Members
Originally: The Primettes
Florence Glenda Ballard Chapman (Member: 1959-1967) (Born June 30, 1943 in Detroit, MI – Died February 22, 1976 in Detroit, MI (coronary thrombosis))
Diana Ross (Member: 1959–1970) (Born Diana Ernestine Earle Ross, March 26, 1944 in Detroit, MI)
Mary Wilson (Member: 1959–1977) (Born March 6, 1944 in Detroit, MI)
Betty McGlown (Member: 1959–1960) (Born 1943 in Detroit, MI)
Barbara Martin (Member: 1960-1962) (Born 1944 in Detroit, MI)
Cindy Birdsong (Member: 1967-1972 & 1973-1976) (Born Cynthia Ann Birdsong (later Birdsong-Hewlett), December 13, 1942 in Mount Holly Township, NJ)
Jean Terrell (Member: 1970-1973) (Born Velma Jean Terrell, November 26, 1944, Belzoni, MS)
Lynda Laurence (Member: 1972-1973) (A.K.A. Lynda Lawrence) (Born Lynda Tucker, February 20, 1949 in Philadelphia, PA)
Scherrie Payne (Member: 1973-1977) (Born November 4, 1944 in Detroit, MI)
Susaye Greene (Member: 1976-1977) (Born September 13, 1949 in Houston, TX)

See Also: The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder & Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Albums
Diana Ross - Stolen Moments: The Lady Sings...Jazz And Blues (Live)

Also Featured On...
Beg, Scream & Shout: The Big Ol' Box Of '60s Soul
Body + Soul Christmas
Christmas In The City
Forrest Gump
Marvin Gaye - Compact Command Performances (Diana Ross)
Marvin Gaye - The Marvin Gaye Collection (Diana Ross)
Marvin Gaye - The Master (Diana Ross)
Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Diana Ross)
Merry Christmas From Motown
Motown's Biggest Pop Hits
Motown's 40 Forever
Motown Meets The Beatles
Now And Then
Our Friend, Martin (Diana Ross)
Lionel Richie - Truly: The Love Songs (Diana Ross)
A Soulful Christmas (1994)
Al B. Sure! - The Very Best Of Al B. Sure! (Diana Ross)
The Temptations - Emperors Of Soul
Thank God It's Friday (Diana Ross)

Bio From AllMusic.Com
The most successful black performers of the 1960s, the Supremes for a time rivaled even the Beatles in terms of red-hot commercial appeal, reeling off five number-one singles in a row at one point. Critical revisionism has tended to undervalue the Supremes' accomplishments, categorizing their work as more lightweight than the best soul stars' (or even the best Motown stars'), and viewing them as a tool for Berry Gordy's crossover aspirations. There's no question that there was about as much pop as soul in the Supremes' hits, that even some of their biggest hits could sound formulaic, and that they were probably the black performers who were most successful at infiltrating the tastes and televisions of middle America. This shouldn't diminish either their extraordinary achievements or their fine music, the best of which renders the pop vs. soul question moot with its excellence.

The Supremes were not an overnight success story, although it might have seemed that way when they began topping the charts with sure-fire regularity. The trio that would become famous as the Supremes — Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard — met in the late '50s in Detroit's Brewster housing project. Originally known as the Primettes, they were a quartet (Barbara Martin was the fourth member) when they made their first single for the Lupine label in 1960. By the time they debuted for Motown in 1961, they had been renamed the Supremes; Barbara Martin reduced them to a trio when she left after their first single.

The Supremes' first Motown recordings were much more girl group-oriented than their later hits. Additionally, not all of them featured Diana Ross on lead vocals; Flo Ballard, considered to have as good or better a voice, also sang lead. Through a lengthy series of flops, Berry Gordy remained confident that the group would eventually prove to be one of Motown's biggest. By the time they finally did get their first Top 40 hit, "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes," in late 1963, Ross had taken over the lead singing for good.

Ross was not the most talented female singer at Motown; Martha Reeves and Gladys Knight in particular had superior talents. What she did have, however, was the most purely pop appeal. Gordy's patience and attention paid off in mid-1964, when "Where Did Our Love Go" went to number one. Written by Holland-Dozier-Holland, it established the prototype for their run of five consecutive number-one hits in 1964-1965 (also including "Baby Love," "Stop! In the Name of Love," "Come See About Me," and "Back in My Arms Again"). Ross' cooing vocals would front the Supremes' decorative backup vocals, put over on television and live performance with highly stylized choreography and visual style. Holland-Dozier-Holland would write and produce all of the Supremes' hits through the end of 1967.

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 (and uncharacteristically tough) "You Keep Me Hangin' On" was the best of their mid-period hits. Behind the scenes, there were some problems brewing, although these only came to light long after the event. Other Motown stars (most notably Martha Reeves) resented what they perceived as the inordinate attention lavished upon Ross by Gordy, at the expense of other artists on the label. The other Supremes themselves felt increasingly pushed to the background. In mid-1967, as a result of what was deemed increasingly unprofessional behavior, Ballard was replaced by Cindy Birdsong (from Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles). Ballard become one of rock's greatest tragedies, eventually ending up on welfare, and dying in 1976.

