Mary and Diana only got $100,000 ..whaaaaat?

[marv2]

Yes and what a disaster that was. Mary sounded bad, Cindy sounded worse. But at least Cindy hadn't sang in 20 yrs. Mary blamed her vocal on medication.

The following days radio stations blared out Supremes music saying "This is the way it was supposed to sound," or "Now you know why Diana Ross was the lead singer.

After this travesty gratefully no more Motown reunions have been planned

In her last interview with Goldmine magazine Cindy acknowledged she and Mary sounded bad but said she didn't know why.

I was surprised she made an appearance at all being that she had just suffered a mild stroke the month before and had performed for nearly 2 hours the night before in Vegas.

[Roberta75]

Yes and what a disaster that was. Mary sounded bad, Cindy sounded worse. But at least Cindy hadn't sang in 20 yrs. Mary blamed her vocal on medication.

The following days radio stations blared out Supremes music saying "This is the way it was supposed to sound," or "Now you know why Diana Ross was the lead singer.

After this travesty gratefully no more Motown reunions have been planned

In her last interview with Goldmine magazine Cindy acknowledged she and Mary sounded bad but said she didn't know why.

I remember Cindy saying that. It was a real odd combination and Kelly Rowland didnt help. They all sounded terrible and them dresses looked nothing like the Supremes would wear and trust me the Supremes wouldnt have been stuck up on that balcony if Diane had been there. Theyd have been front and center on the main stage.

[jobeterob]

The key is get your $20 million, buy some parking garages in NYC that are now worth $30 million each and go happily ever after to the bank.

[luke]

I nerver heard any radio stations saying that after Motown 40. Yes Mary had been very ill and I didn't think Cindy sounded awful at all. Cindy has been ill since 2009 est so they can't perform together. One employee of a major label who was there told me the crowd went absolutely wild for them ...Mary, Cindy and Kelly that is and a lot of that was not televised.

[Roberta75]

I nerver heard any radio stations saying that after Motown 40. Yes Mary had been very ill and I didn't think Cindy sounded awful at all. Cindy has been ill since 2009 est so they can't perform together. One employee of a major label who was there told me the crowd went absolutely wild for them ...Mary, Cindy and Kelly that is and a lot of that was not televised.

Thats awful that Suzanne had the cheering enthusiasttic cheering crowd cut from the show. LOL

[jobeterob]

I read that the Supremes either were put at the very beginning of the broadcast as an opening act or they were going to be cut completely because the performance was so weak

[marv2]

I nerver heard any radio stations saying that after Motown 40. Yes Mary had been very ill and I didn't think Cindy sounded awful at all. Cindy has been ill since 2009 est so they can't perform together. One employee of a major label who was there told me the crowd went absolutely wild for them ...Mary, Cindy and Kelly that is and a lot of that was not televised.

That is true. Martha and the Vandellas were cut from the television broadcast for some reason.

[Jimi LaLumia]

I had forgotten all about this tv show..I wish it had remained forgotten.. I was stunned by it as I watched,head shaking...very sad,and Kelly had no idea what she was doing...now, if Beyonce had agreed to do it.....

[REDHOT]

I was there,and back stage,there was a lot going on, the audience loved Mary Wilson Cindy Birdsong and Kelly Rowland,some people were standing up,i remember Martha Reeves was going off,on people back stage,i do believe,that was the reason they cut them out,of the special,i see some people,are just making things up,again i was there.

[PeaceNHarmony]

When a definitive listing showing every Motown signee's royalties, earnings and exit payments is published we can begin to analyze. Until then it's all conjecture.

[daviddh]

"Motown 40" was all old interviews and performance clips. Not just of Mary Wilson. Did you see the show? It aired in two parts.

YES I saw the show but it was many years ago as you already know.
but the point was Mary complained she wasn't interviewed for it and they used old interviews in which she objected to .

