Former Ladies of the Supremes
Also known asFLOS
Genres
Years active1986–present
Spinoff ofThe Supremes
Members
Past members

Former Ladies of the Supremes, or FLOS,[1] is a female vocal group that was originally formed by former the Supremes members Jean Terrell, Cindy Birdsong and Scherrie Payne, in 1986, and has since included former members Lynda Laurence and Susaye Greene. Though they were not Supremes members, singers Sundray Tucker, Freddi Poole and Joyce Vincent have also sung with the group alongside pairings of Supremes members Laurence, Payne and Greene, following the departure of Jean Terrell.

Biography

Early years

In 1976, it was rumored in Jet Magazine that former Supremes Jean Terrell and Cindy Birdsong had contacted Florence Ballard to form a new singing group, however Ballard's death in February of that year quickly cancelled their plan.[2]

In 1985, eight years after the group officially broke up in 1977, Scherrie Payne was signed to SuperStar International Records, a Los Angeles based record company. Her then-partner, Ronnie Phillips, approached her with the idea of reforming the Supremes, to which she agreed, and asked Birdsong and Mary Wilson to join the new Supremes group. Wilson declined, instead opting to forge a solo career, while Birdsong agreed and persuaded Terrell to join the new Supremes group. At this time, Wilson was involved in a lawsuit due rights of the Supremes name,[3] and won the lawsuit in 1987 to use the name.[4]

However due to contractual difficulties over the ownership of the name, they decided to create a spinoff group of the Supremes using the abbreviation "FLOS", for the pseudonym "Former Ladies of the Supremes". Before they began their career, Birdsong briefly left the group for a solo career. Former member of the Supremes, Lynda Laurence, joined the lineup, replacing Cindy Birdsong just as she did in 1972. For SuperStar International Records, the group released the song "We're Back". However, SuperStar International Records did not have national distribution, and the song later failed to chart and the label soon folded afterwards. The group began to perform and tour, making their debut performance at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles in 1987.[5]

Mid–career

The lineup changed again, when in 1993, Terrell left and was replaced by Sundray Tucker.[6][7] She made her debut with the group in March that same year when the group toured in America. Several shows from the tour were recorded but have not been released. One track taken from this tour, a cover of A Taste of Honey's "Sukiyaki", saw release on the limited edition album Something Special which featured several tracks by the group, as well as solo tracks by both Laurence and Birdsong.

In 1994, they released their first studio album with Tucker. The resulting album, Supreme Voices, with covers of songs, "Give Me the Night", a remake of the George Benson classic hit; a remake of their 1970's Supremes hit, "Up the Ladder to the Roof", which featured guest vocals by Birdsong and Jayne Edwards, and "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?".

The following year another album produced by Steve Weaver was released entitled Supremely Yours. Following on the same format as the previous album, which included songs including "Stop to Love", "Feel Like Making Love" and an original song by the Supremes, "Touch".

Later in the year of 1995, they were invited to perform with Mel Carter at an engagement, which was recorded live and released as Mel Carter: Live In Hollywood.

In 1996, Tucker left the trio and Terrell made a brief comeback to the group, reuniting with both Payne and Laurence for two special concerts held at the Industry Cafe in Los Angeles. This reunion ended with the recruitment of Freddi Poole in July 1996.[8] Poole, an established singer who had worked with the likes of Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight and Sammy Davis Jr., and stayed with the group until September 2009. In that same year, Wilson, sued the group. The lawsuit was filed against Laurence, Payne, Kaaren Ragland, and Hollis Paysuer, who were using the Supremes name. In 1999, she lost the lawsuit against the group after suing them for using the Supremes name, and same as with Ragland and Paysuer.[9][10][11] In 2000, Payne and Laurence joined Diana Ross on the brief but highly publicized and later cancelled, Return To Love tour, billed as Diana Ross & the Supremes.[12][13][14] The tour made TV appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, VH1 Divas Live, and The View. In 2001, they recorded "Light the World (With the Flame of Love)" written by Payne and Laurence. The trio performed the anthem at the Small Country Olympics opening ceremony in Italy the same year. In 2005, the trio was honored by the Hollywood History Museum. The museum presented an exhibit showing their contribution to the Supremes' legacy and their Former Ladies of the Supremes' history. Payne and Laurence donated stage gowns and shoes from their personal collection for the display along with photos, record albums, tour books, and posters. Although recording sessions was sporadic during her tenure, Poole contributed to the group's 2006 single "Sisters United (We’re Taking Control)", the 2007 "Dreamgirls Dance Project" album, and is featured alongside Payne and Laurence on the Former Ladies of the Supremes "20th Anniversary Concert" DVD, recorded live in 2006 and released in 2018 as part of the "Supreme Voices Collection" 2CD/DVD package. She is also featured on live recordings of Aretha Franklin recordings including Respect and (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman.

