Brenda Holloway: Was she really the prettiest girl at Motown?

[dzMusica]

Brenda Holloway has a special title. Her title is "The prettiest girl at Motown". Do you think so, if not, who do you think is?

I think Betty Kelly and Katherine Anderson were pretty.

[marv2]

Mary Wilson

[blueskies]

Mary Wilson

[bradsupremes]

Tammi Terrell & Mary Wilson

[simplysupreme]

Diana Ross & Lynda Laurence

[motony]

only after Mary Wells left.

[RossHolloway]

I think all the ladies were pretty in their own individual ways.

[bankhousedave]

Sylvia Moy
Mary Wilson
Kim Weston
Cal Street
Gladys Knight
Syreeta

[Roger Polhill]

Barbara McNair
Sylvia Moy
Barbara Randolph

[bradsupremes]

Add Barbara McNair to my list!

[bankhousedave]

Good to see I had a rival with Sylvia, Roger. But she wouldn't look at me, or even answer my mail. Maybe she knew I was already in love with PP Arnold.

[mowest]

Cindy Birdsong

[motony]

a very beautiful lady inside & out ...Claudette Robinson

[Roger Polhill]

Sorry Dave that is bad news, how about Linda Griner then.

[robb_k]

4177
I'd vote for Tammi Terrell. But all those mentioned above looked pretty nice.

[Ryon6]

Yes indeed, Brenda Holloway was the most beautiful woman at Motown. Mary Wilson is definitely second.

[thisoldheart]

tammi wasn't only cute ... she was a spunky little firecracker. but brenda had a cool, calm, classy thing going on. i won't take a side on these two!

[scanspeak]

I tend to agree. My favourites - Brenda Holloway, Kim Weston, Cindy Birdsong, Martha Reeves [[in her prime).

[splanky]

This is a funny thread...hmm...Though I tend to prefer to focus on the music of any artist on any label I will say this:
Brenda Holloway passed the road sign of "pretty" more than 20 miles back. The woman was FINE as a damn wine cellar.
Women who looked like Brenda caused fights in my stomping grounds and I've had to duck and run over more than one:)....

[144man]

Would we have a thread asking if Marvin Gaye was the handsomest guy?

[marv2]

Just a little reminder of my choice......Ms. Mary Wilson!

[bankhousedave]

I should never have forgotten Linda. She's a good friend and a whole lotta woman.4185

[luke]

Wow Marv-the proof is in the pudding! Mary Wilson, Cindy B, Katherine Anderson, Betty Kelly, Claudette Robinson.

[scanspeak]

Very classy

4188

[BigAl]

Hitsville had, arguably, the largest stable of "babes" in the industry and, further, made sure they always presented themselves glamorously yet tastefully. Beauty, of course, is always in the eye of the beholder, and I would be hard pressed to choose the "most beautiful" because of this because beauty takes many forms. Kim, for instance, possessed a very natural kind of beauty while Brenda's was more studied. Although she was at Motown for only a very short while, I would have to add Barbara Randolph to the list. Now SHE was knockout!

[blueskies]

http://soulfuldetroit.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4179&stc=1&d=1327153481
This is the sexiest pic of Mary Wilson I've ever seen! Thanks, Marv. 5 stars and gets my overwhelming vote here!

[marv2]

http://soulfuldetroit.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4179&stc=1&d=1327153481
This is the sexiest pic of Mary Wilson I've ever seen! Thanks, Marv. 5 stars and gets my overwhelming vote here!

You are very welcome! Incredible huh? hehehehehe.....

[jtf1972]

Gladys Knight

[marybrewster]

Tony Turner.

[marybrewster]

Brenda Holloway has a special title. Her title is "The prettiest girl at Motown". Do you think so, if not, who do you think is?

I think Betty Kelly and Katherine Anderson were pretty.

dz- could you please provide the source of Brenda's "special title". I have never heard this.

[blueskies]

Tony Turner.

Shame on your Mary...........now I"m gonna have nightmares!

[marybrewster]

Shame on your Mary...........now I"m gonna have nightmares!

Be thankful; Shantel Baker was a close 2nd.

[BigAl]

Let us not forget the voluptuous Chris Clark.

[dzMusica]

dz- could you please provide the source of Brenda's "special title". I have never heard this.