[Roberta75]

Mary ran up behind the Dremgirls movie enthusiasticelly promoting it for EXTRA but now complains in her shows and in interviews that she never got paid for Dreamgirls.

[daviddh]

I saw the show. what I thought was strange was Scherrie Payne was there and could have or should have....sung with them. or why didn't they bring on Jean , Scherrie and all the ladies for a medley of 70s hits. Mary could do lead on a 60s tune and so on....
overall it wasn't bad but it wasn't the worst. I was happy to see Cindy and Mary perform together again but to me a wasted opportunity

[Roberta75]

I had forgotten all about this tv show..I wish it had remained forgotten.. I was stunned by it as I watched,head shaking...very sad,and Kelly had no idea what she was doing...now, if Beyonce had agreed to do it.....

Yes it was probably the worst performance of Supremes ive ever seen. I sat on my sofa with my mouth open and not in a good way lol.

[marv2]

I was there,and back stage,there was a lot going on, the audience loved Mary Wilson Cindy Birdsong and Kelly Rowland,some people were standing up,i remember Martha Reeves was going off,on people back stage,i do believe,that was the reason they cut them out,of the special,i see some people,are just making things up,again i was there.

So the audience really did love them? I remember hearing loud applause for Mary, Cindy and Kelly. I don't know why that guy is making up his own story and the point of doing it. Thanks Redhot.

[marv2]

I saw the show. what I thought was strange was Scherrie Payne was there and could have or should have....sung with them. or why didn't they bring on Jean , Scherrie and all the ladies for a medley of 70s hits. Mary could do lead on a 60s tune and so on....
overall it wasn't bad but it wasn't the worst. I was happy to see Cindy and Mary perform together again but to me a wasted opportunity

They have never included the women that sang with the Supremes [[aside from Mary and Cindy ) in the 70s. Does Suzanne DePasse have a problem with them or something?

[jobeterob]

It's more the case that Mary is the issue.

Sometimes the only Supreme she wants with her is Diana [[which she never gets); other times she's not getting on with other Supremes.

But who cares anyways

[Jimi LaLumia]

I saw Mary at The Suffolk Theater in Riverhead on april 1st, which I reviewed here[[the review immediately vanished along with all other posts that day: Miss Ross hired Assange I guess...) but Miss wilson was fabulous, legs for days, and the Dream Girls /'paid' bit is just that, a 'bit' of on stage chatter, it's part of her routine, she wasn't really complaining; and it's a way of letting people know that "Dreamgirls' never got co operation from any one of The Supremes;there has always been unity on that point,although Wilson did rave about the show when it was new..welcome to show biz, everybody..

[Roberta75]

They have never included the women that sang with the Supremes [[aside from Mary and Cindy ) in the 70s. Does Suzanne DePasse have a problem with them or something?

I dont think Suzanne has a problem with the 70s Supremes I thinks she believes the 70s Supremes arent as recognized as the 60s Supremes. The only person that have a problem with a 70s Supreme is you and your dislike of Lynda Lawrence and you also dont like Suzanne De Passé who a lot of us here like.

[marv2]

YES I saw the show but it was many years ago as you already know.
but the point was Mary complained she wasn't interviewed for it and they used old interviews in which she objected to .

Oh then she was just talking. Had she known that the special was more of documentary using canned footage, she wouldn't have said anything. I think it was a great show overall.

[marv2]

I saw Mary at The Suffolk Theater in Riverhead on april 1st, which I reviewed here[[the review immediately vanished along with all other posts that day: Miss Ross hired Assange I guess...) but Miss wilson was fabulous, legs for days, and the Dream Girls /'paid' bit is just that, a 'bit' of on stage chatter, it's part of her routine, she wasn't really complaining; and it's a way of letting people know that "Dreamgirls' never got co operation from any one of The Supremes;there has always been unity on that point,although Wilson did rave about the show when it was new..welcome to show biz, everybody..

