Has Diana ever missed a performance as a Supreme

**blackguy69** · 07-01-2015, 07:27 PM

I was on Youtube viewing a few comments from one of the girls videos and when i was viewing the comments, i came across this comment:

JACK ANTHONY 3 months ago
Cindy Birdsong was not the first to replace an original Supremes. According to Mark Robowsky's bio of the Supremes, Diana Ross herself was replaced as early as 1965 in a gig she did not want to do. Author Robowsky documented that Thelma Hopkins replaced Ms. Ross at a 1965 performance, Ms. Hopkins easily slipped into Ms. Ross heels and gown and the crowd did not care that Diana Ross was not there.

Now normally when i see comments on youtube, i take it with a grain of salt, but this one caught my eye, i never heard of this and i never really read Mr Robowsky book fully, so i ask has anyone else heard of Diana missing a performance or how much "BS" is this story

**bradsupremes** · 07-01-2015, 08:37 PM

I don't believe Diana missed a show with someone else filling in her place. There was the Blinstrub's incident in 1966 where Diana fell ill, but the engagement was canceled. I don't think there is any truth in the story about Telma Hopkins stepping in. It seems unlikely. She only would have been 17 and with the Supremes being the hottest group in '65, there's no way Motown would have sent out a 17 year old to handle a live show. Even though Telma and the Vincent sisters were involved in numerous Motown recording sessions with the Andantes, I doubt Telma or the Vincent knew the Supremes' stage act. Also, Gordy wouldn't have tolerated Diana not wanting to do a show. As close as they were, Gordy would be viewing this from a business standpoint. Diana would have done the show whether she wanted to or not.

**captainjames** · 07-01-2015, 09:19 PM

Mark Robowsky's never says what gig, where, or what arena and there are no pis to prove it or anyone on this planet that will admit to seeing it including Mary Wilson her self. As a Supreme she as never replaced.

**reese** · 07-01-2015, 09:57 PM

Supposedly Jack Ashford told Ribowsky that it was a gig the girls did with Earl Van Dyke and some other Funk Brothers for "a Bill Gates-type crowd, the smell of money."

I think there was a thread here that said someone actually asked Telma was it true and she said it wasn't.

**luke** · 07-01-2015, 10:13 PM

She missed shows when her dogs ate poison and when she couldn't continue performing in Boston. It sounds like she may have missed more than Flo did.

supremester · 07-01-2015, 11:42 PM

I think YOU'RE missing a few shows. Dog/Boston shows were cancelled - not missed. Motown wouldn't let The Supremes go on without a lead singer, just like they wouldn't allow JMC to go on without Jean or Lynda. Get a grip!

**mowsville** · 07-02-2015, 04:54 AM

Originally Posted by supremester

I think YOU'RE missing a few shows. Dog/Boston shows were cancelled - not missed. Motown wouldn't let The Supremes go on without a lead singer, just like they wouldn't allow JMC to go on without Jean or Lynda. Get a grip!

Exactly...it would be like going to a Mary Wells concert and Berry replacing her with a complete stranger...what some people want to believe about The Supremes is beyond belief sometimes.

**RobertZ** · 07-02-2015, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by mowsville

Exactly...it would be like going to a Mary Wells concert and Berry replacing her with a complete stranger...what some people want to believe about The Supremes is beyond belief sometimes.

It is indeed; kinda like the Kennedy assassination, some don't wish to believe the truth so they continue to create fictions 50 years after the facts. What I find odd is that pretty much only The Supremes are prey to this effect. The Temptations certainly had as much drama and bitchery, and I'm sure other groups [[Motown or not) did also. Smokey Robinson left the Miracles and you don't see rabid Miracles fans desperately [[and ineffectively) trying to sabotage his career. Maybe it's simple sexism at work?

**Bluebrock** · 07-02-2015, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by RobertZ

It is indeed; kinda like the Kennedy assassination, some don't wish to believe the truth so they continue to create fictions 50 years after the facts. What I find odd is that pretty much only The Supremes are prey to this effect. The Temptations certainly had as much drama and bitchery, and I'm sure other groups [[Motown or not) did also. Smokey Robinson left the Miracles and you don't see rabid Miracles fans desperately [[and ineffectively) trying to sabotage his career. Maybe it's simple sexism at work?

Excellent point RobertZ. As you rightly point out there were numerous incidents with the Tempts [[whom I love by the way) but they are seemingly swept under the carpet. People just love to dig up dirt on the Supremes and especially Diana. I think we have reached saturation point with it.

**arr&bee** · 07-02-2015, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by supremester

i think you're missing a few shows. Dog/boston shows were cancelled - not missed. Motown wouldn't let the supremes go on without a lead singer, just like they wouldn't allow jmc to go on without jean or lynda. Get a grip!

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...here we go again!!!

**dickiemint** · 07-02-2015, 11:57 AM

I think I can recall reading that Diana said in an interview that there were replacements available for Mary or Flo if they missed a performance but not one for her.

**milven** · 07-02-2015, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by dickiemint

I think I can recall reading that Diana said in an interview that there were replacements available for Mary or Flo if they missed a performance but not one for her.

She said that on Johnny Carson

**thommg** · 07-02-2015, 04:45 PM

I never heard of anyone replacing Diana for a show. I think we would have heard that much before now had it happened. The few shows in which Diana wasn't feeling well, or the ones after her dog passed, were cancelled.

**kenneth** · 07-02-2015, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by thommg

I never heard of anyone replacing Diana for a show. I think we would have heard that much before now had it happened. The few shows in which Diana wasn't feeling well, or the ones after her dog passed, were cancelled.

Absolutely. And Mary would have written about it like she did the incident involving the dogs.

**midnightman** · 07-03-2015, 01:08 AM

For Mark Ribowsky to write that fictional piece ruins any credibility he might've had with that book...

No, Diana never missed a gig, if something bad happened to her, the shows were canceled. As Diana said herself, there were spots for Mary and Flo [[and later Cindy) if something happened to them.

You couldn't have a show without a star lead singer and have some unknown cover for them. That would've been like Randy Jackson replacing Michael for one night for a Jackson 5 show if MJ caught the flu or something.

**BigAl** · 07-04-2015, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by midnightman

For Mark Ribowsky to write that fictional piece ruins any credibility he might've had with that book...

I don't know who, if anyone, did the fact checking for Ribowsky's book. It's rife with inaccuracies, anachronisms, erroneous production credits, mis-identifications in photos, and so on. I took a highlighter when I read it a second time and underscored every error I saw, and there were dozens of them, and goodness knows how many I might have missed. I ended up giving the book to a thrift store because it ticked me off every time I even saw it sitting on the shelf.