The Supremes
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The most successful black performers of the 1960s, The Supremes for a time rivaled even The Beatles. They become the most successful "girl group" of an era. The group's widespread popularity began in the 1960s and resulted in twelve number-one hits on Billboard' s pop charts. That puts them third on the all-time list, behind only the Beatles and Elvis Presley. One of their hit single released was, "Baby Love".
Contents |
Former members
Florence Ballard
Mary Wilson
Diana Ross
Barbara Martin
Cindy Birdsong
Jean Terrell
Lynda Laurence
Scherrie Payne
Susaye Greene
About
The Supremes were originally called, The Primettes. They became the female counterparts to the Primes which later called The Temptations. The Supremes was founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1959 by, "Florence Ballard", "Mary Wilson", "Diana Ross" and "Betty McGlown". Diana, Mary and Florence" lived in the Brewster Housing Projects, an estate specifically designated for the poor. It was predominantly an African American neighborhood. Florence and Mary met in 1959 at a song contest. Florence convinced Mary to join a vocal group. Mary also invited Diane to join them. They called themselves, The Primettes. When Betty got married, she left the group. Betty was relaced by, "Barbara Martin".
As young teenagers in junior high and high school, they attempted to audition for Berry Gordy at Motown, but he considered them too young at the time. Even though Motown founder Berry liked the girls, he told them to finish high school first. As the Primettes, they recorded for Lupine Records, a local Detroit label, both as a featured group and as backing singers. These recordings are now available as reissues on various specialty labels. Upon their high school graduation their dream came true.
Finally, they signed a recording contract under Motown Records. By the time they debuted for Motown in 1961, The name The Primettes was changed into The Supremes when the girls released their first record "I Want A Guy" on the Motown label. Barbara Martin reduced them to a trio when she left after their first single. Their first eight singles hardly cracked Billboard's Hot 100.
In 1964 Berry teamed them with Holland-Dozier-Holland and they released the melodic thumper "Where Did Our Love Go." It chartered to #1 on the US Pop and Soul Charts. This achievement established the recipe for the group's success and their producers, as their next four hit singles, "Baby Love", "Come See About Me", "Stop! In The Name Of Love" and "Back In My Arms Again" were released. They all topped the US singles charts, while "Baby Love' became the only record by an American group to reach number 1 in Britain during the beat-dominated year of 1964. Diana Ross became the de facto lead vocalist.
Not all of the Supremes' singles went to number one after 1965, but they usually did awfully well, and were written and produced with enough variety (but enough of a characteric sound) to ensure continual interest. The chart-topping "You Keep Me Hangin' On" was the best of their mid-period hits. They recorded albums of Broadway standards, played residencies at expensive nightclubs, and were expertly groomed by Motown staff as all-round entertainers. Meanwhile, the hits kept coming, with three more US number 1 hits in the shape of "You Can't Hurry Love", "You Keep Me Hanging On", and "Love Is Here".
Florence was ousted in mid-1967, and replaced by Cindy Birdsong. After Florence exit, the group would be billed as "Diana Ross & the Supremes". For Diana this meant a first step towards a solo career. The group schedule became hectic in 1967. Over the next two years, the group continued to record hits like, "Love Child" and "The Happening." The first of which was yet another US number 1. The Supremes also formed a successful recording partnership with the Temptations, exemplified by the hit single "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me".
Diana had become the star of The Supremes and therefore the news that she would leave the group did not come as a surprise. On January 14, 1970, Diana Ross & The Supremes gave their final performance. After her final performance, Diana left the group to concentrate in her solo career. "Jean Terrell" replaced Diana as the group's lead singer.
In 1970-71, the group scored hits with "Stoned Love," "Up the Ladder to the Roof" and "Nathan Jones," then teamed with the Four Tops as the Magnificent Seven with the cut "River Deep, Mountain High" before the Tops left Motown. By 1973, Jean quit and was replaced by "Scherrie Payne". With Mary as the sole guiding force of the group, The Supremes disbanded in 1977 though various former Supremes and combinations thereof have since used the group name, especially in Europe.
