Other than the "Farewell" performance in 1970, were Diana and Jean ever photographed together?
Other than the "Farewell" performance in 1970, were Diana and Jean ever photographed together?
it's certainly possible at some Motown family picnic or something. There were times when the Sups attended Diana shows and Diana attended Supremes show. so i'm sure there were some. maybe in a local newspaper or a fan collection
it is interesting to see M and L at the NAACP Image Awards sitting at a table with Diana. But no Jean apparently
I know there are pics with Diana and almost every other Supreme [[quite a few with Scherrie in the 80's and 90's) but I've never seen her with Jean. Just thought I'd ask.
Jean has been so hot and cold about Show Business. She's a Supreme then she leaves the group and the busines. Then she records a solo LP but refuses to promote it due to "religious reasons". Then she pops up in the Flo's a few years later. Then she quits the group, only to have her solo Supreme Jean show. Hot mess.
Could be any number of reasons why Jean is in and out. I think the most important thing to remember about a lot of these artists, whether they were hit makers or superstars or flops, is that when the performing gene dwells inside it can be a difficult challenge to suppress it. They all start out with the love of singing, which segues into the love of performing. I'd offer that this is what every Supreme had in common. Then comes the business side of it, particularly record labels, which often corrupts the love [[and art) of singing and performing. With all the horror stories that have emerged over the years about the shenanigans in the industry, it doesn't shock me that for some there's a wishy washy attitude when it comes their own participation. When you factor in the emerging tale of the woman in the entertainment industry in the wake of "Me Too", one has to wonder if that has anything to do with Jean's attitude as well. Those rumors of her and Gordy and something happening was something I heard long before Marv would bring it up around here.
There's a couple of performances of the FLOs with Jean in the late 80's floating around YouTube. To me, it's just filled with cheese factor. Where in the 70's, she had this VOICE and this PRESENCE about her, these performances come off as aloof and uninspired.
I have met Jean and to say she is a very complex lady is a severe understatement.
She had her own reasons for behaving the way she did. She was never happy in the spotlight and always resented the comparisons with Diana.
I cannot for the life of me fathom out why she signed the solo deal with A&M. It had to be for financial reasons and nothing more. She knew she would be expected to get herself out there and promote the product yet all but refused to do so.
As i stated previously she was one very complex lady.
Jean provided many of my Supremes total career high points. Touch is my fav Supremes LP....and there are "masterpieces" on every LP..I love her style.
I can understand her getting fed up with the groups constant road work...if she was a "salaried" employee, all that road work and the company not aggressively pushing the recorded product meant a huge loss of income for her in royalty payments.
She has a reputation for sticking to her own principles and boundaries...perhaps she just would rather not be active in the business than not be her own boss.
I had the pleasure of meeting the Flos, Jean, Scherrie, Lynda and had the opportunity to chat to them and found them completely charming and friendly, posing for photos and enjoying meeting fans, it was a shame Jean did not stick around as a member of the group, they were starting to gain a following in the UK with TV appearances and headlining the Motor City tour [[ with the Ian Lavine label )
Jean is a wonderfully gifted singer. so it could be that every so often she misses being able to sing. that could be what draws her back into the business. but, as we've discussed, it seems she really doesn't care for the "business" side of things. politics, label issues, grind of the road, etc.
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