Former Ladies of the Supremes reunite in Los Angeles
Published 08/10/2006
The much-anticipated 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Former Ladies of the Supremes took place at the Music Box at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Hollywood on the evening of Saturday, July 29.
Scherrie Payne's powerful lead on the 1970 proto-disco mega-hit "Stoned Love" surpassed even Jean Terrell's original lead vocal. Lynda Lawrence pulled the enthusiastic, mostly middle-aged audience in, leading them sing-along-style on the infectious chorus.
The Ladies veered off-course on at least one occasion. Scherrie and Lynda left Freddie Poole onstage for a raucous solo on Aretha Franklin's signature song, "Respect." Freddie got the crowd worked up and dancing in the aisles. But I think a more fitting song considering the event would have been the 1971 Jean Terrell-led Supremes gold record "Nathan Jones."
The format, equal time for each lady, worked against the overall cohesion of the group. Scherrie Payne, known as "the little lady with the big voice," is the major talent in the current line-up, and should handle at least 50% of the leads. Her incredible solo on a little-known song she wrote, "Another Lifetime from Now," electrified the house.
The image of a selfish diva way out in front, hogging the spotlight, attention and bucks, may have taken a licking in the past few years, but it still works for me. If a woman has the talent to pull it off, I say go for it!
Freddie Poole took the lead on "You Can't Hurry Love," and she did an admirable job, but no blue ribbon. Her delivery was nowhere near as smooth as Diana's silky lead, and her phrasing was choppy at best.
Al three ladies shared the lead on their bouncy new single "Sisters United," which they debuted. The emotional highlight of the night was when the trio honored the Supremes who came before them. Diana Ross could not attend due to a scheduling conflict, and Jean Terrell was also a no-show. Florence Ballard died tragically in the mid-70s.
Tribute offer Lynda offered a beautiful tribute to the Supreme she replaced in late 1971, Cindy Birdsong, who Lynda said taught her everything she knows. With that warm introduction, a now very slim Birdsong, who replaced founding member Florence Ballard in 1967 when the group was renamed Diana Ross and the Supremes, took the stage to sing a song she penned for the evening, in tribute to all eight ladies of the Supremes.
Payne, who replaced Jean Terrell as lead singer in 1973, went on to honor the recently ailing Mary Wilson. She said the original Supreme was invited, but her lawyer declined on her behalf, which brought a tremendous roar from the heavily gay audience.
Wilson sued the Former Ladies of the Supremes for trademark infringement. Wilson claimed they had no right to use the name Supremes in any form. Ironically, the court ruled against her, stating, in essence, that the Supremes are whoever Motown says they are.
These animosities and deep personal wounds were always just under the glamorous, sequined surface of the concert. But Birdsong put it best when she said they were all sisters. All the ladies who were at one time members of the group share in the legacy, memories and glory of being a Supreme.
"It was the best, the very best part of my life, being in the Supremes. I thank Mary Wilson, Diana Ross, and Berry Gordy for that opportunity, I thank all the ladies who shared that experience with me, including my predecessor Florence Ballard, and all the fans that have sustained us over the many years," a teary-eyed Birdsong said as the three-hour program concluded.
Some of the original studio recordings by the Former Ladies of the Supremes hold their own against any era of the Supremes. My favorites include the very 60s-ish "Too Many Memories" and "Crazy Bout the Guy," and the three-lead-vocal remake of "Stoned Love" featuring Scherrie Payne, Lynda Lawrence and Jean Terrell.
I should be ashamed to admit that I didn't even know who Gloria Loring, the opening act, was. I was fully prepared to hate her. To my surprise, she delivered a powerful half-hour warm-up that was thoroughly enjoyable. I soon learned that she was on Days of Our Lives for six and a half years, but is perhaps better known today as a singer/songwriter. She went on to tell us she wrote the theme song for the long-running Diff'rent Strokes TV sitcom.
Loring also sang her original theme song from The Facts of Life. "Yep, that's my voice you've been listening to all these years," she said as she launched into the catchy tune. She struggled to force a comparison between herself and the headliners that evening, but she really had no more connection to the Supremes than anyone else who grew up in the 1960s and 70s. She loved the Motown sound, of which the Supremes were the most successful proponents.