I remember your review Jimi. Mary always puts on a great show. I saw her one year at B.B. Kings and she had the flu. She went on and performed for close to two hours .Dionne Warwick and Freddie Jackson were sitting near me that night.

[REDHOT]

It's a few people here,is trying to start a negative fight,don't fall for it,you know who you are,i just love The Supremes A Go Go The Expanded Edition. p.s you're welcome Marv.

[marv2]

It's a few people here,is trying to start a negative fight,don't fall for it,you know who you are,i just love The Supremes A Go Go The Expanded Edition.

It is the same old people so no surprises here. I like it too. It is a great set in my opinion.

[PeaceNHarmony]

I just realized - if Diana and Mary both received the same payment, doesn't that settle for once and all that they were treated equally?

[vgalindo]

Although I was glad to see Cindy. The Motown 45 performance sounded really bad and looked really awkward.

[detmotownguy]

I have always appreciated Ms. Rowland's voice. Those dresses had to go lol. Who picked those out? The performance was just fine.

[marv2]

I just realized - if Diana and Mary both received the same payment, doesn't that settle for once and all that they were treated equally?

I've known from the beginning that Florence, Diana and Mary were paid equally when they were in the Supremes. This was part of the problem with RTL. They were paid equally but hardly treated equally.

[marv2]

Although I was glad to see Cindy. The Motown 45 performance sounded really bad and looked really awkward.

It didn't sound that bad. If they had more rehearsal time, it would have gone smoother. I've seen and heard much, much worse.

[marv2]

I have always appreciated Ms. Rowland's voice. Those dresses had to go lol. Who picked those out? The performance was just fine.

Carpeteria? LOL!!!!!! They did fine.

[bradsupremes]

That is true. Martha and the Vandellas were cut from the television broadcast for some reason.

They were cut because Martha sounded awful.

[Circa 1824]

Diana Ross did 90 percent of the work in the studio and on stage and TV. For her to only get 33.3% of the money is outrageous !!

[bradsupremes]

YES I saw the show but it was many years ago as you already know.
but the point was Mary complained she wasn't interviewed for it and they used old interviews in which she objected to .

Are you sure? Yes, they did include bits of an interview she did for a Girl Groups documentary from the early 80's, but I'm pretty sure Mary was interviewed for Motown 40 and those are featured in the documentary.

[marv2]

Diana Ross did 90 percent of the work in the studio and on stage and TV. For her to only get 33.3% of the money is outrageous !!

In the studio. But the other ladies had to help carry that act on stage and on television with all the individual backing vocals and harmonies to each song matched with the specific choreography for each song! That is a lot of work and it also gave the Supremes their appeal! So no, Diane did not in anyway do 90% of the work. Perhaps in your mind/opinion, but not in reality which is where I live........LOL!

[marv2]

Are you sure? Yes, they did include bits of an interview she did for a Girl Groups documentary from the early 80's, but I'm pretty sure Mary was interviewed for Motown 40 and those are featured in the documentary.

Brad, he is not sure, because he made it up! The show, Motown 40 was produced and broadcast in 1998 which is a lot more recent than "TCB", GIT" etc. so I remember it and have it on video. They used a variety of Mary's interviews throughout the show. If she had complained ANYWHERE publicly, I would know about it, trust me!

[marv2]

They have the special, "Motown 40- The Music is Forever" up on Youtube, but it was uploaded in parts .You can verify what I am saying if you have time to view them.

[BayouMotownMan]

I was surprised she made an appearance at all being that she had just suffered a mild stroke the month before and had performed for nearly 2 hours the night before in Vegas.

Mary Wilson had no stroke

[marv2]

Mary Wilson had no stroke

They took her to the hospital right after she and Sam Moore taped the Regis & Kelly here in NY. She had a mild stroke [[Cindy Birdsong had one too but years earlier). If you watch and listen to Mary closely on Motown 45, she slurs her words slightly. When she went to Detroit not long after that for the Four Tops 50th Anniversary Celebration, she was still affected even though she had made great improvement. I can't get into more detail than that.....here.