On September 29, 2009, it was reported on Payne and Laurence's website that Poole had left the group, later to join female trio the Three Degrees. With Freddi's departure, Joyce Vincent Wilson of Tony Orlando and Dawn joined the group, replacing Poole. Notably, Vincent had once been considered as a replacement in an official grouping of the Supremes following Wilson's departure. It was decided by Motown that the group should not continue without an original member, and the Supremes disbanded in 1977.[8][15]

On October 6, 2017, it was reported via Facebook that after 31 years in the group, Laurence had departed the group and was replaced by Susaye Greene.[16] Greene had been a member of the Supremes from early 1976 to summer of 1977 (replacing Cindy Birdsong), and performed on their albums "High Energy" and "Mary, Scherrie & Susaye".

Recent years

The group, now known as "Scherrie & Susaye, formerly of the Supremes", continues to tour. In December 2018, the group released their first recent music together, the four track Christmas-themed "A Supreme Christmas EP", followed by the single "Unconditional Love" in 2019. In that same year, they participated in the Oak Leaf Festival.[17]

In 2022, Payne, Laurence and Greene performed at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California, as one of the Motown-based artists highlighting the performance, in honor of the label.[18]

Lineups

Timeline

1986 1986–1992 1993–1996 1996–2009 2009–2017 2017-present
Scherrie Payne Scherrie Payne Scherrie Payne Scherrie Payne Scherrie Payne Scherrie Payne
Jean Terrell Jean Terrell Sundray Tucker Freddi Poole Joyce Vincent Wilson Joyce Vincent Wilson
Cindy Birdsong Lynda Laurence Lynda Laurence Lynda Laurence Lynda Laurence Susaye Greene

Discography

Singles

Superstar International Records

  • "We're Back" /"Get Away" (with Ollie Woodson of the Temptations) (1987)

Motorcity Records

  • "Crazy About the Guy"/"Crazy About the Guy (Instrumental)" MOTC 13 (1990)
  • "Stoned Love"/"Crazy About the Guy (live)" MOTC
  • "I Want To Be Loved"/"I Want To Be Loved (US Remix)" MOTC77 (1991)
  • "Hit And Miss"/"Hit And Miss (US Remix)" MOTC88 (1991)

Driving Wheel Records

Later material

  • "Light the World (With the Flame of Love)" (2000)
  • "Finally / Good Intentions" (2002)
  • "Sisters United (We're Taking Control)" (2006)
  • "Good Intentions" (2009)