After Ballard's exit, the group would be billed as Diana Ross & the Supremes, fueling speculation that Ross was being groomed for a solo career. The Supremes had a big year in 1967, even incorporating some mild psychedelic influences into "Reflections." Holland-Dozier-Holland, however, left Motown around this time, and the quality of the Supremes' records suffered accordingly (as did the Motown organization as a whole). The Supremes were still superstars, but as a unit, they were disintegrating; it's been reported that Wilson and Birdsong didn't even sing on their final hits, a couple of which ("Love Child" and "Someday We'll Be Together") were among their best.

In November 1969, Ross' imminent departure for a solo career was announced, although she played a few more dates with them, the last in Las Vegas in January 1970. Jean Terrell replaced Ross, and the group continued through 1977, with some more personnel changes (although Mary Wilson was always involved). Some of the early Ross-less singles were fine records, particularly "Stoned Love," "Nathan Jones," and the Supremes-Four Tops duet "River Deep — Mountain High." Few groups have been able to rise to the occasion after the loss of their figurehead, though, and the Supremes proved no exception, rarely making the charts after 1972. It is the Diana Ross-led era of the 1960s for which they'll be remembered. — Richie Unterberger

Diana Ross' Bio From AllMusic.Com
As a solo artist, Diana Ross is one of the most successful female singers of the rock era. If you factor in her work as the lead singer of the Supremes in the 1960s, she may be the most successful. With her friends Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard, and Barbara Martin, Ross formed the Primettes vocal quartet in 1959. In 1960, they were signed to local Motown Records, changing their name to the Supremes in 1961. Martin then left, and the group continued as a trio. Over the next eight years, the Supremes (renamed "Diana Ross and the Supremes" in 1967, when Cindy Birdsong replaced Ballard) scored 12 number one pop hits. After the last one, "Someday We'll Be Together" (October 1969), Ross launched a solo career.

Motown initially paired her with writer/producers Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, who gave her four Top 40 pop hits, including the number one "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (July 1970). Ross branched out into acting, starring in a film biography of Billie Holiday, Lady Sings the Blues (November 1972). The soundtrack went to number one, and Ross was nominated for an Academy Award.

She returned to record-making with the Top Ten album Touch Me in the Morning (June 1973) and its chart-topping title song. This was followed by a duet album with Marvin Gaye, Diana & Marvin (October 1973), that produced three chart hits. Ross acted in her second movie, Mahogany (October 1975), and it brought her another chart-topping single in the theme song, "Do You Know Where You're Going To." That and her next number one, the disco-oriented "Love Hangover" (March 1976), were featured on her second album to be titled simply Diana Ross (February 1976), which rose into the Top Ten.

Ross' third film role came in The Wiz (October 1978). The Boss (May 1979) was a gold-selling album, followed by the platinum-selling Diana (May 1980) (the second of her solo albums with that name, though the other, a 1971 TV soundtrack, had an exclamation mark). It featured the number one single "Upside Down" and the Top Ten hit "I'm Coming Out."

Ross scored a third Top Ten hit in 1980 singing the title theme from the movie It's My Turn. She then scored the biggest hit of her career with another movie theme, duetting with Lionel Richie on "Endless Love" (June 1981). It was her last big hit on Motown; after more than 20 years, she decamped for RCA. She was rewarded immediately with a million-selling album, titled after her remake of the old Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers hit, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," which became her next Top Ten hit. The album also included the Top Ten hit "Mirror, Mirror."

Silk Electric (October 1982) was a gold-seller, featuring the Top Ten hit "Muscles," written and produced by Michael Jackson, and Swept Away (September 1984) was another successful album, containing the hit "Missing You," but Ross had trouble selling records in the second half of the 1980s. By 1989, she had returned to Motown, and by 1993 was turning more to pop standards, notably on the concert album Diana Ross Live: The Lady Sings...Jazz & Blues, Stolen Moments (April 1993).

Motown released a four-CD/cassette box set retrospective, Forever Diana, in October 1993, and the singer published her autobiography in 1994. Take Me Higher followed a year later, and in 1999 she returned with Every Day Is a New Day. 2000's Gift of Love was promoted by a concert tour featuring the Supremes, although neither Mary Wilson nor Cindy Byrdsong appeared — their roles were instead assumed by singers Lynda Laurence and Scherrie Payne, neither of whom ever performed with Ross during the group's glory days. - William Ruhlmann

Mary Wilson's Bio From AllMusic.Com
A charter member of the Supremes, Mary Wilson has long contended that she could have been as popular a singer as Diana Ross, had Motown's Berry Gordy not determined for extra-musical reasons that only Ross was to get star treatment. Ross, Wilson, and Florence Ballard were the original Supremes. They began working together as teens in the Primes and Primettes. Wilson remained a Supreme from 1960 until 1976. She has had an erratic solo career, cutting one LP, Red Hot, for Motown in 1979 before departing permanently. She co-wrote Dreamgirl, My Life as a Supreme to document what she felt were the widespread abuses artists suffered during Motown's heyday. Wilson was featured on numerous talk shows and programs during 1987. She also recorded a single for Britain's Motorcity label that year, "Don't Get Mad, Get Even." She followed it with a cover of the Five Stairsteps' "Oooh Child" in 1989. - Ron Wynn

