What is your Problem GGE47 (other than being a 64 year old Virgin)? Go bother someone else you Right Wing, Republican, Bible Thumping, Homophobic Old Troll
.she just needed some attention to her vocals like Diana got, like Beyonce got. There is no rarity here with these two. En Vogue, Temptations they hold the distinctiveness as having solo singers in their groups (except the bass and otis) who can sing out the box without all that TRAINING. So saying that Ross was groomed and given freedom over all the talented acts. She is very talented but nobody else was given a chance to shine, she had to be on point. It was all riding on her back after 1964.
This classic was an example of a lead singer out of control. Diana was even talking over the Host. When fans have the luxury of choosing like with the Supremes it's easy to pit one over the other. Florence never stood a chance as being a lead in the Supremes because Berry had that pop crossover goal since Mary Wells. It was being in the right place at the right time. I enjoy Diana's voice on all of their records and even some that were album cuts. But I wanted to hear Flo cause she can sing...
GGE47, Hush you Old Fool, What Lies?, Dumb Mary Screwed Jean, & Cindy out of a Million Dollars for 1 Months work & Disappointed Fans, all because 4 Million Dollars wasn't enough for her, She thinks she deserved Parity with Diana Ross, Not Likely!, No Lie 100% Fact, Do your homework before you Open Your Hole Again
@TheReturnOfBigBear That had more to do with being treated fairly and not as much as the money.She didn't want her and Cindy being pushed in the background and allowed to come forth and sing when the queen gave them permission.She was told to just show up.That meant do what you're told and not to have any input on how it should be arranged.That's what she did to Lynda and Susaye.I've seen the video of that.That was no Supremes reunion.Supremes fans stayed home and Diane went to drinking like Flo
@GGE47 Garbage you Old Fool, Miss Mary wanted (and thought she was entitled to) Parity with Diana Ross, (because thats the way it was in 1964), I wonder how often that Bitch thinks about that INSULTING 4 MILLION DOLLARS as she Opens For Slim Whitman on his Bolivian Tour, Her SLANDERING of Lynda & Scherrie's Participation was No More than a Face Saving Operation, Now go Give Yourself a High Colonic, You're Full of Shit
@GGE47 From a Red Neck Homophobe Virgin, I consider that a Compliment, Get yourself sone "Real Human Contact", Ask Miss Mary for a little Brown Sugar! (Loser)
@bigbear39ca Are you on this video spreading your lies,too?Mary was one of The Supremes.She contributed her part to the legend and nobody but a hatemonger can say different.I hope the Canadiens ship you back to Lybia and you better hope you don't wind up in the desert eating camel dung.
Florence never needed to wear a wig. She was ten times as sexy without one than she was with it. Her beauty is natural. I have seen pics of her without make-up as well, and she was still stunning. What a picture of radiance and beauty.
@moorlock2003 Also, notice that Berry Gordy was backstage making all of those decisions after he just had sex with Diane. The "What's My Line" producers and the public had nothing to do with Diane sitting down OR wearing a different dress. In fact, the public resented it! We, who were there, loved THE SUPREMES, all of them, not just DIANE!
@MrLasider If this is true,how come the Return to Love tour was a disaster?We Supremes fans stayed home.We wanted Mary and Cindy.We knew why Flo couldn't be there,but Cindy would have been alright.By your thinking,the Supremes reunion should have been a big hit,if it could have been anyone.For the first time Diana Ross was rejected by fans and didn't know how to deal with it.Some Ross fans bought tickets and from what I've seen it was exactly like Mary feared.They were in the background and
@GGE47 only came up front was when the queen gave them permission.Mary did not want to go through that again and wanted some input on how it was to be arranged.Diane did not want that and it wasn't just about the money.When Mary refused so did Cindy.They were going to let Diane have more money if it was within reason.The Supremes were a lot more than Diana Ross.How many times do I have to say this?
@BlogShag lol. why is diana so ugly? why can't she sing? even after all these years of practice, i mean she has the money for vocal training so wtf? it's ridiculous!
@BlogShag lol, retard. that was a good one. no she's never been able to sing. chaka khan can still sing, so can patti labelle and she's older than diana. being old is not an excuse you IGNORANT BASTARD!
@kickinqitoldschool How sad that you are so toxic. Something horrible must have happened in your life for you to be so mean...and wrong. I feel bad for you. Oh, and did you get a chance to see Miss Ross accept the Kennedy Center honor?
@hallauthor im sorry. i really am. but people are always saying rude things about flo. i mean if you like diana, cool. but florence is dead and cannot defend herself or any of the things she did or said back in the day as diana can. people have no respect whatsoever on here. i was just responding to blogshag asking "why is flo so fat? jeeeez". that was really rude. and i dont think she was fat. diana can't sing to me. never could. she sounded decent on certain songs, but she's not a singer.
@kickinqitoldschool I understand you being defensive of Flo, but attacking Diana doesn't defend Flo. You're right about that "fat" comment being rude, it was. But Diana didn't make that comment, and you attacked her. Diana is a terrific singer, history has proven that. She's not a belter like Patti, but that doesn't make her less of a singer, and many would argue that makes her more of a singer. But this is entertainment. People have different tastes and preferences, and there's room for ALL.
@hallauthor I understand exactly what you mean. It's just that people who attack Florence, are usually Diana fans, so the natural thing for me to do was to attack Diana herself even though it may not have defended Florence.
@hallauthor You're right, people have different tastes and preferences, and there is room for all. I guess you prefer Diana to Flo as well as I prefer Flo to Diana, but I think Diana is just an entertainer. Not at all a singer, though. I will admit as I did before, she sounds decent on certain songs. But I think almost anyone can sound decent on certain songs. That's just my opinion, though. She's just not what I look for personally in a singer.
@kickinqitoldschool Uh huh. Well, everyone's entitled to an opinion. But I would wonder what your opinion would be if Mary or Flo sang lead on, say, "Baby Love" or "You Can't Hurry Love" or "Love Child."
@kickinqitoldschool "diana can't sing to me. never could." So, I suppose, as a Flo fan (and trust me, I love ALL the girls) you listen to all of those Supremes songs with your speaker balance turned all the way so you don't hear the lead vocal? Just the "baby, baby's"? You don't have to be a Diana fanatic to enjoy the Supremes; but you can't be a Diana hater, either. Like it or not, Diana was the predominant sound on those hits.
And to think that this was one of Flo's last TV appearances. Little did I know I'd never see her on television again. Mary and Flo look stunning and they sure put on a good front with all the turmoil that was going on in the group.
Honestly, I don't think it was Diana's voice at all that made the hits. It was the group's charm, and the songs. And when I say the songs, I mean the lyrics.
Remember, Diana, also sang lead on a lot of the Supremes' flops.
If that's the case then the public should relegate just about every successful Motown group's lead vocalist and stand by Holland-Dozier-Holland as the sole reason for hit records. But the public would never do that b/c they're not foolish...
If u listen to what Diana says is their working with copa then coconut grove then to california to the Flamingo Hotel which is where Florence got fired on July 1, 1967.
this was also right around the time when rumors that Diane was leaving the group soon for a solo career began to circulate - and these rumors even upset both Diane and Berry back then!
When Florence was booted out Supremes fans missed her personality and charm.Cindy was good and I did grow fond of her,but missing Flo was a gap that nobody could fill.
It was annoying how the host kept talking while Diana was trying to speak. Diana has always been good at proceeding with wat she has to say while someone tries to interupt her. she likes to finish wat she has to say a lot.
Back then, they probably were not even allowed to walk in the front door like all the other celebrities. They probably could not eat in the same restaurants or use the same ladies rest room, etc. Everyone is clapping so loudly. So phony!! I'm sure they would have all dropped dead at the thought of a black man as President of the U.S. I am so glad I wasn't alive back then.
It wasn't phony, you've it the complete wrong way round. People always went crazy for celebreties whether they were blacks or Jews or whatever. It was the simple folk that bore the brunt of persecution and discrimination.
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the group was about diana from the onset and this display just greatly emphasizes how powerful and what am important figure diana was not only to the group but in general.
Yeah....it's so obvious to me (even without the Motown push)! I DO love all three though! Outside of the 20 or so people that comment on here, MOST people just enjoy the music and could care less about the personal BS!
Flo was a gift of laughter to the trio.She always generated humor and the audience ate it up.I wish she was still around!She seemed like she had a wonderful spirt(i have heard too).