The fame of the Supremes still lives on, however. In 1988 the group, featuring the lineup of Diana, Mary, and Florence, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for their achievements. Their most popular songs are still heard on radio today.
Awards & Certifications
| Year | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Grammy Awards (Nominated) | Best Rhythm & Blues Recording for "Baby Love" |
| 1966 | Grammy Awards (Nominated) | Best Contemporary Rock & Roll Group Vocal Performance for "Stop! In the Name of Love" |
| 1999 | Grammy Awards | Grammy Hall of Fame for "Where Did Our Love Go" |
| 1999 | Grammy Awards | Grammy Hall of Fame for "You Keep Me Hangin' On" |
| 2001 | Grammy Awards | Grammy Hall of Fame for "Stop! In the Name of Love" |
Chart Toppers
News
Tours & Concerts
There are no current tour and concert schedules for The Supremes.
Announcements
There are no announcements as of this time
Discography
Albums
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Singles
| Date | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Hits | Motown |
| 1991 | Supremes Medly | Unidisc |
| 1992 | Love Hangover | Unidisc |
Compilations & Live Releases
| Date | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Merry Christmas | Motown |
| 1967 | Diana Ross and The Supremes Greatest Hits | Motown |
| 1968 | Live at London's Talk of The Town | Motown |
| 1968 | Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 and 2 | Motown |
| 1970 | Captured Live on Stage! | Motown |
| 1973 | Baby Love | MFP |
| 1974 | Anthology: The Best of Diana Ross and The Supremes | Motown |
| 1974 | Every Great #1 Hit | Motown |
| 1976 | Stop in The Name of Love | MFP |
| 1977 | 20 Golden Greats | Motown |
| 1977 | Diana Ross and The Supremes | Motown |
| 1977 | Great Songs and Performances | Motown |
| 1977 | Supremes and Temptations | Motown |
| 1979 | Motown Superstar Series, Vol.1 | Motown |
| 1979 | Compact Command Performances | Motown |
| 1983 | Greatest Hits with Mary Wilson | Motown |
| 1985 | Where Did Our Love Go | Motown |
| 1986 | 25th Anniversary | Motown |
| 1987 | Never Before Released Masters | Motown |
| 1987 | The Rock 'N' Roll Era: The Supremes | Time-Life |
| 1988 | Greatest Hits, Vol.1 | Motown |
| 1990 | Merry Christmas | Motown |
| 1991 | 70's Greatest Hits and Rare Classics | Motown |
| 1991 | The Best of The Supremes and The Four Tops | Motown |
| 1993 | Come See About Me | Motown |
| 1995 | Christmas Hits Back To Back | PGD Special Markets |
| 1997 | Simply Supreme | Prism Leisure |
| 1997 | The Ultimate Collection | Motown |
| 1999 | Supremes Reflections | E-Squared |
| 1999 | I'm Gonna Make You Love Me | Polygram International |
| 2002 | The Supremes Sing Rodgers and Hart | Motown |
| 2002 | The Hits | Hallmark |
| 2002 | Songs in The Name of Love | Newsound 2000 |
| 2002 | The 70's Anthology | Motown |
| 2003 | Sensationally Supreme | Prism |
| 2003 | 20th Century Masters - The Christmas Collection | Motown |
| 2004 | Joined Together | Motown |
| 2004 | In Japan | Hip-O |
| 2005 | Gold | Motown |
| 2005 | Rock Breakout Years | Madacy |
| 2006 | Triple Treasures | Triple Treasures |
| 2006 | Dream Girls | American Legends |
| 2006 | This is The Story | Motown |
| 2006 | The Essential Supremes | Essential Gold |
| 2007 | Hits | KRB |
| 2007 | The Silver Spectrum Collection | Spectrum |
| 2007 | Every Great No.1 Hit | Motown |
Other artists
Similar artists
Contemporaries
Influences
Trivia
- Ranked #16 on VH1's Greatest Women of Rock 'N' Roll.
- They received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.
- In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the group #97 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
Reviews
External Links
Categories: Artist | R&B | Pop | Soul
