes biography. Locolboevents. com. Retrieved April 27, 2007.
  28. ^ Supremes return for tour. (April 5, 2000). BBC News.
  29. ^ Posner, Gerald (2004). Pg. 331
  30. ^ Past Supremes Zone
  31. ^ YouTube - The Supremes - To Tell the Truth

References

Further reading

External links

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