In her 1986 book Dreamgirl: My Life as A Supreme, Mary Wilson had said that Florence Ballard had such a great presence on the stage, and at one time there was even an interest from a producer to cast her in a film -
I wish this clip was clearer and in color (still loved it!)Diana was really feeling her stardom (she just saunter's across the set displaying her v shaped formal mini)I also loved Mary and Florence's look too.I especally liked Florence's "rebellious anti wig short hair crop".Flo and Mary's hair was very modern in this clip,you see Mary J Blidge,Keisha Cole and Missy Eliott sporting doo's like those to this day.Diana got on one of her "specials" very classic though.Loved It!!!!
First of all, some of you need to use a spell checker, or learn how to spell!!!! I know a few people who knew Eddie Kendrick and yes he had his share of problems and was not an angel, but they say he was always a gentleman.
Ross fans who were too young to remember The Supremes and those who remember them from the beginning.Supremes fans know the differance.That's why we withheld our funds on the "reunion".I never believed that Flo's "leaving" and the name change to DR&The Supremes was a coincidence but I couldn't figure it out.I saw them earlier in the year and they looked and sounded great.I was shocked by Flo's"leaving".She didn't leave,she was fired.
On the night of Aug.30,1968 they had two shows that night.I didn't buy tickets because of a personal commitment.I was able to get out there between shows and had no idea they were in a room at the top of a ramp I was.Three teens came up the ramp right behind me.One of them shouted"hey,there's Diana Ross"I looked and sure enough there was her silhouette.She screamed at the top of her lungs"Go away!!!,Go away!!!." They let her have it right back.I was afraid of her screaming at me,so I kept quiet.
Mary and Cindy didn't say anything either.This went back and forth for some time.They were unmercifull in their attacks.They knew things I didn't know about until later.I started feeling for her even though I was shocked by her screams.She did calm down and didn't use cuss words when they did.When it was time for them to go back on some policemen came and made us get down.I just had to say something and said"don't worry about them Diana,I still love you".
She laughed and said"there's always someone in every crowd who still loves us".I could hear Mary giggle.If she hadn't screamed,the whole thing wouldn't have happened.I know now I caught her on one of her better nights.When 2 of the 3 policemen went somewhere else the one staying asked me what were we doing up there.I said we were just talking to The Supremes.You should have seen the expression on his face.He said"Yeah,did The Supremes talk back to you?"I said yeah.
This is increadiable news please tell more.What were the audiences like at a typical Supremes show? I know they usually had a high priced supper club appearance where ever they appeared in a city as well as a general rock and roll type of event. No offense but what exaclty was the level of background of the guys who were attacking them or was it just diana in other words what kind of class did they have ?
Hi,etrax2000.The Supremes appeared in concert in Richmond,Va.The next night they went to Virginia Beach.We didn't have any hightclubs in Virginia back then.The audience was mostly youger(now getting older)and half black and half white.The teens were just regular kids in their mid teens.I think they lived nearby.Diane started it with her usual irritable self,but this was new to me.They immediately struck back but just wouldn't quit.I didn't know she was Berry Gordy's mistress but they did.
They also knew she was fooling around with somebody else,and Berry wasn't supposed to know about it.When they mentioned it,I thought she was going to laugh at them,but she didn't say a word.This puzzled me.He was fooling around behind her too.
I did see The Supremes on Feb.4,1967.They were incredibly fantastic.I had seen them the previous weekend on Andy Williams where they sang their new release Love is Here and Now You're Gone.They sag it here,too.With their orchestra it sounded just like on the radio.So did all of their songs.This is a moment I will always cherish and remember.
How could I not mention Florence Ballard and how beautiful she looked even though she had a noticeable gain in weight?When they sang Back in My Arms Again and got to the part where Diane sings"how can Mary tell me what to do when she's lost her love so true,and Flo she don't know",Flo with her hands on her hips gives Diane her hip and butt and a sneer.I don't want to make too much of this because it could have been part of the act,but looking back after 41 years?
False. The little hip thing Flo does is in the spirit of being charming and playful. Mr. Ferrer had just asked if she was Twiggy and of course everyone could see she was curvy and quite well-built. (And please, she doesn't even come close to "sneering.")
Anyway, if you think her sass is the only reason Flo was booted, you need to do some research. Diana and Berry plotted her ouster for a variety of reasons, among them her unwillingness to kowtow to Diana and ability to outsing her.
In every technical sense, Florence Ballard had a better voice than Diana Ross. The only thing that made Diana Ross's voice "unique," since that's the word her fans love to throw around, is the fact that her breathing technique was terrible. That's why on "You Keep Me Hangin' On," the one Supremes #1 that required belting, Flo and Diana are virtually doing a duet.
I love "You Keep Me Hangin' On", but should I not take into account the other 17 #1's Ross has? I love Florence but you can find her voice in ANY black church. The Supremes were never a gospel group! People's use of "had a better voice" is subjective...better FOR WHAT?
The "better"ness of Flo's voice is not "subjective." It's factual. No one debates Flo's technical superiority. Diana's terrible technique is what gave her voice a "unique" sound. Also, many people have said that with the proper training, Flo could have sung opera. As much as you Diana fans like to pull the "Flo sounds like any black lady" bit, not any ol' black lady, with or without training, is vocally capable of opera.
Did any opera trained vocal coaches or formal coaches say that? It was a few people's opinions. Singing opera and excelling at it are 2 diff things. I hear nothing approaching opera quality on Flo's solo recordings. People's preferences are indeed subjective. What are you talking about?
"A few people's opinions"? Just about every Motowner says Flo had the capacity to sing opera! And when people say "sing opera," they generally mean "sing opera well." If they didn't, I could say I "sing opera." So puh-lease!! Even Diana admits Flo had the pipes for opera in "Secrets of a Sparrow."
Also, by Flo's own admission she had dropped from soprano to contralto by the time she recorded solo. So those are not the works to be judging. Just accept she was an excellent singer and move on :-)
Sure thing, SinclairisCool. I believe Flo is quoted as saying she dropped from soprano to contralto in Peter Benjaminson's book "The Lost Supreme," which means she told him that in her late '70s interviews together. She mentions being reluctant or even a little scared to do solo work because she knew how much her voice had dropped.
(P.S., if it ain't there, it's in one of the '70s Jet magazines I read.)
Florence Ballard absolutely had the voice of an opera singer..excuse me, star! Has anyone listened to her on "Makes no difference now"? In the background Florence was killing it! She sang so high on one part, she sounded just like an instrument..!
@bcoombs1988 With all due respect to Flo, the assertation that she could sing opera is patently ridiculous, and insulting to any and every trained opera singer who has studied, HARD, to master that particular, and demanding, art. Florence Ballard couldn't sing opera any more than Diana Ross could; even the virtuoso Sarah Vaughan, whom many naively thought had an "operatic" range, would never have cut the mustard at the Met or La Scala. Ditto Aretha Franklin and her overrated "Nessun Dorma."
And to be honest with you, even if Diana Ross had the best voice in the world and had 34 #1s, I still wouldn't like her. She's a selfish egomaniacal bitch who ruined music's greatest female group and is still too ashamed and proud to 'fess up. Anyone who acts like is no one to be admired.
bcoombs1988, how did Diana Ross ruin the Supremes? Even after Flo left and session singers filled in for Flo and Mary - Ross gave them more #1's!! FLO LEFT FIRST....DUH!! Whatever the case...most people like artists becuz of their SONGS! As lead singers go...Diane set a standard that few have matched! If I can admit that she was a bitch, then why can't you admit that Flo made some bad choices? The music industry is a business and Flo let personal shit dictate her outcome!
Flo did make some bad choices, I don't deny this. Flo was also, however, horribly backstabbed by people who claimed to be her friends. Diana's selfishness and ambition ruined the group from the inside out, which both Mary and Flo saw as it was happening (as did other Motown groups).
And correct me if I'm wrong, but the Supremes had 12 #1s, 10 while Flo was in the group. A whopping two hits sans Flo isn't at all impressive.
Not impressive? Tell that to EnVogue, Labelle, The Emotions, Love Unlimited, The Pointer Sisters, Martha & the Vandellas, the Marvellettes...ect.! Mary has said herself that "one thing about Diane that hasn't changed is that she's selfish and wants everything for herself"! How can you fault someone for being themselves? Even in sleeping with Berry, she helped make them stars! Why hate on it? Before I knew any of the background drama, I loved that music! And now knowing it....I STILL love it!
