Quote Originally Posted by kenneth View Post
Were any of these 'Sweets' from the original lineup? None of them look familiar. I knew about this album but never heard it.

I did love their Stax LP "Estelle, Myrna and Sylvia." I think it may have been available briefly on CD [[maybe Japan). Thought that album was epic. A real Stax background worked with them so well, and some of the songs were long in the Isaac Hayes tradition - with lots of drama.
In 1973, Estelle, Myrna, and Sylvia recorded an album for Stax Records. By 1979, Estelle had quit the group and was replaced by Gloria Brown, who toured with them but didn’t sing on The Sweet Inspirations’ last LP, Hot Butterfly, on RSO Records, with singer Pat Terry featured on the actual recording. They group broke up shortly thereafter. In 1978, the group sang backing vocals on Frankie Valli's No.1 hit "Grease" from the film of the same name. In 1979, the group toured with The Bee Gees during their U.S. Spirits Having Flown Tour singing backup.
The Sweet Inspirations [[Estelle, Myrna and Sylvia) got back together again in 1994, with new member Portia Griffin. They perform at Elvis Presley tribute shows and released new material in 2005. Sylvia suffered a stroke in 2001 that has kept her from performing with the group. They also recorded choir backing for The Killers' 2004 recording, Hot Fuss, on songs "Andy, You're a Star" and "All These Things That I've Done". Sylvia Shemwell died on February 13, 2010.
In March 2010, while on a European tour for Elvis: The Concert, Myrna Smith developed pneumonia. Once back in the U.S., her condition continued to deteriorate, as she suffered kidney failure, further complicated by a severe stroke. By October 2010, she was a patient at the Canyon Oaks Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Canoga Park, California.[1] Myrna Smith died on December 24, 2010.[5]
Estelle Brown, along with Portia Griffin made the difficult decision to replace Myrna with LA based singer Kelly Jones; as of March 2011, The Sweet Inspirations are continuing to perform backup vocals with Elvis: The Concert and continue to do many concerts worldwide with Elvis Presley Enterprises' first ever "Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist", Shawn Klush,[6] sometimes as a duo and other times as a trio