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A Brief History of The Supremes

According to Early Easlea in The Story of the Supremes, over the course of their music career with Motown, Diana Ross and The Supremes produced 12 U.S. Number One Hits, various Top 40 hits, and accumulated over $20 million in record sales (6). In Detroit 1959, Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, and Mary Wilson auditioned for Berry Gordy, the head of the Motown Record Company (7). During this time the group was called the Primettes (7). It was not until 1960 when Motown accepted the girl group and changed their name to The Supremes (7). The Supremes began their transformation into one of the greatest African-American, female artist groups that delivered the sound of Motown (7).

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David Szatmary, the author of Rockin' in Time: A Social History of Rock-and-Roll, states that The Supremes went through Gordy's "Assembly Line" of Motown (141). These young women learned the importance of stage presence, dancing, and how to sing gracefully and with elegance (141). The Supremes brought Gordy's vision for African American groups and music into a reality (141). The Supremes became a polished, well-rounded group who sang "gospel-based pop" to an interracial audience (141). In 1964, The Supremes made the top charts with their song "Where Did Our Love Go" and performed for the first time on the Ed Sullivan Show which boosted their popularity among both African American and white audiences (142). 

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The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1Ta5TlCBR8&feature=emb_title

Classic Hits Stereo

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Diana Ross and The Supremes 

According to Japp Koojiman in "From Elegance to Extravaganza: The Supremes on The Ed Sullivan Show as a Presentation of Beauty." during the late-1960s, The Supremes encountered a multitude of changes. During this time, Florence Ballard was replaced by Cindy Birdsong, the name of the group changed to "Diana Ross and The Supremes," and the group's song writers Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown (9). 

 

Diana Ross and The Supremes went from an image of elegance to a persona of extravagance. The group changed their appearance to parallel the Black is Beautiful Movement that symbolized the beauty of African American culture (11). Despite their change in image, the group faced criticism for "not being black enough" and were criticized for their popularity among both African American and white audiences (13). Overall, Diana Ross and The Supremes remained popular, but more changes would come to the group by the 1970s. 

 

According to Easlea, Diana Ross began to move away from the group and developed her skills of singing and acting to pursue an individual career (18). In 1970, Diana Ross left the group and was replaced by Jean Terrell (18). By the early 1970s, Mary Wilson became the only original member of The Supremes after Ross' departure from the group. 

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Many audiences and critics believed Diana Ross' break from the group and her intention to pursue an individual career developed from her popularity the group's lead vocalist (Easlea, 23). Although Diana Ross left the group to prusue a career in singing and acting, The Supremes remained part of the Motown sound. Overall, Diana Ross and the Supremes helped boost Motown as one of the most prominent African American studios in the country.  

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