The common thread was Tammi Terrell and since this thread is about her, I want to focus on Tammi. What made her attracted to men who would beat her?
Printable View
I used to think Tammi would have been a great replacement, but I think differently now. While she was vocally and physically right for the group, her attitude and vision wouldn’t have worked. Much like Diana and Syreeta, Tammi wanted to make it on her own. She would have used the group as a stepping stone. Something Mary and Cindy wouldn’t have tolerated. I know some people think Syreeta would have been a perfect choice, but she was too vocally similar to Diana. They needed a new, yet similar sound. With Syreeta, it would have a second rate version of Diana Ross & the Supremes.
I know other names were thrown out for consideration. Freda Payne, Scherrie, Barbara Randolph, and Edna Wright. I’ve even heard Thelma Houston and Marilyn McCoo were also considered at one point [[Marilyn would have been an excellent Supreme).
How was she to know that the men she was attracted to would beat her? If she knew she was going to be beaten by these guys why on earth would she associate with them in the first place? I never met Tammi so I had to rely on 2nd hand information with regards to her personality, but there is never a good enough excuse to beat up a woman.
i do truly love Jean's voice. but i wonder if she really was the ideal choice. she and Mary did not get along after a while and she was highly critical of motown. not saying she shouldn't be but being the "new kid on the block" does mean sometimes taking a more differential or diplomatic approach. sounds like she was often a challenge. that could have certainly added to motown's abandoning the group.
perhaps a person more like Scherrie - and amazing singer and a sweet personality - would have been a better fit
That's the way I feel. Vocally Jean is tied with Diana and Florence as my favorite Supremes, but hindsight being 20/20, I think Jean proves to be the wrong move. As I said in a now deleted thread, I do place some blame on Jean for what went wrong with the 70s Supremes.
So no thoughts on my Wanda Rogers scenario?:confused:
Yes. Wanda has a Diana vibe . I could see it!
Jimmy Ruffin was asked to become a member of the Temptations. Saundra Edwards joined the Downbeats to become the Elgins. There was therefore the precedent for a solo performer to become a group member.
I don’t think it would have worked at all. I was never crazy about Wanda’s voice to begin with and felt it lacked energy. Her voice may have worked on the jazzier end like “Hunter” and “Don’t Mess With Bill,” but I don’t think she had it vocally in her to do the Supremes material/nightclub style show. They may have gotten the attention from Smokey, but that would have taken away all the magnificent work Frank Wilson did.
Jean was vocally right on, no pun intended.
My opinion is the lady who should have been considered and replace Diana Ross was Saundra Edwards. As a singer she had the best voice to keep it sounding supreme while bringing something new and unique to The Supremes. She had one of the best voices I ever heard. Saundra was the missed chance.Ive said this many times and Im going to repeat it. Jean Terrell great singer that she is was the wrong woman to replace Diana Ross. She did not fit the image at all. She also seemed much to independant to be in a group.
Saundra good choice too tho I’m not sure about her stage presence from the couple of clips I’ve seen. Wanda sure sang Forever with energy and i’ ll Keep on Holdin on tho different from Diana’s flair. Recently watching their debut on Ed Sullivan Jean and Mary and Cindy really hit a homerun!
Oh me too definitely.
i definitely do NOT think Wanda would have been a good choice. her voice is limited, at best. it's gorgeous in the husky, whispery low range. but can be grating and seriously off pitch in her head voice. she does not have a soprano range and so vocally she wouldn't have added much to the group given M and C ranges.
i've not seen much of her live appearances since there are so few, but she doesn't really strike me as a major stage presence. she could certainly sing lead on a song but i don't know that she could really be "mistress of the ceremonies"
plus with her mental decline and drug use...
frankly Gladys Horton might have been a better choice
or what about Ann Bogan? she would have added the r&b/gospel to the group!!
Cal Gil!! If she could have become a little more animated, she’d be a great choice.
Wanda Young leading the Supremes. I do not think so. All one had to do was put The Andantes behind her and voila,The Supremes are The Marvelettes. Now Anne Bogan is a very different story. Anne could sang.She could have lead The Supremes easily. She is a great singer with a versatile voice.I even feel if Wanda had to leave The Marvelettes that Anne could have taken over the lead,
and with the right material and a push ,The Marvelettes could have continued very successfully
^i agree. while i've only heard the few tracks with the M's that Ann did, DAMN!!! and going into the 70s with black pride, afros, Soul Train. the Marvelettes could have really updated their image and sound. gone a bit more funky and gospel too.
