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The Supremes, Band / Songwriter

CATEGORY: MUSIC TAG: OLDIES

The Supremes started out as a quartet known as the Primettes. In 1959 two fifteen year olds, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson, met at a talent show. Milton Jenkins, who managed a local doo wop group the Primes, wanted a sister group to accompany the Primes for stage performances. Jenkins asked Ballard to put together such an act. Ballard remembered Wilson and the two of them brought in sixteen year old Betty Travis. Prime's member Paul Williams, recommended a fifteen year old from Detroit's Brewster Housing project Diane Ross. Jenkins named the group the Primettes after Diane's parents gave their permission to join. The Primettes then started doing club dates.

Travis was forced to quit the Primettes because her parents wanted her to pay more attention to her studies. Barbara Martin took her place, but had to leave shortly, as did Ballard, under the same parental conditions. Wilson and Ross continued to work as duo until the two improved their grades and were allowed to rejoin.

The groups influences ranged from the McGuire Sisters to Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, and unlike most black groups of the time were not largely influenced by gospel music. Ballard, Wilson, and Ross could all sing lead, but Ballard's voice was considered the best and most powerful. "Florence had a very strong gospel voice, and she was the original lead singer. When the group came to Motown, it was Flo's group, she had formed it and named it.

In 1960, the they met Ross' neighbor William "Smokey" Robinson and auditioned for him in the basement of the home of his girlfriend Claudette Rogers in hopes of getting to Motown's Berry Gordy. Rogers would later become Robinson's wife and an original member of the Miracles. The audition turned into a dead end, but they did audition for Gordy later, singing the Drifters' "There Goes My Baby." Gordy told them to come back after they completed high school. Undaunted the girls began hanging out in Motown's office reception room. They continued doing local talent shows where they were spotted by Richard Morris, who brought them to Lupine Records owner/producer Bob West. They recorded two sides "Pretty Baby" with Wilson on lead and "Tears of Sorrow" with Ross on lead for West. Released in 1960, the record went nowhere and they were soon back hanging around Motown again, doing handclaps on Marvin Gaye's early records and singing some backups for blues artist Mabel John.

In January 1961 Gordy signed them, but required them to change their name. Ballard who had formed the group named them the Supremes. Wilson and Ross initially disliked the name, but Gordy approved.