Supremes, The,
American vocal group, 1962-77. The Supremes were formed in Detroit, Mi., and
were originally known as the Primettes—a female counterpart to the
male vocal group, the Primes. The original members Betty McGlown
(1941-2008), Florence Ballard (1943-76), and Mary Wilson (1944-2021) lived
in the same housing project, and were joined by their high-school classmate,
Diana Ross (1944- ), to form the group. McGlown
subsequently left the group, and the remaining trio was signed to Motown
Records in 1962 and renamed the Supremes. Although their first few singles
were not successful, their luck changed with five consecutive #1 pop/R&B
songs, beginning with “Where Did Our Love Go!” (1964), and
including “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965); many of their
biggest hits were written by the songwriting trio of Holland-Dozier-Holland,
who were house composers for Motown. The label’s owner Berry
Gordy oversaw the
group’s training in deportment and etiquette, and dressed them in the
finest fashions. The Supremes crossed over racial boundaries and helped
spread the word of Black equality during the days of the push for civil
rights. They regularly appeared on prime time television, including
appearances on the popular Ed Sullivan Show, at a time when
black performers were still not frequently seen. Gordy also successfully
booked the group in Las Vegas and other large venues where Black acts rarely
appeared at the time. As the group's success increased, Gordy increasingly
groomed Ross—the most photogenic of the trio—to be the
group’s leader and spokesperson, and in 1967 Ballard was replaced by
Cindy Birdsong (1939- ) and renamed “Diana Ross and the
Supremes.” Ross remained with the group until 1970, when they had
their final hit, “Someday (We’ll Be Together),”
released in fall 1969. She was replaced by Jean Terrell (1944- ), and the
group scored a few more hits with various different personnel before
breaking up for good in the late ‘70s. The Supremes were hugely
influential on more than just popular music, and were the models for the
Broadway musical, Dreamgirls (1981), and the following film
(2006). The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
Ross's solo career began with her first #1 hit, a cover of "Ain't No
Mountain High Enough" (1970), and continued in the early '80s with the
disco-flavored "Upside Down" (1980). She also enjoyed a brief film career,
including starring roles in Lady Sings the Blues (1972),
Mahagony (1975), and The Wiz (1978).
She has been honored with several awards, including a Grammy Lifetime
Achievement Award (2012) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016).
See autobiographies by B. Gordy (1994), M. Wilson (1986); biography by J. Randi Taraborrelli (2014; Ross); study by M. Wilson, M. Bego (2019).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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