Florence Ballard's Bio From AllMusic.Com
Florence Glenda Ballard was born June 30, 1943, in Rosetta, MS, but before the age of ten, her family moved to Detroit to take advantage of Detroit's booming job market. Florence built a reputation as a singer by taking music classes and singing in her school choir. By 14, she befriended the group the Primes (later to become The Temptations) and performed gigs with the trio at various Detroit venues. The Primes' manager, Milton Jenkins, encouraged Ballard to form a sister group to the Primes, so she recruited Mary Wilson, Betty McGlown (soon to be replaced with Barbara Martin), and Diane Earle (better known as Diana Ross).

After a one-off record for Lupine Records as well as occasional backing sessions for Motown, the Primettes signed to Motown, changed their name to the Supremes, and Martin left, transforming the group into a trio. After a series of flops, number one smashes became automatic, the pace became frantic, and Motown muddied the water by pushing Wilson and Ballard out of the limelight to spotlight on Ross. Ballard didn't take the snub well, but the breaker came when she tired of the relentless pace. She couldn't keep up, started drinking, and subsequently missed gigs, causing her ejection from the group in 1967. After filing a lawsuit over royalties, she married former Motown chauffeur Thomas Chapman and through various connections inked appeared to be a promising deal with ABC.

George Kerr produced her first single, "It Doesn't Matter How I Say It," but radio play was almost nonexistent. She completed an album, ...You Don't Have To, which ABC left for dead and instead opted to release the more commercial "Love Ain't Love," but let it languish. Soon thereafter ABC soured on Ballard and didn't extend her contract. The penthouse in Manhattan Ballard had purchased with her album advance was let go and the birth of twins — Michelle and Nicole — added to financial problems. Ballard's lawsuit finally settled; however, the lawyer took the moneys, forcing her to file a suit against him. Conditions went from bad to abject; she lost her home and suffered the humiliation of welfare and public housing. The couple had another daughter in 1972, but the marriage was shaky with Ballard's finances depleted. Chapman fooled around, became abusive, and eventually left the family, which sent Ballard into a deep depression that only alcohol and pills solaced. Finally, the second lawsuit settled and she received a large settlement in 1975. Ballard cleaned up and made another go at recapturing the stardom she once took for granted. An appearance at Detroit's Ford Auditorium gave her a needed boost; she reconciled with Chapman, purchased a new house, and performed on television. But the melancholy years, fueled by chemicals and alcohol, had weakened her system, causing a fatal cardiac arrest on February 22, 1976. She was 32 years old. - Andrew Hamilton

Jean Terrell's Bio From AllMusic.Com
Los Angeles-based singer Jean Terrell sang with her brother Ernie (who later became a championship boxer) in the group Ernie Terrell & the Knockouts in the '60s. This hardly prepared her for a historic role as the Supremes' new vocalist in 1969 when she replaced Diana Ross. Of course, she didn't equal Ross' exploits, but the group scored three huge hits in the early '70s with "Up the Ladder to the Roof," "Stoned Love," and "Nathan Jones." "Stoned Love" was the final number one R&B and pop hit for the Supremes in 1970, while both "Nathan Jones" and "Up the Ladder to the Roof" were Top Ten pop and R&B hits in 1971 and 1970, respectively. The Supremes continued recording and performing until 1976, after which Terrell went solo. She recorded briefly for A&M, but didn't make much impact. During the '90s, Terrell revisited her Supremes heritage by recording for England's Motorcity label as lead singer of Jean, Scherrie & Lynda of the Supremes. - Ron Wynn

Susaye Greene's Bio From AllMusic.Com
Susaye Greene has stockpiled a lot of credits to her résumé without becoming a very recognizable name to the public, in part because it wasn't until 2002 that her first solo album appeared. Prior to that, she was perhaps best known for being in the Supremes for a couple of years, longafter their hitmaking heyday, forming part of the lineup with original Supreme Mary Wilson and Scherrie Payne. She appeared on their last two albums and also recorded, wrote, arranged, and produced the Partners album with Payne. She also wrote Deniece Williams' hit "Free"; was in Stevie Wonder's Wonderlove; co-wrote, with Wonder, Michael Jackson's "I Can't Help It," from Jackson's smash Off the Wall album; sang with Ray Charles and Harry Belafonte; sang on jazzman Courtney Pine's "Children of the Ghetto"; managed singers, writers, producers, and actors; and worked as a book illustrator. She also managed to produce and write or co-write all but one of the songs on her debut solo work, No Fear Here. The record is a versatile but bland assemblage of contemporary R&B styles, with some adult contemporary, dance, and show music influences. - Richie Unterberger

Official Sites: The Supremes, Mary Wilson, Mary Wilson's Fuckin' Twitter & Diana Ross