I only mention Hy Lit, Today and Tonight because there were the only U.S. appearances but the Expo one would be #4 in list of total American shows, yes. They never got a chance to do their duets outside of NA as we all know WHY that never happened. :[[ I always looked at both Marvin and Tammi's careers as careers of missed opportunities [[though Marvin eventually did become a permanent global music legend thanks to his '70s and '80s recordings). The magic they could've still done but maybe it was fate that Tammi left as early as she did. Cancer sucks. :[[
These pics were captioned [[from Divided Soul, I think) as being from The Today Show:
http://ilosm.cdnize.com/wp-content/u...i-blog-pic.jpg
https://img.discogs.com/uhvPOBTtqN1D...-2795.jpeg.jpg
There are two more pics from that appearance with what appeared to be the Today host and they were being interviewed. Can't seem to find them right now but if you see some of Marvin's documentaries, they're in there.
Tammi Terrell [[aka Thomasina "Tammy" Montgomery) was just a free spirit. Someone who wasn't gonna let a man tell her what to do.
And some men who wanted to be in control didn't like that. I mean, one man hit Tammi upside the head with an umbrella and threw her down a flight of stairs [[James) and another hit Tammi's face with his motorcycle helmet [[Ruffin). I don't know how some commenters can ask "what attracted Tammi to these men?" as if she knew how these men were [[she didn't).
She didn't expect James to do what he did to her because of simple mistakes she made DURING PERFORMANCES, MIND YOU [[and remember, she was only between 16 and 18 years of age when she was with James!) and she didn't think David was as messed up as he was [[he lied to her about being single and then she had to find out David had a wife with three kids and a mistress on the side after he pretended Tammi was his only lady). Tammi by all accounts was a sweetheart [[Marvin confirmed this; he also confirmed Tammi was "Ms. Independent").
I would've said "a better question to ask is what made these men hit her?" But I answered my question. And in the Tammi/James case, James got belligerent because Tammi "didn't come at the right time" onstage with his cape or whatever it was she should've done. You can also ask the families of the late Marva Whitney and Lyn Collins how horrible James treated them during performances too. It was pretty much the same story!
Cocaine abuse
Alcoholism
Unchecked mental issues
As Kat said in Unsung, dealing with Wanda was a handful! Imagine her as a Supreme, that would've killed the group faster than it did. It took Mary Wilson all of three years to hook up with a man who did play a huge part in killing the Supremes [[thanks Pedro smh), it would've took Wanda all but a year for Motown to be like "yeah let's get rid of the Supremes". That TRULY would've been Berry "washing his hands of the group".
I agree. Ann Bogan would've been much better. Can you imagine how she would've sounded on Stone Love?! I mean the song is Jean's anthem but imagine it in Ann's hands would've been great and then to hear it live, OMG... Ann, Mary & Cindy would've been a great lineup. Ann had Diana's complexion as well. A beautiful black woman. Definitely would've worked. Also better chemistry since we now know of the clashes between Jean and the others [[particularly Mary).
According to Tammi Terrell's sister Ludie Montgomery, few people know that Tammi was raped and severely beaten by three boys when she was a teenager. So you see she had been getting beat by males most of her life. That is not normal and you cannot get me to believe that she just randomly met and became associated with men that beat women. I'll ask again, what was it about her that cause these things to happen?
So she should be blamed for a gang rape? She deserved an umbrella aimed at her head? That motorcycle helmet hit?
Three evil knucklehead ass boys took her virginity WITHOUT her consent. She was only 17 when the James Brown incident occurred and she was dealing with a weirdo who had a wife and kids and a mistress.
But Tammi is to be blamed?! F*CK THAT SH*T!
Its real shocking to me and that blame the woman mentallity is the reason a rapist is going to be confirmed to sit on the Supreme Court and a sex offender - President Pus*y Grabber mocked a brave woman Christine Blassey Ford at a campaign rally and his ignorant bigoted base cheered him on. Im beyond sick. #Metoo