Albums

  • Bouncing Back (scheduled for release in 1991; never released)
  1. "Baby Love"
  2. "Stop! In the Name of Love"
  3. "Love Child"
  4. "Crazy About the Guy"
  5. "Stoned Love"
  6. "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" (with the Originals)
  7. "I Want To Be Loved"
  8. "Back By Popular Demand" (with the Originals)
  9. "Hit And Miss"
  10. "Nathan Jones"
  11. "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me" (with the Originals)
  • Supreme Voices (1994)
  1. "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?"
  2. "Rescue Me"
  3. "Road To Freedom"
  4. "Keep On Loving Me"
  5. "Give Me the Night"
  6. "Breaking & Entering"
  7. "Don't Rock My World"
  8. "I'm A Fool For Love"
  9. "Piano"
  10. "Up the Ladder to the Roof" (featuring guest vocalists Cindy Birdsong and Jayne Edwards).
  11. "Somewhere Out There"
  • Supremely Yours (1995)
  1. "Feel Like Making Love"
  2. "Who Do You Love"
  3. "Just Like That"
  4. "Stop To Love"
  5. "Private Number"
  6. "First Time on A Ferris Wheel"
  7. "Colours of Love"
  8. "Stop! I Don't Need No Sympathy"
  9. "I Still Believe"
  10. "Never Can Say Goodbye"
  11. "If I Love Again"
  12. "Sweet Freedom"
  13. "Suave"
  14. "Touch"
  15. "Private Number" (with Edwin Starr) Slammin' Jammin' Mix
  • Reflections (1996)
  1. "Reflections"
  2. "Stop to Love"
  3. "Never Can Say Goodbye"
  4. "Someday We'll Be Together"
  5. "First Time on a Ferris Wheel"
  6. "Touch"
  7. "Just Like That
  8. "Sweet Freedom"
  9. "Love Child"
  10. "Who Do You Love"
  11. "Private Number" - with Edwin Starr
  12. "Feel Like Makin' Love"
  • Where Did Our Love Go (1996)
  • Stop to Love (2002)
  1. "Stop to Love"
  2. "Who Do You Love"
  3. "Sweet Freedom"
  4. "I Still Believe"
  5. "Feel Like Makin' Love"
  6. "Just Like That"
  7. "First Time on a Ferris Wheel"
  8. "Never Can Say Goodbye"
  9. "Feelin' Alright"
  10. "Private Number" - with Edwin Starr
  11. "Crumbs Off the Table"
  12. "The Colours of Love"
  13. "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman"
  14. "If I Love Again"
  15. "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?"

Live albums

Although the three groups above did tour together extensively throughout Europe in 1997 on the same bill, the recordings featured on the above compact disc album were used from three separate projects of previously released live shows from each group, digitally remastered and edited by Steve Weaver.

Compilation albums

  • I Hear a Symphony (1997)
  • Simply Supreme! (1997)
  • Reflections: The Hit List (1998)
  • The Supremes the Hits (HALLMARK MUSIC, 1999)

References

  1. ↑ "Former Supremes Go With the FLOS". LA Weekly. February 13, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  2. ↑ Company, Johnson Publishing (May 20, 1976). "Jet". Johnson Publishing Company. Retrieved December 27, 2023 – via Google Books.
  3. ↑ Company, Johnson Publishing (January 20, 1986). "Jet". Johnson Publishing Company – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ "Wilson wins legal right to use Supremes name". Sun Sentinel. January 23, 1987. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  5. ↑ Company, Johnson Publishing (September 14, 1987). "Jet". Johnson Publishing Company – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ Mednick, Avram. The 100 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Songs Ever. Retrieved January 3, 2024 – via Google Books.
  7. ↑ Rees, Dafydd; Crampton, Luke. Rock Stars Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 3, 2024 – via Google Books.
  8. 1 2 Arena, James. First Ladies of Disco. Retrieved January 3, 2024 – via Google Books.
  9. ↑ "Mary Wilson loses appeal in Supremes trademark lawsuit". Chicago Tribune. July 7, 1999. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  10. ↑ Media Group, LLC, Paxton Paxton (July 7, 1999). "The Rochester Sentinel". Paxton Paxton Media Group, LLC. Retrieved December 24, 2023 – via Google Books.
  11. ↑ "POP/ROCK". Los Angeles Times. February 10, 1996. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  12. ↑ Media Group, Halifax (April 5, 2000). "Sarasota Herald-Tribune". Halifax Media Group. Retrieved December 24, 2023 – via Google Books.
  13. ↑ Company, Johnson Publishing (April 24, 2000). "Jet". Johnson Publishing Company. Retrieved December 24, 2023 – via Google Books.
  14. ↑ Publications Inc., Billboard (July 22, 2000). "Billboard". Billboard Publications Inc. Retrieved December 26, 2023 – via Google Books.
  15. ↑ Wilson & Romanowski 1990, pp. 232–234.
  16. ↑ "Scherrie Susaye Former Supremes on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Motown magic featured at Oak Leaf Festival". Fayette Tribune. September 6, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Motown Comes to Beverly Hills". Beverly Hills Courier. October 7, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2023.

Works cited

  • Wilson, Mary; Romanowski, Patricia (1990). Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-016290-2.
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