Name that person!

[marybrewster]

Check out this item for sale on eBay; a picture of the Supremes making a telephone call.

The back of the picture says "The Supremes phone a girl friend who is married to a member of the Temptations, another singing group".

Any idea who this "girl friend" could be?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Original...item45f59aad26

[jsmith]

It can't have been Cal Gill Street as Diana had left the Supremes before Richard Street joined the Temptations.

[pj1]

The caption may well be one created/fabricated by Motown/the newspaper [[identified on back as the Chicago Tribune) in order to give extra publicity to 2 groups- the Supremes & the Temptations.
To me, the photo seems to have a posed quality. I can imagine the photographer taking several shots of all 3 as a group or individually in the hotel room. While Flo and Mary are sitting, he/she sees a photo opportunity by asking the Supremes to pick up the phone [[Flo being seated nearest to it, obliges). Mary seems to be looking into the mirror at the photographer and whomever else might be in the room with them. Note that she and Flo are smiling, not talking. Diana, always the consumate performer, looks to be intently interested in the [[supposed) phone conversation.

[reese]

I think all of the Tempts except Otis were married at this point, 1966. So it could have been any of their wives, if the caption is indeed genuine.

By saying "...the Temptations, another singing group", it makes me think that Motown's PR department was trying to get more attention for the Tempts.

[randy_russi]

I thought one of their wives was a cousin of Florence's who sometimes traveled with the Supremes as a hairdresser.
Was it Winnie Brown? Wasn't she involved with one of the Temps, maybe Paul?

[copley]

Looks posed to me. Mmm, phoning a friend - perhaps Florence was on quiz show 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'

[pj1]

The Supremes would co-host The Mike Douglas Show on July 13, 1966. The Temptations were guests on that episode. It may well have been PR at work [[a little more than 3 months prior to the coupling) to link the 2 groups together in people's minds.

[reese]

I thought one of their wives was a cousin of Florence's who sometimes traveled with the Supremes as a hairdresser.
Was it Winnie Brown? Wasn't she involved with one of the Temps, maybe Paul?

Yes. Winnie went with Paul Williams, but he was already married to someone else.

[marybrewster]

pj; those were my thoughts as well. Something whipped up to get the names "Supremes" and "Temptations" in the paper.

I doubt Florence or any of the Supremes would have a phone conversation while a room full of photographers and newspaper reporters listen in.

[reese]

The Supremes would co-host The Mike Douglas Show on July 13, 1966. The Temptations were guests on that episode. It may well have been PR at work [[a little more than 3 months prior to the coupling) to link the 2 groups together in people's minds.

I think it was around this time that Motown hired Shelly Berger to manage the Supremes and Tempts, and to kick their careers up a notch. Part of the plan was joint appearances, albums of standards [[IN A MELLOW MOOD), and having the Tempts break into the Copa, like the Supremes had already done.