The
Supremes (originally called the Primettes)
formed as a quartet while still teenagers in a
Detroit high school at the end of the 1950’s.
(Betty McGlown was the fourth Primette.)
They hung around Motown for years before they
clicked with record buyers. By the time
their phenomenal success arrived, there were
three Supremes left standing: Diana Ross, Mary
Wilson and Florence Ballard.
Ballard
had the strongest voice, but Motown founder
Berry Gordy thought Ross’s voice was the most
commercial and most likely to get him his
dream - a crossover group that would have a
black AND a white audience. And he was
right.
The
Supremes went places where no black girl group
had ever gone near. They headlined
at NYC's world-famous Copacabana nightclub,
and they appeared on the Ed Sullivan
television show 17 times!
Under
Motown founder Berry Gordy’s direction, the
Supremes had a huge crossover success from the
world of R&B to the world of Pop.
And, lastly, The Supremes launched the
spectacular solo career of Diana Ross.
Gordy’s obsession with making Diana Ross a
star sewed the seeds of the group’s
break-up. Ross was the sole lead singer,
with Mary and Flo doing backup vocals.
When the group’s name changed in 1967 to
"Diana Ross and The Supremes," it proved too
much for Flo, whose gaining weight, drinking,
and missing of performances accelerated. She
was fired from the group and replaced with
Cindy Birdsong.
Ross,
herself, left the group at the very beginning
of 1970 and went on to attain legendary status
as a performer. Mary Wilson stayed with
a reconstituted Supremes until 1977 when the
group disbanded. And Florence Ballard,
after making a very bad financial settlement
with Motown and a period of her life where she
was on welfare, died of a heart attack at the
age of 32 in 1976.
The
dramatic story of The Supremes has inspired
fictional re-telllings: a 1970’s movie,
“Sparkle,” and a hit Broadway musical and
movie called “Dreamgirls.”
But, let’s put the soap opera aside and just
enjoy some of those fabulous performances by
The Supremes with this assortment of their #1
hits:
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