Can we talk about how sweet, gorgeous, talented and charming Cindy Birdsong is?

[TomBairdFan]

Cindy Birdsong on the cover of the UK's prestigious Sunday Times Magazine, March 14 1971. From The Motown Scrapbook.

[waynesville]

Ooooh!!! Please post the rest of the article

[marv2]

Cindy was gorgeous. That is a very nice collector's item. Thanks TombairdFan for sharing it.

[loganjlr]

I always used to mentally beg for more Cindy Birdsong lead vocals on Supremes, but "The Sha-La Bandit" confirmed to me her strength as a harmonizer. I think she has a great voice, but it's rare when you find someone who can steal the show with a specific harmony. It took me a while to figure out it was Cindy singing the "We could beeee-" during Up The Ladder To The Roof [[when before I simply thought it was Jean's voice layered twice) but finally noticed her lip syncing it in a TV performance. Also, the way she handles the ending harmonies on "Touch" are magnificent. While I love the Lynda Laurence "Model of the Year" version, I feel like Cindy would hit those "Touuuuuch" harmonies way more confidently than Lynda did.

[Boogiedown]

It took me a while to figure out it was Cindy singing the "We could beeee-" during Up The Ladder To The Roof [[when before I simply thought it was Jean's voice layered twice) but finally noticed her lip syncing it in a TV performance. .

Good one! I'll listen for that!

[sup_fan]

I always used to mentally beg for more Cindy Birdsong lead vocals on Supremes, but "The Sha-La Bandit" confirmed to me her strength as a harmonizer. I think she has a great voice, but it's rare when you find someone who can steal the show with a specific harmony. It took me a while to figure out it was Cindy singing the "We could beeee-" during Up The Ladder To The Roof [[when before I simply thought it was Jean's voice layered twice) but finally noticed her lip syncing it in a TV performance. Also, the way she handles the ending harmonies on "Touch" are magnificent. While I love the Lynda Laurence "Model of the Year" version, I feel like Cindy would hit those "Touuuuuch" harmonies way more confidently than Lynda did.

it took me years to realize that Cindy is doing lead on Bridge Over Troubled Water. I thought Mary started it and then Jean did two lines. now though I can hear the subtle differences. Cindy really has a warm, soft sexy voice. the way she can whisper a vocal and caress it. matches perfectly with her bedroom eyes. I do think she was sort of the Marilyn Monroe of the group during these years and when they did the genie segment later, that was a perfect fit.

I wonder if some of the really soft, silky songs that Mary Wells did wouldn't have been a nice fit for cindy. Given smokey's work with Mary Well and Wanda Rogers, I'd have thought he could have done something more with Cindy on the Floy Joy set. I do love her ad libs in Sunshine and her spoken part in Wisdom.

Imagine what her hypnotic take on one of the verses in Automatically Sunshine would have been like!!

[franjoy56]

Cindy contributed a lot to the supremes that people don't realize. When i went.to the july 29 1967 show at forest hills stadium i already knew flo was gone as it.was in the papers and on the radio. But iwent to.the show anyway. It took me months to her in the group fast forward to the ed sullivan appearance on forever came today 8 months later i became sold on cindy. She eased t tension in the group kept t act going as diana ross and the supremes where she could have easily said no. Singing behind a featured headliner as a mere backup at most. When the 70s hit she really came into her own as a supreme and artist. The supremes should have been greatful they had a cindy birdsong in their act especi@lly diana and mary. Did u hear how she belted out let the sunshine in on that farewell lp.

[franjoy56]

Missing word. It took me months to LIKE her.

[khansperac]

One thing I have always wondered about Cindy is this. On the farewell performance for Diana Ross and the Supremes I thought that Mary had one solo and Cindy also had a solo, but it was brought to my attention that Mary is actually singing both of those solos. Is that true? Did anyone see their shows in 1968 or 1969 because IÂ’m wondering if in fact each had a solo, And perhaps on the night of the final performance Cindy wasn’t up to it so Mary ended up singing both. Can anyone clarify?

[luke]

I always assumed Mary got two solos because it was their final shows. To my knowledge Cindy never had a solo in the 60s Supremes.