1) I love the Supremes music as well! I'm a big fan of all Motown music, actually. Knowing about the shit that went on doesn't detract from my appreciation of the music; it just adds a really intriguing (and at times heartbreaking) element to the story. 2) Your logic's very bad here. "Why fault someone for being themselves?" Uh, we are SUPPOSED to fault people when they as "themselves" are bad people! Duh!
Well then what's your point? All 3 had there faults but together they made magic! I really do love Flo, Mary and Diane equally (STILL, they're my favorite group)...but I DON'T fault Diane for handling her business. I wouldn't go back to the projects either...and if my "friends" were opposing what was working, (for better or worse) i wouldn't think twice about moving on and growing! It's nothing personal...you need some money to pay your bills? I got you...but don't bench me. Diane was smart!
My point is that Diana wasn't just "handling her business" - she was cheapshotting people in the process. Her bills were paid and the projects were long gone, so don't pretend either was an imminent concern and is justification for her actions. If that's how people like you and Diana Ross treat friends, then you are slimy and untrustworthy, and you probably don't have many. It doesn't take any "smarts" to be a backstabber. Just takes insecurity and greed.
I was referring to FLO'S bills (it was Diane..not Mary, that tried to save Flo's house)! And again....if someone were my "friend" they wouldn't be tripping on what's making our group legendary! Whatever the case...the drama is BS to me! As it stands...they ALL give the group an unforgettable story. Bottom line, I love the records and Diane's voice was and IS the center piece - to my ears. I think we should agree to disagree on this matter. Have a nice day my fellow
Diana's voice works on their early material. Past "You Keep Me Hangin' On" I could really pass. And I guess so could the general public judging by her poorly received solo albums. We both agree Diana Ross was/is a bitch. You just seem to think that's OK since it made her rich and was her personality. Neither is an excuse.
I don't want you to twist my words....it's just that before the world knew Diane was a bitch - Flo and Mary did! But that didn't stop them from putting her in the group. With that said...it doesn't stop me from loving the group! She is who she is...but most importantly to me, she was a legendary front-woman who's energy is magnetic! And that stands whether you hate or praise her. Imagine how many records you'd throw away if you didn't personally like the singer. Diana Ross had it!!!
So basically what you're saying is that it's the "ooh baby baby's" that suck you into the Supremes' records? I do love their harmony on the early stuff...remember the first line of "I'm Giving You Your Freedom"? HOT!!!!
I love the Mary and Flo's background work on a lot of their songs more than I like Diana's front work, yup. You were having fun being sarcastic, but for me that's the way it is. When I play "Come See About Me" on my guitar, I always have someone else sing lead because I would rather take the soulful, gothic "Hey hey hey heyyy heyyy"s. "Stop! in the Name of Love" also has more impressive backing work than frontal work. ...Just more reasons why I will always like Flo (and Mary) more than Diana.
HUH??? I didn't even know we were debating. All I'm reading is how much you hate Diana Ross. All the while, adding to the view count of a video she's in. People make the world go 'round, so it's honestly no concern of mine how you feel or what you do on youtube. Still, it seems dumb to me why anyone would watch something or one they don't like. Is it like having the tv on a show you hate and not changing the channel? Hmmm, maybe it's not for me to understand! Yeah...YOU WON (whatever that is)!
I don't mind if I added 20 views to this video. I adore this cute little game show. And anyway, when I watch vids of Supreme performances, I watch for Flo, Mary, and the awesome song. Not for La Bitch. So I can make do.
Yes...2 months late (is that any sign of these comments relevance?) to respond! I'm on vacation, so please continue to entertain me. Picking up where I left off, we all have our favorite Supreme.....but no matter how you "spin" it, Diana's legacy is keeping them alive! You ingrates better reccognize. When it's over for HER, it's over for THEM!!!! The same bitch that she WAS, made it possible for THEM to be great! Love it or hate it folks!
3) I assume you named all those names (En Vogue, Marvelettes, etc.) to point out that those groups also had hits after an original singer left. For THOSE groups, such a feat is admirable, and I don't take anything away from them for it. For the SUPREMES, a group that dominated pop culture for half a decade and is the greatest female trio of all time, going from 10 #1s in 3 years to barely eking out 2 after one of the originals left is, I repeat, not impressive.
@bcoombs1988 I know this is an old post but you are SO right. Flo could have very easily upstaged Diana at ANY time. People say she is not as charming as Diana...very false. Flo was a little rough around the edges but her audience loved it, and the group needed her to stay grounded. My father (HUGE Diana fan) attended a Supremes concert in San Francisco in 1966 and said that "Flo was who we (the audience) were screaming and cheering for, not Diana." Flo was a threat and Gordy and Ross knew it.
There are no real secrets in show business> somebody always knows something(LOL) I just wish those somebodies would start to tell more (LMAO) I guess nothing shocks people these days but I stil want to know everything. Eddie Kendricks was not as innocent as his voice sounded and I heard someone was writtng a tell all book on the Temptations. The real story. No doubt it'll appear somewhere around MOTOWN 50.
That is a fantastic story. Too bad they didn't have cell vid phones back then. This is a dumb question. .Did you guys realize how big the Supremes were in the world or were they just another star sighting. My grandfather once met Edawtd G. Robnson (OK to GOOGLE) He said he was increadiably short and smelled funny. I know thats not nice and probably tottally irrelevant to this story but its great to at least meet super famous people at least once.
No doubt that Diana and all the supremes were under tremendous presure around this time as they must have just done the TCB special. Diana always gets bashed but she was under heavy burdens around this time. Add that to the fact that away from flattering lights and camera angles the famous Rossian glamour can be a bit disappointing to some of her fans. No doubt she wanted to protect that illusion which is why she didn't want you to get too close.
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OH and Ms. Know It All BCOOMBS Ms. Ross sang many of the final songs supposedly by the Supremes by herself with background singers... Someday We'll be Together and many others as well. Hence anyone could have filled the background, there was no disctint sound and on Someday it was even better than the girls ever could have done. While Mary was bonking Tom Jones and Flo was pissed yet again... get a grip you slit arse cunt!
Look idiot, aka ROXYLUCY, did any of those post-Flo songs do much with Diana front and center and just who-the-hell-ever filling background? Aside from "Love Child"? Turn on the radio and I guarantee you will hear "Back in My Arms Again" or "You Can't Hurry Love" before you hear "Someday We'll Be Together."
I'm done talking to you, ROXYLUCY. You are such a pathetic, rude moron.
ROXYLUCY is wrong about Mary not mentioning her affair with Tom Jones in her book Dreamgirl.This is how I found out.This dissapointed me greatly in her,but I still love her.I still love Diane too.
Mary also had an affair with Duke Fakir of the Four Tops for years; also a married man. Diana and Flo also had affairs with married men. Diana with Brian Holland, Smokey Robinson and Flo with Otis Williams.
Otis has said that he and Josephine (his wife) were on the rocks at the time he was with Flo. If you read the parts of his book pertaining to Flo, you can tell his attraction to her was more than physical. He talks about her hair moving in the breeze, about holding her hand. You can hear in his voice how it broke his heart to find out years later that she'd been raped. He goes into a LOT of detail about MANY trysts, but is the utmost gentleman in recounting his time with Flo.
Oh, I just love Mr. Randall in this clip! "So, I assume that you are a beautiful woman?" (Flo smiling: "Yes!") And then, "Is there more than one person there?!?"
OMG! how does florence control her voice like that?she sounded just like mary wilson.and you know her voice is kinda deep,so she did a great job.that's why they totally flipped when she answered right after mary.and yeah i believe that it was diana ross' "yes" that gave it away also.well it was her "yes" that let them know that it was more than one person there,because florence and mary sounded almost identical.the lady said so herself.florence was the best.she was really funny and bubbly.
This was very typical for Diana Ross to take the seat while the others stand behind her. I read that they were never supposed to be "Diana Ross and the Supremes". She grabbed the spotlight and never let go. I'm sure this comment will annoy a few, but this is what I read in Mary's book.
