Biographie
The greatest girl group ever had its origins in the late 1950s in Detroit's Brewster Projects. At the beginning young singer Betty McGlown was dating Paul Williams of The Primes (later The Temptations) and was a friend of Florence Ballard. They were asked to form a girl group spin-off, called "The Primettes". They invited their friend Mary Wilson and later Diana Ross. Together they formed a quartet, achieving mild success locally and recording a single for the Lupine record label. In 1960 Betty married, left the group and Barbara Martin replaced her. The new line-up was finally signed by Detroit-based Motown, a record company founded by Berry Gordy. At Gordy's request, "Flo" Ballard chose a name from a long list of monikers, and the group consisting of Mary, Diana, Barbara, and herself became known as The Supremes.
In spite of the support of Motown writers and producers such as William "Smokey" Robinson and Gordy himself, Florence, Mary, Diana, and Barbara spent a few years recording songs that disappeared into oblivion as soon as they were released. Soon Barbara also left the group after being married, and The Supremes became a trio. During those early years it was generally accepted that Florence Ballard had the strongest, more soulful voice to lead the group, but Gordy decided that Diane Ross had a more "commercial sound" and she became the lead singer in most of their recordings. However, his enthusiasm was not initially shared by other producers and musicians who found Ross' voice too high-pitched and nasal. In late 1963 The Supremes were turned over to the in-house production team formed by Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Eddie Holland. The collaboration worked with "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes", their seventh single release and the first written and produced by H-D-H. IT became a top 40 hit nationwide, and Holland-Dozier-Holland provided the first hint of the girls potential.
For the next release, the composers picked "Where Did Our Love Go," a song that nobody thought much of. First they tried recording it with The Marvelettes but the group rejected it. Then they switched to The Supremes with Mary Wilson in mind to sing the leads but Mary did not like the song either. Finally the song was cut with Ross singing in Wilson's lower mezzo-soprano register resulting in a sound that was sexy, romantic and extremely commercial. By pure chance they had stumbled into the right key for Diana Ross and a unique sound for The Supremes. "Where Did Our Love Go" was up and running as soon as it was released, an instant million seller for the group. But this was only the beginning of a Cinderella-like story that would make the girls from Detroit a legendary institution. As The Supremes kept topping the charts ("Baby Love," "Come See About Me," "Stop! In the Name of Love," "Back in My Arms Again," "Nothing but Heartaches") their presence was requested on national television, live concerts and even films. Here another miracle happened when audiences of all races, social and economic backgrounds fell in love with these charming black princesses, impeccably groomed, made up and dressed in gowns that in time became more and more extravagant.
Their individual personalities so endearing, their harmonies so unique, their movements so graceful, the public just could not get enough of The Supremes and by 1965 they were the undisputed No. 1 female group in the country competing with The Beatles for most #1 hits in the charts. Their contribution to the civil rights movement should not be underestimated; suddenly, they were "the face" of Black America and it was a face of beauty, of glamour and of unity, an image everyone could identify with.
About this time Diane decided to use the name in her birth certificate which, by a spelling error, had been entered as "Diana". This is the year also in which her relationship with Berry Gordy Jr. became a full fledged love affair although the details were kept away from the press and the fans. The Supremes continued turning out hits such as "I Hear a Symphony," "My World Is Empty Without You," "You Can't Hurry Love," "Love Is Like an Itching In My Heart" and they were clearly "the sound of young America." However, Gordy had a broader vision for them. Now that he had the kids listening to the group, the next step was to conquer the adults. The Supremes were the first R&B group to perform at the famed night club The Copacabana in New York, enchanting audiences with their rendition of old American standards, songs from Broadway and Hollywood productions, and their Motown hits. This was surely a well calculated gamble which paid off immediately. Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard were now perceived as much more than a rock group. Actually they had become the embodiment of the American dream and as performers they were now in the same league as Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand or Judy Garland. They constantly appeared on television with the greatest names in show business from Bobby Darin to Ethel Merman, Bob Hope or Bing Crosby. Looking at their seasoned performances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" (the new title of The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)) and other TV shows, it is easy to forget that these ladies were barely 20 years old.
By 1966 the first rumors of dissension within the group leaked out. Berry Gordy Jr., had made the decision that Diana Ross would become a solo artist and The Supremes just a showcase for her talents, sort of a launching pad. This turn of events was not received well by Florence and Mary, as their own talents became relegated to background singers for a super star. It should be remembered that The Supremes' first records included beautiful harmonies and choral renditions of many songs, but later most they were changed to a lead singer with two background singers, and most of the lead vocals were given to Ross, considering her talent. However, on TV or in concerts, audiences were fascinated by all three Supremes, by their performances and by their individual personalities. Gordy knew the dangers of this situation so he pursued the strategy of minimizing The Supremes impact in favor of asserting the name and appeal of Ross. A disgruntled Florence began to gain weight, drink, lose dates, and her behavior became erratic both on and off stage. The hits kept coming (their trademark hit, "You Keep Me Hangin' On," "Love Is Here but Now You're Gone," "The Happening," and "Reflections") but there was internal turmoil and tensions. In 1967, two major changes were instituted: Florence Ballard was dismissed and replaced with Cindy Birdsong (of Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles) and the group became officially known as "Diana Ross and The Supremes".
