BY DAN RATHER AND TEAM STEADY
credit: Getty Images
The Supremes, the girl group from Detroit that would become Motown’s most successful act, achieved superstardom almost 60 years ago this fall. They are our reason to smile.
Though they had already had several No. 1 hits, it wasn’t until the release of their 1966 album, “The Supremes A’ Go-Go,” that the group achieved a No. 1 album. They did it by knocking the Beatles’ “Revolver” from the top spot. Not only was it the Supremes’ first chart topping album, it was the first ever for an all-female group.
Ed Sullivan, known for his ability to discover and promote talent, had the Supremes on his show 16 times. Here they are singing their No. 1 hit, “You Can’t Hurry Love” from that No. 1 album.
Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, and Mary Wilson grew up in the same housing project on the east side of Detroit. In 1958 they formed a musical group called the Primettes. Two years later Ross asked her old friend Smokey Robinson to help get the group an audition with Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown. It took a while to convince him to sign them, but eventually Gordy recognized their outsized talent. When Ross, Ballard, and Wilson signed with Motown in 1961 they did so as the Supremes.
The three women distinguished themselves from other pop groups with their beautifully blended voices and by embracing a glamorous persona. The gowns, the makeup, the wigs, and even their choreography, set them apart.
Time magazine called the Supremes, “the reigning female rock ‘n’ roll group” in 1965 and said that Ross “is greatly envied for the torchy, come-hither purr in her voice.”
Their record-setting 12 No. 1 hits is proof of their mass appeal, with both Black and white audiences, nationally and internationally. The Supremes paved the way for future Black recording artists to find mainstream success.
If you want to enjoy all the songs chosen for A Reason To Smile, you can listen to this Spotify playlist, which is updated weekly.
A note about Spotify: We have heard from some of you in the Steady community about your displeasure with Spotify for running ads for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). We hear you, and we have tried to find an alternative. Unfortunately, there are few streaming services that allow shareable playlists and any that do also have run ads for ICE. We respect anyone’s decision to stop using the service, but until we can find a better option, we will continue to host the Steady playlist on Spotify. We welcome any suggestions on this front.
NYA Thanks Dan Rather and Team Steady!