Yes, yes. We've all read that book. I read it when I was in junior high, and even at the age when I was have found junior high-type jealousies compelling, I could not then nor do I now understand what REASON Mary had to be so bitter. I could find almost nothing to justify her unhappiness, even then. She hitched her wagon to the brightest of stars and should simply have accepted that. Hear Gladys Horton on Diana and jealousy at Motown. I will never forgive Mary for Return to Love.
I agree fully Fanadiana... Ms. Ross is a STAR simply put, and Mary always slid in on the tail of her dress. Mary is a media slut that makes fame for herself off Diana's back and always did. Mary had a five year affair with Tom Jones WHILE he was married but doesn't mention that in her book. She's so obvious and sounds like she's constipated most of the time... she'd go to the opening of an envelope cos she's a celeb not a STAR*** LOL.
Get your head out of Diana Ross's ass. Seriously, it's embarrassing. What do you Diane fans do, come on here just to start stuff? Diana was not always the spokesperson for the group - over time, she pulled control away from her group mates by selling them out and giving her body to a number of people at Motown. Mary's book was bitter, but justifiably so. And it was also honest, with her accounts being corroborated by many unbiased sources. Without Mary and Flo, there would have been no SUPREMES.
I do not wish to argue with fellow fans, for to do so smacks of the sort of jealousies that can tear ANY family -- and I do think of Supremes/Diana Ross fans as a family, just as were the Supremes themselves -- and for this reason I tend not to engage other fans one on one, but in this case, I will pull my "head out of Diana Ross's ass" long enough to say this: IF we react strongly, it is because we are sick of the very often racist, sexist, and classist discourse around this woman, who
has brought so much joy -- for me lifesaving joy, and I do not overstate -- into our lives and whose career by virtue of its magnitude has changed our country and the world for the better. It is particularly annoying coming from and in the name of Mary Wilson. NOW the claws come out: without Mary and Florence, NO Supremes? Pardon me, but I would wager that the Andantes would beg to differ. Head out of her ass, indeed.
You honestly think the Supremes would exist if Florence had not started the Primettes to begin with? And later had not insisted upon the very atypical-for-girl groups-of-that-time-period name "The Supremes"? How can you even TRY to argue that? Even if Berry or Diana rounded up some random girls, the reason Supremes music endures is because of the harmonies that Flo, Mary & Diane produced together. The three of them had 10 #1s. Minus Flo, two #1s. Minus Flo and Mary, ZERO. Head, meet ass.
Neither Flo nor Mary nor Cindy sang on "Love Child" and "Someday We'll Be Together." The view is more clear here in Diana's ass than it is in whatever hole you keep yours.
Glad you're enjoying the view from Diana's ass. Too bad the view's made you a fool, though. "Love Child" and "Someday We'll Be Together" were the two sans-Flo songs I was referring to. Yes, *I* know that neither Mary nor Cindy (nor of course the ousted Flo) sang on those songs, but the public didn't know that. They were still under the Diana Ross & the Supremes billing.
Are there any hairdressers out there? What is that in Diana's hair? Is it streaks? It looks amazing but the video is not clear enough.
kgmaj 2 weeks ago
I wouldn't want to violate Mary you filthy scumbag.You are a perfect example of what is wrong with the world.Go crawl back in your rat's nest.
GGE47 1 month ago
GGE47, Just go Slip it into Mary, she's never said No to anyone, Go ahead, Prove you're not a Homo,
TheReturnOfBigBear 1 month ago
What is your Problem GGE47 (other than being a 64 year old Virgin)? Go bother someone else you Right Wing, Republican, Bible Thumping, Homophobic Old Troll
TheReturnOfBigBear 1 month ago
@TheReturnOfBigBear Not as long as you keep pestering Mary,you queer psycho.
GGE47 1 month ago
What you say is What you are "FREAK", Knock it off & go diddle your blow up Mary Wilson Doll
TheReturnOfBigBear 1 month ago
@TheReturnOfBigBear Psycho
GGE47 1 month ago
That's the Pot Calling the Kettle Black GGE47,
TheReturnOfBigBear 1 month ago
@TheReturnOfBigBear You're the abnormal calling the normal abnormal.
GGE47 1 month ago
.she just needed some attention to her vocals like Diana got, like Beyonce got. There is no rarity here with these two. En Vogue, Temptations they hold the distinctiveness as having solo singers in their groups (except the bass and otis) who can sing out the box without all that TRAINING. So saying that Ross was groomed and given freedom over all the talented acts. She is very talented but nobody else was given a chance to shine, she had to be on point. It was all riding on her back after 1964.
clarklance 4 months ago
This classic was an example of a lead singer out of control. Diana was even talking over the Host. When fans have the luxury of choosing like with the Supremes it's easy to pit one over the other. Florence never stood a chance as being a lead in the Supremes because Berry had that pop crossover goal since Mary Wells. It was being in the right place at the right time. I enjoy Diana's voice on all of their records and even some that were album cuts. But I wanted to hear Flo cause she can sing...
clarklance 4 months ago
GGE47, Hush you Old Fool, What Lies?, Dumb Mary Screwed Jean, & Cindy out of a Million Dollars for 1 Months work & Disappointed Fans, all because 4 Million Dollars wasn't enough for her, She thinks she deserved Parity with Diana Ross, Not Likely!, No Lie 100% Fact, Do your homework before you Open Your Hole Again
TheReturnOfBigBear 5 months ago in playlist the supremes
@TheReturnOfBigBear That had more to do with being treated fairly and not as much as the money.She didn't want her and Cindy being pushed in the background and allowed to come forth and sing when the queen gave them permission.She was told to just show up.That meant do what you're told and not to have any input on how it should be arranged.That's what she did to Lynda and Susaye.I've seen the video of that.That was no Supremes reunion.Supremes fans stayed home and Diane went to drinking like Flo
GGE47 3 months ago
@GGE47 Garbage you Old Fool, Miss Mary wanted (and thought she was entitled to) Parity with Diana Ross, (because thats the way it was in 1964), I wonder how often that Bitch thinks about that INSULTING 4 MILLION DOLLARS as she Opens For Slim Whitman on his Bolivian Tour, Her SLANDERING of Lynda & Scherrie's Participation was No More than a Face Saving Operation, Now go Give Yourself a High Colonic, You're Full of Shit
TheReturnOfBigBear 3 months ago
Comment removed
GGE47 1 month ago
@GGE47 You're a Psycho
GGE47 1 month ago
@GGE47 From a Red Neck Homophobe Virgin, I consider that a Compliment, Get yourself sone "Real Human Contact", Ask Miss Mary for a little Brown Sugar! (Loser)
TheReturnOfBigBear 1 month ago
Comment removed
GGE47 1 month ago
@TheReturnOfBigBear Psycho
GGE47 1 month ago
@bigbear39ca Are you on this video spreading your lies,too?Mary was one of The Supremes.She contributed her part to the legend and nobody but a hatemonger can say different.I hope the Canadiens ship you back to Lybia and you better hope you don't wind up in the desert eating camel dung.
GGE47 5 months ago
LOL @ Diane's Art skills
coolsweetgroovy 6 months ago
Diane Ross has good pennmanship AKA nice handwriting like my mom
coolsweetgroovy 9 months ago
hillarious
coolsweetgroovy 9 months ago
Florence never needed to wear a wig. She was ten times as sexy without one than she was with it. Her beauty is natural. I have seen pics of her without make-up as well, and she was still stunning. What a picture of radiance and beauty.
ForeverFlorenceB 10 months ago
FLO LOOKS SO BEAUTIFUL. HOW COULD THEY LET HER GET AWAY?
TheCounslor 1 year ago
Notice who gets to sit down and is wearing a different colored dress.
moorlock2003 1 year ago
@moorlock2003 Also, notice that Berry Gordy was backstage making all of those decisions after he just had sex with Diane. The "What's My Line" producers and the public had nothing to do with Diane sitting down OR wearing a different dress. In fact, the public resented it! We, who were there, loved THE SUPREMES, all of them, not just DIANE!
kurtsupreme 1 year ago
First time I didn't see Day jump in after the beauty question.
GregWn 1 year ago
Diana Ross Had a BIG Mouth.
duff0929 1 year ago
They put out some remarkable HITS & together were Fantastic!
luap123311 1 year ago
Flo + Mary could of been anyone ..Diana Ross was the whole act ...One of the sweetest female voices ever ...
MrLasider 1 year ago
@MrLasider If this is true,how come the Return to Love tour was a disaster?We Supremes fans stayed home.We wanted Mary and Cindy.We knew why Flo couldn't be there,but Cindy would have been alright.By your thinking,the Supremes reunion should have been a big hit,if it could have been anyone.For the first time Diana Ross was rejected by fans and didn't know how to deal with it.Some Ross fans bought tickets and from what I've seen it was exactly like Mary feared.They were in the background and
GGE47 1 year ago
@GGE47 only came up front was when the queen gave them permission.Mary did not want to go through that again and wanted some input on how it was to be arranged.Diane did not want that and it wasn't just about the money.When Mary refused so did Cindy.They were going to let Diane have more money if it was within reason.The Supremes were a lot more than Diana Ross.How many times do I have to say this?
GGE47 1 year ago
@MrLasider her voice was the least full of the three! Marys was waaaaay better.
degas5000 1 year ago
flo u were so beautiful
TheCounslor 1 year ago
Why is Flo so fat? Jeeeeez
BlogShag 1 year ago
@BlogShag lol. why is diana so ugly? why can't she sing? even after all these years of practice, i mean she has the money for vocal training so wtf? it's ridiculous!
kickinqitoldschool 1 year ago
@kickinqitoldschool , It's called old age, retard.
BlogShag 1 year ago
@BlogShag lol, retard. that was a good one. no she's never been able to sing. chaka khan can still sing, so can patti labelle and she's older than diana. being old is not an excuse you IGNORANT BASTARD!
kickinqitoldschool 1 year ago
@kickinqitoldschool How sad that you are so toxic. Something horrible must have happened in your life for you to be so mean...and wrong. I feel bad for you. Oh, and did you get a chance to see Miss Ross accept the Kennedy Center honor?
hallauthor 1 year ago
@hallauthor im sorry. i really am. but people are always saying rude things about flo. i mean if you like diana, cool. but florence is dead and cannot defend herself or any of the things she did or said back in the day as diana can. people have no respect whatsoever on here. i was just responding to blogshag asking "why is flo so fat? jeeeez". that was really rude. and i dont think she was fat. diana can't sing to me. never could. she sounded decent on certain songs, but she's not a singer.
kickinqitoldschool 1 year ago
@kickinqitoldschool I understand you being defensive of Flo, but attacking Diana doesn't defend Flo. You're right about that "fat" comment being rude, it was. But Diana didn't make that comment, and you attacked her. Diana is a terrific singer, history has proven that. She's not a belter like Patti, but that doesn't make her less of a singer, and many would argue that makes her more of a singer. But this is entertainment. People have different tastes and preferences, and there's room for ALL.
hallauthor 1 year ago
@hallauthor I understand exactly what you mean. It's just that people who attack Florence, are usually Diana fans, so the natural thing for me to do was to attack Diana herself even though it may not have defended Florence.
kickinqitoldschool 1 year ago
@hallauthor You're right, people have different tastes and preferences, and there is room for all. I guess you prefer Diana to Flo as well as I prefer Flo to Diana, but I think Diana is just an entertainer. Not at all a singer, though. I will admit as I did before, she sounds decent on certain songs. But I think almost anyone can sound decent on certain songs. That's just my opinion, though. She's just not what I look for personally in a singer.
kickinqitoldschool 1 year ago
@kickinqitoldschool Uh huh. Well, everyone's entitled to an opinion. But I would wonder what your opinion would be if Mary or Flo sang lead on, say, "Baby Love" or "You Can't Hurry Love" or "Love Child."
tjbnyc76 1 year ago
@kickinqitoldschool "diana can't sing to me. never could." So, I suppose, as a Flo fan (and trust me, I love ALL the girls) you listen to all of those Supremes songs with your speaker balance turned all the way so you don't hear the lead vocal? Just the "baby, baby's"? You don't have to be a Diana fanatic to enjoy the Supremes; but you can't be a Diana hater, either. Like it or not, Diana was the predominant sound on those hits.
tjbnyc76 1 year ago
@hallauthor things happen in everyone's life that make them the way they are. and no, i didn't see her accept the Kennedy Center honor.
kickinqitoldschool 1 year ago
And to think that this was one of Flo's last TV appearances. Little did I know I'd never see her on television again. Mary and Flo look stunning and they sure put on a good front with all the turmoil that was going on in the group.
Vincent50 1 year ago
ARE YOU REPRESENTED ON BROADWAY! holy crap!
angelboy147 1 year ago
Flo is very beautiful in this....she looks happy and they all seem to be having fun.
kious07 1 year ago
The Episode of Whats My Line w/ Elizabeth Taylor was Funny! Haha.
JordinSparksFan08 1 year ago
Honestly, I don't think it was Diana's voice at all that made the hits. It was the group's charm, and the songs. And when I say the songs, I mean the lyrics.
Remember, Diana, also sang lead on a lot of the Supremes' flops.
kickinqitoldschool 2 years ago
If that's the case then the public should relegate just about every successful Motown group's lead vocalist and stand by Holland-Dozier-Holland as the sole reason for hit records. But the public would never do that b/c they're not foolish...
AnnabellaSteMarie 1 year ago
Don't know about you, but I've never listened to a song I didn't like just because of the way someone sang it..
kickinqitoldschool 1 year ago
@kickinqitoldschool , yep, and the world is "flat"... :\ pffffft
BlogShag 1 year ago
@BlogShag ha, your pretty humorous!
kickinqitoldschool 1 year ago
Why is that bitch sitting while the other two are standing behind her like bodyguards? That's so rude.
mcmlxvi 2 years ago 2
@mcmlxvi i know right
supreme60s 1 year ago
Comment removed
MrWosclifton 2 years ago
What year was this?
iChromatic12 2 years ago
1967. When Diane lists the rest of the tour she says The Flamingo,thats where FLO gets FIRED!!!!!
MrWosclifton 2 years ago
ACTUALLY, this appearance by the Supremes was from February of 1966-
christheone8773 2 years ago
@christheone8773 - This was the May 1967 appearance. The the Feb 1966 show has also been uploaded.
soulballad 2 years ago
my mistake - thanks for the clarification!
christheone8773 2 years ago
It cant be its probaly from March of 1967
If u listen to what Diana says is their working with copa then coconut grove then to california to the Flamingo Hotel which is where Florence got fired on July 1, 1967.
SaClMa 2 years ago
this was also right around the time when rumors that Diane was leaving the group soon for a solo career began to circulate - and these rumors even upset both Diane and Berry back then!
christheone8773 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Florence Ballard was found dead with Joe Tex's big cock in her mouth and a heroin needle stuck in her ass.
cucumberinmypants 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Florence Ballard died sucking dicks for a living..Junkee ass nigger biotch.
Bytmyballs 2 years ago
Not true.
iChromatic12 2 years ago
what a terrible thing to say. i'll bet you are a lonely person
chucknchar 2 years ago 3
who "shorted" you that morning when you felt the need to write such stuff " ?
etrax2000 2 years ago
When Florence was booted out Supremes fans missed her personality and charm.Cindy was good and I did grow fond of her,but missing Flo was a gap that nobody could fill.
GGE47 2 years ago 7
Diana's seated, while Flo and Mary stand. Go figure...
snoops71 2 years ago
It was annoying how the host kept talking while Diana was trying to speak. Diana has always been good at proceeding with wat she has to say while someone tries to interupt her. she likes to finish wat she has to say a lot.
JustRudo 2 years ago
Back then, they probably were not even allowed to walk in the front door like all the other celebrities. They probably could not eat in the same restaurants or use the same ladies rest room, etc. Everyone is clapping so loudly. So phony!! I'm sure they would have all dropped dead at the thought of a black man as President of the U.S. I am so glad I wasn't alive back then.
ladylike1980 2 years ago
It wasn't phony, you've it the complete wrong way round. People always went crazy for celebreties whether they were blacks or Jews or whatever. It was the simple folk that bore the brunt of persecution and discrimination.
HAZIDEAD 2 years ago
"Baby Love, My Baby Love."
"Baby, Baby"
My Two Favorite Songs from Them.
SamoanFun 2 years ago
the one tune that you call "Baby, Baby" was actually "Where Did Our Love Go" from 1964-
christheone8773 2 years ago
wml show are great
cheyenne86 2 years ago
That was good!
ClassicMovieClub 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
the group was about diana from the onset and this display just greatly emphasizes how powerful and what am important figure diana was not only to the group but in general.
okydokes 3 years ago
But not to Supremes fans.
GGE47 3 years ago 6
Yeah....it's so obvious to me (even without the Motown push)! I DO love all three though! Outside of the 20 or so people that comment on here, MOST people just enjoy the music and could care less about the personal BS!
motownbaby 3 years ago 3
Flo was a gift of laughter to the trio.She always generated humor and the audience ate it up.I wish she was still around!She seemed like she had a wonderful spirt(i have heard too).
cleanupboy73 3 years ago 12
In her 1986 book Dreamgirl: My Life as A Supreme, Mary Wilson had said that Florence Ballard had such a great presence on the stage, and at one time there was even an interest from a producer to cast her in a film -
christheone8773 2 years ago 5
@cleanupboy73 yeah.,I heard she fucked like a banshee too.
nerdflanders8710 1 year ago
Why the hell is Diana delagating answer's? Oh stupid question.SHE'S THE QUEEN!!! that's why.
cleanupboy73 3 years ago
I wish this clip was clearer and in color (still loved it!)Diana was really feeling her stardom (she just saunter's across the set displaying her v shaped formal mini)I also loved Mary and Florence's look too.I especally liked Florence's "rebellious anti wig short hair crop".Flo and Mary's hair was very modern in this clip,you see Mary J Blidge,Keisha Cole and Missy Eliott sporting doo's like those to this day.Diana got on one of her "specials" very classic though.Loved It!!!!
cleanupboy73 3 years ago 2
This was originally aired in color like all 1966-1967 WML episodes, but the Kenoscopes used to store the programs were in Black & White.
pannoni1 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
id smash her so damn hard she will see stars.
and "Diana Ross is a ugly ass nigga son"
huge10inchdick 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
he has to have a smal dick
huge10inchdick 3 years ago
lol damn who
tayishere202 3 years ago
Love Mary & Flo's hair cut.
heartandsoul22 3 years ago 9
Diana Ross Fans are Idiots
Atownpimp10 3 years ago 5
First of all, some of you need to use a spell checker, or learn how to spell!!!! I know a few people who knew Eddie Kendrick and yes he had his share of problems and was not an angel, but they say he was always a gentleman.
natalee217 3 years ago
2:00 mary looks like she wants to slap florence for answering that qustion and giving it away lol
nohetero1 3 years ago
Ross fans who were too young to remember The Supremes and those who remember them from the beginning.Supremes fans know the differance.That's why we withheld our funds on the "reunion".I never believed that Flo's "leaving" and the name change to DR&The Supremes was a coincidence but I couldn't figure it out.I saw them earlier in the year and they looked and sounded great.I was shocked by Flo's"leaving".She didn't leave,she was fired.
GGE47 3 years ago
On the night of Aug.30,1968 they had two shows that night.I didn't buy tickets because of a personal commitment.I was able to get out there between shows and had no idea they were in a room at the top of a ramp I was.Three teens came up the ramp right behind me.One of them shouted"hey,there's Diana Ross"I looked and sure enough there was her silhouette.She screamed at the top of her lungs"Go away!!!,Go away!!!." They let her have it right back.I was afraid of her screaming at me,so I kept quiet.
GGE47 3 years ago
Mary and Cindy didn't say anything either.This went back and forth for some time.They were unmercifull in their attacks.They knew things I didn't know about until later.I started feeling for her even though I was shocked by her screams.She did calm down and didn't use cuss words when they did.When it was time for them to go back on some policemen came and made us get down.I just had to say something and said"don't worry about them Diana,I still love you".
GGE47 3 years ago
She laughed and said"there's always someone in every crowd who still loves us".I could hear Mary giggle.If she hadn't screamed,the whole thing wouldn't have happened.I know now I caught her on one of her better nights.When 2 of the 3 policemen went somewhere else the one staying asked me what were we doing up there.I said we were just talking to The Supremes.You should have seen the expression on his face.He said"Yeah,did The Supremes talk back to you?"I said yeah.
GGE47 3 years ago
This is increadiable news please tell more.What were the audiences like at a typical Supremes show? I know they usually had a high priced supper club appearance where ever they appeared in a city as well as a general rock and roll type of event. No offense but what exaclty was the level of background of the guys who were attacking them or was it just diana in other words what kind of class did they have ?
etrax2000 3 years ago
Hi,etrax2000.The Supremes appeared in concert in Richmond,Va.The next night they went to Virginia Beach.We didn't have any hightclubs in Virginia back then.The audience was mostly youger(now getting older)and half black and half white.The teens were just regular kids in their mid teens.I think they lived nearby.Diane started it with her usual irritable self,but this was new to me.They immediately struck back but just wouldn't quit.I didn't know she was Berry Gordy's mistress but they did.
GGE47 3 years ago
They also knew she was fooling around with somebody else,and Berry wasn't supposed to know about it.When they mentioned it,I thought she was going to laugh at them,but she didn't say a word.This puzzled me.He was fooling around behind her too.
GGE47 3 years ago
I did see The Supremes on Feb.4,1967.They were incredibly fantastic.I had seen them the previous weekend on Andy Williams where they sang their new release Love is Here and Now You're Gone.They sag it here,too.With their orchestra it sounded just like on the radio.So did all of their songs.This is a moment I will always cherish and remember.
GGE47 3 years ago
How could I not mention Florence Ballard and how beautiful she looked even though she had a noticeable gain in weight?When they sang Back in My Arms Again and got to the part where Diane sings"how can Mary tell me what to do when she's lost her love so true,and Flo she don't know",Flo with her hands on her hips gives Diane her hip and butt and a sneer.I don't want to make too much of this because it could have been part of the act,but looking back after 41 years?
GGE47 3 years ago 2
Yeah....looking back 41 years later, that "hip and butt and a sneer" is exactly what got her the boot!
motownbaby 3 years ago
It was being planned long before that.
GGE47 3 years ago
False. The little hip thing Flo does is in the spirit of being charming and playful. Mr. Ferrer had just asked if she was Twiggy and of course everyone could see she was curvy and quite well-built. (And please, she doesn't even come close to "sneering.")
Anyway, if you think her sass is the only reason Flo was booted, you need to do some research. Diana and Berry plotted her ouster for a variety of reasons, among them her unwillingness to kowtow to Diana and ability to outsing her.
bcoombs1988 2 years ago 4
Florence Ballard has a louder voice that Diana Ross....but she doesn't outsing her to me! I even prefer Mary's voice to Flo's.
motownbaby 2 years ago
In every technical sense, Florence Ballard had a better voice than Diana Ross. The only thing that made Diana Ross's voice "unique," since that's the word her fans love to throw around, is the fact that her breathing technique was terrible. That's why on "You Keep Me Hangin' On," the one Supremes #1 that required belting, Flo and Diana are virtually doing a duet.
bcoombs1988 2 years ago
I love "You Keep Me Hangin' On", but should I not take into account the other 17 #1's Ross has? I love Florence but you can find her voice in ANY black church. The Supremes were never a gospel group! People's use of "had a better voice" is subjective...better FOR WHAT?
motownbaby 2 years ago
The "better"ness of Flo's voice is not "subjective." It's factual. No one debates Flo's technical superiority. Diana's terrible technique is what gave her voice a "unique" sound. Also, many people have said that with the proper training, Flo could have sung opera. As much as you Diana fans like to pull the "Flo sounds like any black lady" bit, not any ol' black lady, with or without training, is vocally capable of opera.
bcoombs1988 2 years ago
Did any opera trained vocal coaches or formal coaches say that? It was a few people's opinions. Singing opera and excelling at it are 2 diff things. I hear nothing approaching opera quality on Flo's solo recordings. People's preferences are indeed subjective. What are you talking about?
missbirdsong 2 years ago
"A few people's opinions"? Just about every Motowner says Flo had the capacity to sing opera! And when people say "sing opera," they generally mean "sing opera well." If they didn't, I could say I "sing opera." So puh-lease!! Even Diana admits Flo had the pipes for opera in "Secrets of a Sparrow."
Also, by Flo's own admission she had dropped from soprano to contralto by the time she recorded solo. So those are not the works to be judging. Just accept she was an excellent singer and move on :-)
bcoombs1988 2 years ago 5
@bcoombs1988 not sounding mean but where does flo say "she had dropped from soprano to contralto ?" just wondering is all.
SinclairisCool 2 years ago
Sure thing, SinclairisCool. I believe Flo is quoted as saying she dropped from soprano to contralto in Peter Benjaminson's book "The Lost Supreme," which means she told him that in her late '70s interviews together. She mentions being reluctant or even a little scared to do solo work because she knew how much her voice had dropped.
(P.S., if it ain't there, it's in one of the '70s Jet magazines I read.)
bcoombs1988 2 years ago 2
Florence Ballard absolutely had the voice of an opera singer..excuse me, star! Has anyone listened to her on "Makes no difference now"? In the background Florence was killing it! She sang so high on one part, she sounded just like an instrument..!
kickinqitoldschool 2 years ago
@bcoombs1988 With all due respect to Flo, the assertation that she could sing opera is patently ridiculous, and insulting to any and every trained opera singer who has studied, HARD, to master that particular, and demanding, art. Florence Ballard couldn't sing opera any more than Diana Ross could; even the virtuoso Sarah Vaughan, whom many naively thought had an "operatic" range, would never have cut the mustard at the Met or La Scala. Ditto Aretha Franklin and her overrated "Nessun Dorma."
tjbnyc76 1 year ago
@tjbnyc76 HOW THE FUCK WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT FLO COULD HAVE SANG.
TheCounslor 1 year ago
And to be honest with you, even if Diana Ross had the best voice in the world and had 34 #1s, I still wouldn't like her. She's a selfish egomaniacal bitch who ruined music's greatest female group and is still too ashamed and proud to 'fess up. Anyone who acts like is no one to be admired.
bcoombs1988 2 years ago
bcoombs1988, how did Diana Ross ruin the Supremes? Even after Flo left and session singers filled in for Flo and Mary - Ross gave them more #1's!! FLO LEFT FIRST....DUH!! Whatever the case...most people like artists becuz of their SONGS! As lead singers go...Diane set a standard that few have matched! If I can admit that she was a bitch, then why can't you admit that Flo made some bad choices? The music industry is a business and Flo let personal shit dictate her outcome!
motownbaby 2 years ago
Flo did make some bad choices, I don't deny this. Flo was also, however, horribly backstabbed by people who claimed to be her friends. Diana's selfishness and ambition ruined the group from the inside out, which both Mary and Flo saw as it was happening (as did other Motown groups).
And correct me if I'm wrong, but the Supremes had 12 #1s, 10 while Flo was in the group. A whopping two hits sans Flo isn't at all impressive.
bcoombs1988 2 years ago
Not impressive? Tell that to EnVogue, Labelle, The Emotions, Love Unlimited, The Pointer Sisters, Martha & the Vandellas, the Marvellettes...ect.! Mary has said herself that "one thing about Diane that hasn't changed is that she's selfish and wants everything for herself"! How can you fault someone for being themselves? Even in sleeping with Berry, she helped make them stars! Why hate on it? Before I knew any of the background drama, I loved that music! And now knowing it....I STILL love it!
motownbaby 2 years ago
1) I love the Supremes music as well! I'm a big fan of all Motown music, actually. Knowing about the shit that went on doesn't detract from my appreciation of the music; it just adds a really intriguing (and at times heartbreaking) element to the story. 2) Your logic's very bad here. "Why fault someone for being themselves?" Uh, we are SUPPOSED to fault people when they as "themselves" are bad people! Duh!
bcoombs1988 2 years ago
Well then what's your point? All 3 had there faults but together they made magic! I really do love Flo, Mary and Diane equally (STILL, they're my favorite group)...but I DON'T fault Diane for handling her business. I wouldn't go back to the projects either...and if my "friends" were opposing what was working, (for better or worse) i wouldn't think twice about moving on and growing! It's nothing personal...you need some money to pay your bills? I got you...but don't bench me. Diane was smart!
motownbaby 2 years ago
My point is that Diana wasn't just "handling her business" - she was cheapshotting people in the process. Her bills were paid and the projects were long gone, so don't pretend either was an imminent concern and is justification for her actions. If that's how people like you and Diana Ross treat friends, then you are slimy and untrustworthy, and you probably don't have many. It doesn't take any "smarts" to be a backstabber. Just takes insecurity and greed.
bcoombs1988 2 years ago
I was referring to FLO'S bills (it was Diane..not Mary, that tried to save Flo's house)! And again....if someone were my "friend" they wouldn't be tripping on what's making our group legendary! Whatever the case...the drama is BS to me! As it stands...they ALL give the group an unforgettable story. Bottom line, I love the records and Diane's voice was and IS the center piece - to my ears. I think we should agree to disagree on this matter. Have a nice day my fellow
Supreme fan!
motownbaby 2 years ago
Diana's voice works on their early material. Past "You Keep Me Hangin' On" I could really pass. And I guess so could the general public judging by her poorly received solo albums. We both agree Diana Ross was/is a bitch. You just seem to think that's OK since it made her rich and was her personality. Neither is an excuse.
(By the way - Mary did her share to help Flo.)
bcoombs1988 2 years ago 2
I don't want you to twist my words....it's just that before the world knew Diane was a bitch - Flo and Mary did! But that didn't stop them from putting her in the group. With that said...it doesn't stop me from loving the group! She is who she is...but most importantly to me, she was a legendary front-woman who's energy is magnetic! And that stands whether you hate or praise her. Imagine how many records you'd throw away if you didn't personally like the singer. Diana Ross had it!!!
motownbaby 2 years ago
I don't think anything of Diana, and that's just the way it is. Energy, "it" or not. Horrible person.
bcoombs1988 2 years ago
So basically what you're saying is that it's the "ooh baby baby's" that suck you into the Supremes' records? I do love their harmony on the early stuff...remember the first line of "I'm Giving You Your Freedom"? HOT!!!!
motownbaby 2 years ago
I love the Mary and Flo's background work on a lot of their songs more than I like Diana's front work, yup. You were having fun being sarcastic, but for me that's the way it is. When I play "Come See About Me" on my guitar, I always have someone else sing lead because I would rather take the soulful, gothic "Hey hey hey heyyy heyyy"s. "Stop! in the Name of Love" also has more impressive backing work than frontal work. ...Just more reasons why I will always like Flo (and Mary) more than Diana.
bcoombs1988 2 years ago
Thanks for being such a poor debater. I won this argument. See you later, Supremes "fan."
bcoombs1988 2 years ago
HUH??? I didn't even know we were debating. All I'm reading is how much you hate Diana Ross. All the while, adding to the view count of a video she's in. People make the world go 'round, so it's honestly no concern of mine how you feel or what you do on youtube. Still, it seems dumb to me why anyone would watch something or one they don't like. Is it like having the tv on a show you hate and not changing the channel? Hmmm, maybe it's not for me to understand! Yeah...YOU WON (whatever that is)!
motownbaby 2 years ago
Way to be two months late. Wow.
I don't mind if I added 20 views to this video. I adore this cute little game show. And anyway, when I watch vids of Supreme performances, I watch for Flo, Mary, and the awesome song. Not for La Bitch. So I can make do.
bcoombs1988 2 years ago 2
Yes...2 months late (is that any sign of these comments relevance?) to respond! I'm on vacation, so please continue to entertain me. Picking up where I left off, we all have our favorite Supreme.....but no matter how you "spin" it, Diana's legacy is keeping them alive! You ingrates better reccognize. When it's over for HER, it's over for THEM!!!! The same bitch that she WAS, made it possible for THEM to be great! Love it or hate it folks!
motownbaby 2 years ago
Wrong.
bcoombs1988 2 years ago
3) I assume you named all those names (En Vogue, Marvelettes, etc.) to point out that those groups also had hits after an original singer left. For THOSE groups, such a feat is admirable, and I don't take anything away from them for it. For the SUPREMES, a group that dominated pop culture for half a decade and is the greatest female trio of all time, going from 10 #1s in 3 years to barely eking out 2 after one of the originals left is, I repeat, not impressive.
bcoombs1988 2 years ago
i really dont give two fucks
huge10inchdick 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
who gives a shit what you think
huge10inchdick 2 years ago
@bcoombs1988 I know this is an old post but you are SO right. Flo could have very easily upstaged Diana at ANY time. People say she is not as charming as Diana...very false. Flo was a little rough around the edges but her audience loved it, and the group needed her to stay grounded. My father (HUGE Diana fan) attended a Supremes concert in San Francisco in 1966 and said that "Flo was who we (the audience) were screaming and cheering for, not Diana." Flo was a threat and Gordy and Ross knew it.
