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The Supremes Bio

The Supremes

The Supremes name has become synonymous with Motown royalty, Diana Ross, and a trio of beautiful young voices. However, the name was nearly rejected by Ross and others in the group as they felt it was too masculine for their image. Yet it was Florence Ballard, at that point the uncontested leader of the group, and Motown head Berry Gordy who insisted on the name that went on to make history.

Ballard was a junior high school student in the Detroit, Michigan housing projects, and after becoming friends with Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks from the group The Primes in 1959, their manager had the idea to begin a sister group, The Primettes. Ballard brought along her best friend, Mary Wilson, who in turn brought in a schoolmate, Diane Ross. The manager added a fourth member, Betty McGlown, and the quartet began singing as The Primettes in small functions around the Detroit area.

Once The Primes were signed by Motown record label head Berry Gordy under the name The Temptations, the Primettes tried to follow, but Gordy found them too young and inexperienced. A few years later, after McGlown had left and was replaced by Barbara Martin, Gordy agreed to sign them, but insisted on a name change. He gave them several choices, one of which was The Supremes. While Ross and Wilson weren't in favor of it, finding it too masculine sounding, Ballard chose it anyway.

Martin left The Supremes after her short stint to start a family, but the rest of the group struggled to find the sound that would make them successful, and each of the three remaining members tried their voices singing lead. In 1963, Ross changed her first name to Diana, and with her singing lead, the group finally had a Top 40 hit with "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes." Part of the reason for their success was working with the songwriting team of Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, and Edward Holland, Jr. They would go on to pen many of the songs The Supremes turned into hits.

The following year, after The Marvelettes refused to sing "Where Did Our Love Go," The Supremes took it on and had their first #1 hit. The hits continued after this, with "Baby Love" hitting #1 in the UK as well as the U.S., and also earning the group a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording. "Stop! In the Name of Love" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Rock and Roll Group Vocal Performance. Other #1 hits for them during these early years were "Come See About Me" and "You Can't Hurry Love." In addition, they recorded the title track to the film The Happening, starring Anthony Quinn and Faye Dunaway.

Gordy had set out to make stars of The Supremes and was succeeding. To contrast the fears that the name was masculine, he had them donning fashionable wigs and gowns, heavy makeup, and dancing to elegant choreography. He also wanted them to not just appeal to black audiences, but white as well, and thought the classy image would help. In addition, Gordy had the group adding Broadway and pop tunes to their collection of Motown hits to entertain audiences in supper clubs. By 1966, they became the first female group to have a number one album with The Supremes A' Go-Go.

With success often comes dissension. The songwriting team that had made the group a success left, and jealousy ran rampant among The Supremes and others at Motown as Gordy began a romantic relationship with Ross. The group was changed to give her top billing, making it Diana Ross and The Supremes. Ballard had started the group eight years previously, and now was feeling left out. She gained so much weight she couldn't fit in her costumes, and began drinking to the point of excess. Once she began missing concert dates and appearances, Gordy replaced her with Cindy Birdsong who had sung with Patti LaBelle. After unsuccessfully suing Motown, Ballard died penniless at the age of thirty-two.

Perhaps Ballard was needed more than others believed; the group never did regain its earlier successes it enjoyed before she left. As expected, Ross eventually left the group for a solo career, recording songs such as "Touch Me in the Morning" and "Upside Down," and also made a few films, including Lady Sings the Blues, the biographical film about Billie Holiday; and Mahogany. The group name changed to The New Supremes, Jean Terrell replaced Ross, and they had a few hits in "Stoned Love" and "Floy Joy." Singers continued to come and go from the group, and the group was officially disbanded in 1977.

Despite the fact the group disbanded after its eighteen year struggle to find the secret to staying afloat, their music lives on in infamy. Their songs have been featured in movies such as Forrest Gump, Now and Then, The Sixth Sense, and Bobby. The Broadway hit Dreamgirls was unofficially based on The Supremes, and in 2006 it was made into a movie featuring Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy, and Danny Glover.

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Facts:
The Supremes - Cindy Birdsong left Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles to replace Florence Ballard in The Supremes.
The Supremes - A collection of Sam Cooke covers called 'We Remember Sam Cooke ' was recorded by The Supremes.
The Supremes - Diana Ross was a member of The Supremes.
The Supremes - Recorded title track to the film 'The Happening' which starred Anthony Quinn .
The Supremes - Recorded the title track to the film 'The Happening' which starred Faye Dunaway .