The Supremes (1970s) -- Bold Soul Sisters

l.to r.: Susaye, Mary, Scherrie

Ha ha. I love the look of confusion people give me when I mention that I love the music of the Supremes minus Diana Ross. "What do you mean? There was no such thing," they all say. But, ah, I know better, and now you do too.

The simple fact of the matter is that when Diana Ross left the Supremes in '69 to pursue a solo career, the Supremes kept on trucking through 1977. They had several hits with core original member Mary Wilson, along with varying lineups that included the fabulous songstresses Cindy Birdsong (of the Bluebells), Lynda Laurence, Susaye Greene, Scherrie Payne, and Jean Terrell. All 9 of their records featured some great material, but recieved pitiful promotion, and support from Motown stopped in the name of Diana's career, which was #1 priority.

As a result, so many people today either don't know or have forgotten about the 70s Supremes. Truth is that such an important chapter in girl group history didn't end with "Someday We'll Be Together," but extended itself by nearly another decade with more glamour and an updated sound which was just as great.

UPDATE: Mary Wilson's sequel to her best-selling Dreamgirl autobiography chronicled the story of the 1970s Supremes. The book, Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together, went out-of-print for a while, but will be republished in an updated edition, combining it with Dreamgirl (about the 60s Supremes), in January 2000. Both books are great, with lots of juicy stories! Reserve a copy by clicking here.

Unless otherwise noted, all written material copyright 1999, Melissa A. Weber.
No part of these pages may be reproduced on another site without my prior written consent.

l.to r.: Lynda, Mary, Jean Links: