Motown and The Supremes

Every decade has its musical phenomenon. The 1960s had Motown…and Motown had The Supremes. Elegance, glitter, and talent made The Supremes unforgettable in performance, and kept crowds cheering for sixteen years, from 1961 to 1977, when the group disbanded.

They had a long run at the top—longer than most groups. The Supremes sold over 60 million records, and logged a non-stop string of hits. These three African American women from the Detroit ghetto were more successful than any group could hope to be. They were the top American group of the 1960s. They became America’s Sweethearts.

But their story actually began in 1959—60 years ago this year—when 16 year old Florence Ballard recruited 15 year old friends Mary Wilson and Diana Ross to join her as The Primettes—a sister group to a male group called The Primes.

Betty McGlown—who was a few years older than Ballard, Wilson, and Ross—rounded out the quartet. In 1960—after being turned down by Motown Record’s chief, Berry Gordy, Jr., The Primettes signed with Detroit’s small LuPine Records, where they recorded 2 sides—“Tears of Sorrow” (featuring Diana Ross on lead), and “Pretty Baby” (with Mary Wilson on lead). Neither went anywhere. However, The Primettes were fixtures on the local Detroit sock hop scene, performing whenever possible.

Celebrating 60 Years

It is hard to believe that Mary Wilson and Diana Ross are celebrating 60 years in show business this year! (Florence Ballard died in 1976; Betty McGlown left The Primettes before they signed with Motown Records in 1961, replaced by Barbara Martin…who left by the end of 1961, at which point the young women decided to stay a trio.)

I grew up with The Supremes. Don’t misunderstand. I wasn’t raised in Detroit’s Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects, nor did The Supremes live in tiny Middletown, NY.

No, our cultural and physical neighborhoods were hundreds of miles and a world apart. However, in 1964, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard—the legendary Supremes—burst into the American musical consciousness just as I was becoming aware of the music playing on the radio.

In fact, I’ll never forget that summer of 1964. I was lying on the beach in New Jersey, when I heard the most exquisite sound coming out of my ever-present transistor radio. It was “Where Did Our Love Go?”—The Supremes’ first #1 record (after 3 years of flop after flop after flop). Overnight, The Supremes became international superstars. They were all of 20 years old.

The softly sensual, repetitive beat of “Where Did Our Love Go?” was irresistible. From that moment on, the music of The Supremes and Motown formed the soundtrack to my life. Today, I can literally trace my life’s journey through the music of Motown.

Fighting For Civil Rights

To understand the cultural significance of this, remember that this was 1964—the year the Civil Rights Bill passed Congress. The year The Beatles invaded America. I was a typical, 11-year old “white bread boy” totally caught up in the Beatlemania craze sweeping the country. I lived in a very White, very middle class suburban neighborhood. At that point in my life, I had virtually no contact with African American people (although my father did employ African Americans in the supermarket he managed—primarily in menial jobs in the warehouse).

Yet, here I was, mesmerized by not one, but three, African American goddesses. When I fell, I fell hard! I had pictures of The Supremes plastered all over my bedroom walls. I began buying their records and keeping scrapbooks.

And then it happened. On December 27, 1964, I was watching The Ed Sullivan Show, as we all did on Sunday nights in the ’60s. All of a sudden, there they were…right in my living room…The Supremes singing “Come See About Me” (their third consecutive #1 record that year). I remember so clearly, turning to my mother and saying, “I’m gonna meet them some day!” And, do you want to know what is most significant—and is perhaps the key to The Supremes massive crossover success? I never noticed that their skin tone was different from mine.

All that changed in 1967, though, when I was watching The Supremes on TV one night (it was The Ed Sullivan Show again—on which the group appeared 22 times), when my uncle walked into the room and said to my mother, “Are you raising a N-lover in this house?” In that instant, all of my childhood innocence was shattered. I realized for the first time that the world is not always such a beautiful place, and that a person could hate another person simply because of the color of their skin.

That made no difference to me. To me, these were three glamorous women who sang like angels and made me happy. I fell in love with the image. In doing so, a whole new world opened up for me. I now realize that my family became more tolerant of cultural diversity because of the music I brought into our house.

The Crossover

In the broader scope of history, The Supremes represent so much more. They were the perfect group for pop crossover success. Their music was clearly Black, but not threatening. It was danceable. And…it was recorded specifically to sound good coming out of a car radio, making is readily accessible to White Americans. ”Where Did Our Love Go?” hit the Top 40 just two weeks after The Civil Rights Bill was signed into law. So, The Supremes’ presence as a highly visible, successful African American act made a considerable impact.

As Mary Wilson wrote in her 1986 autobiography, “Dreamgirl: My Life As A Supreme,” “Blacks and Whites were making efforts to change things, and our music helped to bridge the gap.”

What followed for The Supremes is show business history—the stuff legends are made of. Twelve #1 records in five years…scores of Top 40 singles and albums…television and nightclub appearance around the world—including a command performance for the British Royal Family in 1968.

Breaking and Holding Records

The Supremes still hold the distinction of being the only American group to chart five consecutive #1 records in less than a year. They were the first female group to have a #1 album—1966’s “The Supremes A Go-Go.” It would not be until the early 1980s that a female group other than The Supremes would chart a #1 album (it was The Go-Gos).

The Supremes were the only American group to truly hold their own against the onslaught of the British Invasion. From 1964 to 1969, The Supremes and The Beatles battled for domination of the pop music chart. In fact, during the 1960s, only The Beatles and Elvis sold more records than The Supremes. And that, I think, IS significant.

The Supremes were trendsetters. They broke down racial barriers and opened doors for African American artists who would follow them. They were the first African American group to play Lincoln Center, in NYC and they were one of the first pop groups to play the Copacabana and to headline in Las Vegas.

Endorsements Everywhere!

Long before it was in vogue for artists to do product endorsements, The Supremes endorsed Coca-Cola and Arrid Extra Dry Deodorant—which was pretty risky during an era when it was still widely assumed that African Americans did not practice proper hygiene. They had their own brand of white bread on the market, and in the ‘70s marketed their own line of wigs. And, in 1968, presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey sought—and received—the endorsement of The Supremes.

The Supremes appeal held a unique power at a time when Americans were eager for cultural symbols that racial integration was not a threat. Their success represented a watershed in what was then still termed, Negro culture. The Supremes broke down boundaries within the music industry—and society—affirming the contributions of African American artists to pop culture. You couldn’t ignore The Supremes—they were everywhere!

The Supremes Are Black Girl Magic

The Supremes—all of Motown’s female artists, in fact—represented a positive image of successful African American women in society. Images of the sophisticated Supremes had a positive impact at a time when racial tensions loomed large.

Mary Wilson summed it up this way in “Dreamgirl”: “Our success was not about the music. It was about what we represented. We were the American Dream come true, rags to riches. We changed the way the world viewed African American women.” And so, it was only fitting that the very last #1 song of the 1960s was The Supremes’ “Someday We’ll Be Together.”

The Supremes were—and still are—embedded in the cultural fabric of American society.

And it all started 60 years ago this year, with three African American teenagers in Detroit, who had a dream.

Girl Power, indeed!

Tom Ingrassia is an award winning author, radio personality and motivational speaker. In 2001, he fulfilled his childhood dream when he accepted a job offer from Mary Wilson. He also worked for Arlene Smith (The Chantels), Barbara Alston (The Crystals), June Monteiro (The Toys), The Velvelettes, and Carl Gardner (The Coasters)—the very artists he grew up listening to and idolizing.

Tom is host of The Motown Jukebox, airing Wednesdays from 9 am to 1 pm on WCUW 91.3FM, in Worcester, MA. His second book, “Reflections Of A Love Supreme: Motown Through The Eyes Of Fans,” recently received the National Association of Book Entrepreneurs Pinnacle Award as the Best Musical History Book.

Tom’s first book, “One Door Closes: Overcoming Adversity By Following Your Dreams,” I currently being adapted as a documentary film. Tom travels the country with his multimedia lecture program, “Motown And The Civil Rights Movement.”

You may follow Tom at IngrassiaProductions.com.