ForeverFlorenceB 10 months ago
There are no real secrets in show business> somebody always knows something(LOL) I just wish those somebodies would start to tell more (LMAO) I guess nothing shocks people these days but I stil want to know everything. Eddie Kendricks was not as innocent as his voice sounded and I heard someone was writtng a tell all book on the Temptations. The real story. No doubt it'll appear somewhere around MOTOWN 50.
etrax2000 3 years ago
That is a fantastic story. Too bad they didn't have cell vid phones back then. This is a dumb question. .Did you guys realize how big the Supremes were in the world or were they just another star sighting. My grandfather once met Edawtd G. Robnson (OK to GOOGLE) He said he was increadiably short and smelled funny. I know thats not nice and probably tottally irrelevant to this story but its great to at least meet super famous people at least once.
etrax2000 3 years ago
No doubt that Diana and all the supremes were under tremendous presure around this time as they must have just done the TCB special. Diana always gets bashed but she was under heavy burdens around this time. Add that to the fact that away from flattering lights and camera angles the famous Rossian glamour can be a bit disappointing to some of her fans. No doubt she wanted to protect that illusion which is why she didn't want you to get too close.
etrax2000 3 years ago
Florence wasn't on the TCB special!
motownbaby 3 years ago
why is this clip so bad looking
shaspassren 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
OH and Ms. Know It All BCOOMBS Ms. Ross sang many of the final songs supposedly by the Supremes by herself with background singers... Someday We'll be Together and many others as well. Hence anyone could have filled the background, there was no disctint sound and on Someday it was even better than the girls ever could have done. While Mary was bonking Tom Jones and Flo was pissed yet again... get a grip you slit arse cunt!
ROXYLUCY 3 years ago
Look idiot, aka ROXYLUCY, did any of those post-Flo songs do much with Diana front and center and just who-the-hell-ever filling background? Aside from "Love Child"? Turn on the radio and I guarantee you will hear "Back in My Arms Again" or "You Can't Hurry Love" before you hear "Someday We'll Be Together."
I'm done talking to you, ROXYLUCY. You are such a pathetic, rude moron.
bcoombs1988 3 years ago 4
ROXYLUCY is wrong about Mary not mentioning her affair with Tom Jones in her book Dreamgirl.This is how I found out.This dissapointed me greatly in her,but I still love her.I still love Diane too.
GGE47 3 years ago
Mary also had an affair with Duke Fakir of the Four Tops for years; also a married man. Diana and Flo also had affairs with married men. Diana with Brian Holland, Smokey Robinson and Flo with Otis Williams.
missbirdsong 2 years ago
That was also in her book Dreamgirl.
GGE47 2 years ago
That is her affair with Duke Fakir
GGE47 2 years ago
and eddie holland
Hello3691 2 years ago
Otis has said that he and Josephine (his wife) were on the rocks at the time he was with Flo. If you read the parts of his book pertaining to Flo, you can tell his attraction to her was more than physical. He talks about her hair moving in the breeze, about holding her hand. You can hear in his voice how it broke his heart to find out years later that she'd been raped. He goes into a LOT of detail about MANY trysts, but is the utmost gentleman in recounting his time with Flo.
bcoombs1988 2 years ago
Damn, i wish they had affairs with me except diana lol
huge10inchdick 2 years ago
Oh, I just love Mr. Randall in this clip! "So, I assume that you are a beautiful woman?" (Flo smiling: "Yes!") And then, "Is there more than one person there?!?"
bcoombs1988 3 years ago 3
OMG! how does florence control her voice like that?she sounded just like mary wilson.and you know her voice is kinda deep,so she did a great job.that's why they totally flipped when she answered right after mary.and yeah i believe that it was diana ross' "yes" that gave it away also.well it was her "yes" that let them know that it was more than one person there,because florence and mary sounded almost identical.the lady said so herself.florence was the best.she was really funny and bubbly.
iluvflorenceballard 3 years ago 3
This was very typical for Diana Ross to take the seat while the others stand behind her. I read that they were never supposed to be "Diana Ross and the Supremes". She grabbed the spotlight and never let go. I'm sure this comment will annoy a few, but this is what I read in Mary's book.
senoramariposa 3 years ago 6
Well I wouldn't put too much credence in it. Mary's book can be summed up in two words: SOUR GRAPES
jhecht424 3 years ago
Yes, yes. We've all read that book. I read it when I was in junior high, and even at the age when I was have found junior high-type jealousies compelling, I could not then nor do I now understand what REASON Mary had to be so bitter. I could find almost nothing to justify her unhappiness, even then. She hitched her wagon to the brightest of stars and should simply have accepted that. Hear Gladys Horton on Diana and jealousy at Motown. I will never forgive Mary for Return to Love.
fanadiana 3 years ago
I agree fully Fanadiana... Ms. Ross is a STAR simply put, and Mary always slid in on the tail of her dress. Mary is a media slut that makes fame for herself off Diana's back and always did. Mary had a five year affair with Tom Jones WHILE he was married but doesn't mention that in her book. She's so obvious and sounds like she's constipated most of the time... she'd go to the opening of an envelope cos she's a celeb not a STAR*** LOL.
ROXYLUCY 3 years ago
Get your head out of Diana Ross's ass. Seriously, it's embarrassing. What do you Diane fans do, come on here just to start stuff? Diana was not always the spokesperson for the group - over time, she pulled control away from her group mates by selling them out and giving her body to a number of people at Motown. Mary's book was bitter, but justifiably so. And it was also honest, with her accounts being corroborated by many unbiased sources. Without Mary and Flo, there would have been no SUPREMES.
bcoombs1988 3 years ago 3
I do not wish to argue with fellow fans, for to do so smacks of the sort of jealousies that can tear ANY family -- and I do think of Supremes/Diana Ross fans as a family, just as were the Supremes themselves -- and for this reason I tend not to engage other fans one on one, but in this case, I will pull my "head out of Diana Ross's ass" long enough to say this: IF we react strongly, it is because we are sick of the very often racist, sexist, and classist discourse around this woman, who
fanadiana 3 years ago
has brought so much joy -- for me lifesaving joy, and I do not overstate -- into our lives and whose career by virtue of its magnitude has changed our country and the world for the better. It is particularly annoying coming from and in the name of Mary Wilson. NOW the claws come out: without Mary and Florence, NO Supremes? Pardon me, but I would wager that the Andantes would beg to differ. Head out of her ass, indeed.
fanadiana 3 years ago
You honestly think the Supremes would exist if Florence had not started the Primettes to begin with? And later had not insisted upon the very atypical-for-girl groups-of-that-time-period name "The Supremes"? How can you even TRY to argue that? Even if Berry or Diana rounded up some random girls, the reason Supremes music endures is because of the harmonies that Flo, Mary & Diane produced together. The three of them had 10 #1s. Minus Flo, two #1s. Minus Flo and Mary, ZERO. Head, meet ass.
bcoombs1988 3 years ago 3
Neither Flo nor Mary nor Cindy sang on "Love Child" and "Someday We'll Be Together." The view is more clear here in Diana's ass than it is in whatever hole you keep yours.
fanadiana 3 years ago
Glad you're enjoying the view from Diana's ass. Too bad the view's made you a fool, though. "Love Child" and "Someday We'll Be Together" were the two sans-Flo songs I was referring to. Yes, *I* know that neither Mary nor Cindy (nor of course the ousted Flo) sang on those songs, but the public didn't know that. They were still under the Diana Ross & the Supremes billing.
bcoombs1988 3 years ago
That was quite a guess!!
Thanks for posting.
68NYC 3 years ago 3
I believe it was Diana Ross' "yes" that gave it away.
As for Diana pointing to which one should answer, that's normally Jon Daly's job.
thephoenixisright 3 years ago 3
This looks like a kinesope of a kinescope, LOL! I have this episode on tape somewhere and it is nice to see The Supremes in their heyday.
storrs19 3 years ago
Lol miss ross da boss is always in control
GloveGirl 3 years ago
I love Diana pointing to Mary and Flo as to say "now you speak." Cracked me up.
paul51 3 years ago
lol she's the alien queen don'tchaknow
kalindoscopy 3 years ago 2