It's called google. The more defined title is: Most Beautiful Woman Ever Signed to Motown Records

[marybrewster]

It's called google. The more defined title is: Most Beautiful Woman Ever Signed to Motown Records


Okay smarty, I did a Google search and ONE person, author Nelson George [[or is it author George Nelson) coined the phrase. So it's not like "the Queen of Soul" or "the Godfather of Soul" which everyone and their mama knows, it's pretty much one person's opinion. Got it.

Since the votes above speak for themselves, Mr. George [[or Mr. Nelson) is incorrect: the prettiest [[or, "Most Beautiful Woman at Motown" is clearly Mary Wilson.

[dzMusica]

Okay smarty, I did a Google search and ONE person, author Nelson George [[or is it author George Nelson) coined the phrase. So it's not like "the Queen of Soul" or "the Godfather of Soul" which everyone and their mama knows, it's pretty much one person's opinion. Got it.

Since the votes above speak for themselves, Mr. George [[or Mr. Nelson) is incorrect: the prettiest [[or, "Most Beautiful Woman at Motown" is clearly Mary Wilson.

All phrases are coined by one person. When its used beyond the point of coinage by media for example it it sticks. Then it becomes a phrase used by more than one person. Then it becomes a title. Once its used beyond that point, then it becomes something of its own.

[blueskies]

Be thankful; Shantel Baker was a close 2nd.

Oh my......I'd be in therapy!

[motown_david]

For me it's Brenda, Annette Stirling-Helton and Mary Wells.

[scanspeak]

Speaking of Mary Wilson, did she do something crazy to her teeth in the late 60s? Her entire look seemed to change drastically.

[bradsupremes]

scanspeak, you know I noticed that Mary had something done with her teeth sometime in 1967. If you look at her during their performance of "The Happening" on Ed Sullivan and then again when they performed on "In And Out of Love" several months later, you'll see the difference. I'm not sure if she got caps or not. She mentioned in her book that shortly before the infamous last engagement with Florence at the Flamingo that they got dental work done.

[dzMusica]

Speaking of Mary Wilson, did she do something crazy to her teeth in the late 60s? Her entire look seemed to change drastically.


Interesting you mentioned that because it seems as if they told Martha to get her teeth redone as well in the 60's.

[scanspeak]

@Bradsupremes, yes the In and Out of Love performance was the one I was thinking about too.

I think in her autobiography she referred to that time as her "Doris Day" years and that was, in my opinion, her worst look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_Tt2_JEWBM

[mysterysinger]

In the July 2002 edition of Motown Chatbusters, Andrew Hamilton chose his Top Ten Motown Babes. These were:

01 Mary Wilson
02 Barbara McNair
03 Conny Van Dyke
04 Brenda Holloway
05 Katherine Anderson-Shaeffer
06 Barbara Randolph
07 The Good Girls [[all three of 'em)
08 Tammi Terrell
09 Sandra Tilly
10 Tata Vega

So there, its official.

Also given an "honorable mention" and described by song titles were:
01 Diana Ross [[Swept For You Baby), 02 Syreeta Wright [[Ain't Too proud To Beg), 03 Wanda Young-Rogers [[You and I), 04 Carolyn Crawford [[Little Miss Sweetness), 05 Linda Griner [[Devil With The Blue Dress On), 07 Scherrie Payne [[I Can't Help Myself), 08 Ann Bogan [[You're So Fine and Sweet), 09 Claudette Robinson [[Oh Be My Love), 10 Mary Wells [[I'll Love You Till I Die), 11 Sandra Fagin [[Dream Come True), 12 Lynda Laurence [[Pretty Little Angel), 13 Florence Ballard [[Forever), 14 Kim Weston [[Do You Love Me), 15 Vanity [[Candy To Me), 16 Martha Reeves [[The Girl's Alright With Me), 17 Debbie Dean [[Does Your Mama Know About Me), 18 Frances Nero [[We Can Make It Baby), 19 Thelma Houston [[Doggone Right), 20 Chris Clark [[Can You Do It). I'm not sure what happened to Number 6!!

These are not my own opinions, nor would I ever participate in such a male chauvanist thing of course. But there are some crackers in there! lol.

[bankhousedave]

Thelma was more west coast, but she was beautiful too. Claudette looks fabulous now.

[arrr&bee]

Adam ant?...hehehehe!!

[bankhousedave]

Put that glass down, R&B, you hear?

[arrr&bee]

put that glass down, r&b, you hear?haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa a...neva!!!