[BayouMotownMan]

Mary Wilson NEVER said she had a stroke.

[marv2]

Mary Wilson NEVER said she had a stroke.

You're getting to be a bit ridiculous now. LOL! How else would I know this? LOL!

[BayouMotownMan]

For the same reasons you claim to know more than you do. Mary Wilson did not have a stroke and wouldn't appreciate anybody spreading this as it can have an impact on her bookings. There was a health incident yes but nobody said stroke

[luke]

Mary is fine now. It was 13 years ago!!

[BayouMotownMan]

Exactly Luke. Why make something sound so much worse than it was.

[marv2]

For the same reasons you claim to know more than you do. Mary Wilson did not have a stroke and wouldn't appreciate anybody spreading this as it can have an impact on her bookings. There was a health incident yes but nobody said stroke

See, this is why I don't like sharing much in these kinds of threads. Mary had a mild stroke and that is not something you just make up! It didn't have any impact on her bookings back when it happened. Didn't read where I say she performed the night before the TV special taping in Vegas? You can believe whatever you want to believe. I keep most stuff to myself anyway. I thought you wanted to know why Mary was not performing at 100% wattage for that TV special.

[marv2]

Mary is fine now. It was 13 years ago!!

She is very fine........

[BayouMotownMan]

See, this is why I don't like sharing much in these kinds of threads. Mary had a mild stroke and that is not something you just make up! It didn't have any impact on her bookings back when it happened. Didn't read where I say she performed the night before the TV special taping in Vegas? You can believe whatever you want to believe. I keep most stuff to myself anyway. I thought you wanted to know why Mary was not performing at 100% wattage for that TV special.

Since when do you keep anything to yourself bud? You constantly plant falsehoods in a desperate attempt for recognition. If you had any class at all you simply would have stated that Mary had been ill during or before the taping. But neither Mary nor anyone in her camp ever said anything about her having a stroke.

But I just cut and pasted your remarks and sent them directly to Mary's email. I'm sure Jay Schwartz will handle this with Lowell

[thanxal]

Can we please stop the nasty things being said about Mary Wilson on this thread? It disheartens me as much to read such disrespect towards Mary as it does when I read it about Diana.

[marv2]

Since when do you keep anything to yourself bud? You constantly plant falsehoods in a desperate attempt for recognition. If you had any class at all you simply would have stated that Mary had been ill during or before the taping. But neither Mary nor anyone in her camp ever said anything about her having a stroke.

But I just cut and pasted your remarks and sent them directly to Mary's email. I'm sure Jay Schwartz will handle this with Lowell

Just make sure you copy and paste this as well Rick:

"Yes and what a disaster that was. Mary sounded bad, Cindy sounded worse. But at least Cindy hadn't sang in 20 yrs. Mary blamed her vocal on medication.

The following days radio stations blared out Supremes music saying "This is the way it was supposed to sound," or "Now you know why Diana Ross was the lead singer.

After this travesty gratefully no more Motown reunions have been planned

In her last interview with Goldmine magazine Cindy acknowledged she and Mary sounded bad but said she didn't know why."

[BayouMotownMan]

Not a problem Marv, Mary admitted she sounded bad and it was because of medication she was on. BUT THERE WAS NO STROKE

[Ozmo]

This thread was originally about payments made to Diana Ross and Mary Wilson by Motown and [[not surprisingly) has gone way off track.

In an attempt to get it back on subject, I have a question that has been in my head for awhile. Does anyone know whether Diana, Mary and the other artists portrayed in Motown The Musical receive any royalties or financial payment for allowing their depiction in this production?

I understand that this production has been quite successful financially and wonder whether the original artists share in this success.

[thanxal]

I choose to celebrate Mary.