As with the Ross-Gordy relationship, the details of Ballard's departure were kept under wraps and most of the audiences did not notice the change. During some performances, Cindy Birdsong had already replaced Florence when she was unable to appear or sing in public. The group went on to higher success, becoming more sophisticated than ever, and performing in the best venues not only in the United States but all over the world. Diana Ross had her own charismatic presence and was accepted by audiences everywhere. However the departure from Motown of Holland-Dozier-Holland dealt a blow to the girls recording career. Their last singles with H-D-H were "In and Out of Love" and "Forever Came Today", but from there on their presence on the charts became hit and miss, not even with the help of the songwriting duo of Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. By then Gordy reunited a group of young songwriters (including British lyricist Pamela Sawyer, composer-producer Frank Wilson, troubadour R. Dean Taylor, and spirited composer-producer Deke Richards) to help the girls bounce back with a hit. They did with two songs with "social messages" written in 1968, an emblematic year of world unrest during the twentieth century: first, "Love Child" and in January 1969, "I'm Livin' in Shame" (both, with Motown's in-house trio The Andantes providing the backing vocals). They also had a great hit with "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me," a duet with The Temptations with whom the ladies also appeared in two highly rated television specials: TCB (1968) and G.I.T. on Broadway (1969). Their recordings of "The Composer" and "No Matter What Sign You Are" (also with The Andantes) did not do what expected but by the end of 1969 Gordy changed his mind: after Diana Ross recorded "Someday We'll Be Together" (with Merry Clayton, Julie Waters, Maxine Waters and writer-producer Johnny Bristol providing backing vocals) he saw "hit" written all over it and decided Diana would leave the group with a million seller. The last concert of Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong was in January 1970, an emotional farewell performance at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. Chicago born singer Jean Terrell was present and announced as Ross' replacement.
After Diana Ross left the group, while Mary Wilson, Cindy Birdsong and Jean Terrell went immediately to the top of the charts with "Up the Ladder to the Roof", the career of Diana Ross as a solo artist struggled at the beginning but with Gordy's guidance and resources solidly behind her she became the Motown star of the 1970s with solid hits as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Touch Me in the Morning", as well as a well-regarded actress, winning an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in the role of singer Billie Holiday in the 1972 biopic Lady Sings the Blues (1972). Ross was Gordy's priority.
In spite of Motown's lack of support, The Supremes continued their successful recording career well into the 1970s with Jean Terrell. Other top 10 hits such as "Stoned Love", "Nathan Jones" and their duet with The Four Tops "River Deep, Mountain High", all produced by Frank Wilson, were followed by dance hits as "Floy Joy", "Bad Weather", "He's My Man", and "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking"; and the release of half a dozen of excellent albums kept the name alive and had the potential to go on into new heights. The girls continued to be a big draw in concerts and television and it seemed the group was destined to live forever.
This threw a wrench in the Motown machinery since they couldn't afford having a newcomer like Terrell with Wilson and Birdsong at her side compete with Ross for number one spots on the charts. Something had to be done fast to send The Supremes into oblivion. Most of the fans stood solidly behind The Supremes while Motown quietly pulled the plug off the most successful female trio in the business. The lack of company support eventually created dissension within the group. By 1973 Jean Terrell quit and was replaced by Scherrie Payne; Cindy Birdsong left the group not once but twice, being replaced in each instance by Lynda Laurence and Susaye Greene. Surprisingly, during these confusing times, The Supremes recorded excellent material that kept the fans interested but the group was doomed.
The real shocker came in 1976 when original Supreme Florence Ballard died of heart failure in Detroit. After leaving the group, she tried to launch a solo career and landed a recording contract with ABC Records. However her first two singles did not do well and ABC lost interest. Among rumors of industry blacklisting, Florence ended up destitute and on welfare in order to feed her three daughters. For The Supremes (Mary, Scherrie and Susaye) the final performance came in 1977 at the Drury Lane Theater in London but it was not the end of the original legendary ladies... Diana Ross continued touring and recording, while Mary Wilson launched a solo career but was unable to secure a record contract and rumors of blacklisting resurfaced. She managed to continue singing all over the world and in 1986 surprised everyone with a candid autobiography titled "Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme" which became a best seller and the biggest rock and roll autobiography in history. There was a sequel titled "Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together" which was also well received by the public. In Mary's books, The Supremes are presented both as an American dream and an American tragedy.
Far from dying, The Supremes became cult figures with their recordings constantly on release, lots of air play, the subject of articles, books, documentaries and TV specials. They are the inspiration behind the Broadway hit and film Dreamgirls (2006) and the film Sparkle (1976), and their music is heard in dozens of film soundtracks. The 1980s and the 1990s witnessed several ex-Supremes revivals in the concert circuits including the "Mary Wilson Supremes Revue" and reunions by Jean Terrell with Lynda Laurence and Scherrie Payne. The Supremes received important recognition such as a "star" in Hollywood's Walk of Fame and the induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which were attended by Mary Wilson with the daughters of Florence Ballard.
The Supremes recordings continue to sell well. Lately, scores of previously unreleased Supremes recordings are being issued for the first time, albums are remastered and issued with new material, while songs like "Baby Love," "I Hear a Symphony," "You Can't Hurry Love" and "Someday We'll Be Together" remain perennial favorites worldwide. As for the ladies themselves, Diana continued touring in spite of personal problems, and Mary also continued touring both as a singer and a lecturer, and was named by the Bush administration (2002) "United States Ambassador of Good Will." She also appeared in the rock documentaries Only the Strong Survive (2002) and Hitsville: The Making of Motown (2019).
Mary Wilson died in 2021, but it is clear that The Supremes legend has stood the test of time and will continue. At their prime they touched so many lives and excelled in so many ways that their impact seems destined to live forever. Where did our love go? Nowhere. It's still here, baby, baby...
