The Supremes | Artist

The Supremes were an American female vocal group formed 1961 in Detroit, Michigan, by Mary Wilson, Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Barbara Martin. The group was one of the premier acts of Motown Records during the 1960s. They started when Florence Ballard, a junior high school student living in the Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects, recruited her best friend Mary Wilson, who recruited classmate Diana Ross to form a group called The Primettes. They performed covers by artists such as Ray Charles and The Drifters at social clubs and talent shows around the Detroit area. In hopes of getting the group signed to the local upstart Motown label, in 1960 Ross asked an old neighbour, Smokey Robinson to help them get an audition with Motown executive Berry Gordy. Gordy felt the girls were too young and inexperienced and told them to come back when they had graduated from high school. In January 1961, Gordy finally relented and agreed to sign the girls to his label under the condition that they change their name, so they were renamed "The Supremes". Between 1961 and 1963, the Supremes released six singles, none of which made a dent on the charts, but their breakthrough came in 1964 when they recorded the single "Where Did Our Love Go" which reached number one on the US pop charts. The Supremes soon became "the pride of Detroit" and one of Motown's top selling artists, having countless hit records and being twice nominated for Grammy Awards. Diana Ross left the group in 1970 to pursue a solo career, and was replaced by Cindy Birdsong. From 1961 to 1977 when they disbanded, The Supremes released 29 studio albums and countless singles. Standout albums include Where Did Our Love Go, More Hits by the Supremes, The Supremes A' Go-Go and The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland.

Artist Website: wikipedia/The_Supremes

Featured Albums: The Supremes

Related Artists: Diana Ross