[rod_rick]

it took me years to realize that Cindy is doing lead on Bridge Over Troubled Water. I thought Mary started it and then Jean did two lines. now though I can hear the subtle differences. Cindy really has a warm, soft sexy voice. the way she can whisper a vocal and caress it. matches perfectly with her bedroom eyes. I do think she was sort of the Marilyn Monroe of the group during these years and when they did the genie segment later, that was a perfect fit.

I wonder if some of the really soft, silky songs that Mary Wells did wouldn't have been a nice fit for cindy. Given smokey's work with Mary Well and Wanda Rogers, I'd have thought he could have done something more with Cindy on the Floy Joy set. I do love her ad libs in Sunshine and her spoken part in Wisdom.

Imagine what her hypnotic take on one of the verses in Automatically Sunshine would have been like!!

There is a live recording of "Floy Joy" from the Merv Griffin show floating around with Mary, Jean and Cindy all singing lead imo is very good.

[marv2]

There is a live recording of "Floy Joy" from the Merv Griffin show floating around with Mary, Jean and Cindy all singing lead imo is very good.

Yeah, I liked how they romped right through that song. Very soulful.

[marv2]

[marv2]

Missing word. It took me months to LIKE her.

That was a pretty major change when the founder of the group is no longer there.

[marv2]

I told Cindy I liked No Matter What Sign You Are as she sang more on it!lol. She smiled and I think she said thank you!

She was no dumb Dolly. LOL!!!!

[midnightman]

Reportedly, although Cindy had subbed off and on for Florence, she apparently didn't alert Patti, Sarah and Nona when she signed for good with The Supremes. One account maintains that one evening before a Bluebelles show she simply didn't show up and couldn't be contacted, leaving the other members in a quandary, not knowing exactly what had happened, and they just had to go onstage as a trio as best they could under those circumstances, and that was that. She was probably under pressure from Gordy to get over there immediately so it seems she just left without a word. If this is true, it's understandable that the other gals would harbor some resentment. And yes, Patti eventually forgave her, but Nona reportedly remains bitter. [[No word on Sarah.) Even before Cindy started subbing for Flo, one story goes that when the two groups were on the same show Cindy visited The Supremes in the dressing room. Somehow they decided to doll her up like them, painted and eyelashed her, and even plopped one of their wigs on her head. When she emerged in that condition, it's said that Nona ripped the wig off her head and tossed it onto the floor! Drama...drama...

The competition between the Supremes and the Bluebelles/Labelle was heavy. Probably heavier than the rivalries within Motown girl groups. Labelle's 1973 track "[[Can I Speak to You Before You Go To) Hollywood" was allegedly about Cindy. In their view, Cindy just simply forgot them and went to live a good life as a Supremes member/Motown artist. Nona and Sarah came from Trenton and Patti from West Philly, and Cindy knew how they were so maybe she knew they'd be, in Robin Harris' voice, "pissed off to the highest level of pisstivity", when they found out she had joined the Supremes so she decided to just leave them hanging, she obviously didn't mean to. Cindy had been with them for roughly six years and they all treated each other like family so Patti's, Nona's and Sarah's anger was understood.

Took Patti YEARS to forgave her. Apparently, Cindy said that when Patti was touring in Los Angeles, Cindy saw her show and Patti saw her and told her to come up and they shared a long hug and the crowd gave them a huge standing ovation. Think this was around the time If Only You Knew became Patti's first major solo hit in 1984 [[so you'd see her with the bob hairdo that was popular in black circles at the time; the one you'd see Cherrelle and a young Whitney Houston wear).

Nona and Sarah were probably hardest to break, and Nona definitely. But I think all's been forgiven since Cindy was with them when Labelle got their star in the Philadelphia Walk of Fame [[think Cindy was also there when Patti got her solo star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame).

But back on topic, Cindy seems to be the SWEETEST of the Supremes [[well her and Susaye)...

[midnightman]

I always assumed Mary got two solos because it was their final shows. To my knowledge Cindy never had a solo in the 60s Supremes.

I assume Motown was prepping to make sure Diana got her star exit and then when the replacement came, Cindy would get more vocal opportunities, including some leads. Berry was something else...