Puzzling Supremes Photo

[nomis]

came across this pic ive never seen before ..is it from a photo shoot ? or a tv performance ? if you look closely in the upper left it looks like part of a tv camera does anyone know ? cheers

[reese]

I think it was taken on the set of IT'S HAPPENING, a short video they did for maybe a Detroit charity or something? I forget the exact purpose.

[nomis]

I think it was taken on the set of IT'S HAPPENING, a short video they did for maybe a Detroit charity or something? I forget the exact purpose.

thanks Reese thought you or Sup Fan would know..so that makes it a missing tv appearance [[ a subject of The Supremes i love )

[floyjoy678]

Yeah it was some 30 minute video thing they filmed that coincided with the Hollywood Bowl benefit I believe. It was filmed in March or April of '67. Wasn't this where Flo complained that originally all three Supremes were equally given speaking lines but eventually most were given to Diana?

[nomis]

thanks for info Floyjoy678.. much appreciated

[sup_fan]

so this was in early April 67. the girls filmed It's Happening which i believe was in support of the United Foundation. two images from this event were used in a local Detroit magazine.


Attachment 18819

Attachment 18820

these gold gowns were worn by both DMF and DMC

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as for that story from Call Her Miss Ross about Diana telling Berry to give her all the lines, 1) i'm not 100% sure that story is true or at least wasn't embellished at the time and 2) i don't know if this is that event. There are other pics of DMF from 67 at some outdoor event and wearing chic casual clothing. Flo's in some sort of floral print dress and coat

[reese]

so this was in early April 67. the girls filmed It's Happening which i believe was in support of the United Foundation. two images from this event were used in a local Detroit magazine.


Attachment 18819

Attachment 18820

these gold gowns were worn by both DMF and DMC

Attachment 18821
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as for that story from Call Her Miss Ross about Diana telling Berry to give her all the lines, 1) i'm not 100% sure that story is true or at least wasn't embellished at the time and 2) i don't know if this is that event. There are other pics of DMF from 67 at some outdoor event and wearing chic casual clothing. Flo's in some sort of floral print dress and coat

I believe the story as J. Randy told it was the incident happened during the filming of a commercial in the Brewster Projects. Interestingly enough, he left the story out of his subsequent Diana book.

The outdoor event at which the girls wore casual clothing was [[again, I believe) the dedication of a swimming pool in Washington, DC. There is at least one photo taken at the same time of the girls with Hubert Humphrey.

[nomis]

Sup fan and reese both of your knowledge is amazing thank you so much deep respect to you both

[sup_fan]

I believe the story as J. Randy told it was the incident happened during the filming of a commercial in the Brewster Projects. Interestingly enough, he left the story out of his subsequent Diana book.

The outdoor event at which the girls wore casual clothing was [[again, I believe) the dedication of a swimming pool in Washington, DC. There is at least one photo taken at the same time of the girls with Hubert Humphrey.

ah good to know about the pool. seems a bit "insignificant" to be at the opening of a swimming pool but hey. publicity is publicity. and i'm assuming it's a pool in the inner city which typically never had such things. so that does make it more meaningful

i was curious too about the content that was omitted between Randy's two books. does that mean that the initial story didn't happen? didn't happen the way it was told? was embellished in order to make CHMR more sensational for the 80s? recent evidence or information contradicted the story?

[sup_fan]

Sup fan and reese both of your knowledge is amazing thank you so much deep respect to you both

thank Nomis but i can't claim this knowledge. many many fans have shared all of this wonderful content like Brad, Andy, George, Bayou, Steven Woods and many others. I simply try to either jot it down in my Supremes history excel sheets or save the pics. i'm just passing this stuff along and sharing with the rest of us fans

[reese]

i was curious too about the content that was omitted between Randy's two books. does that mean that the initial story didn't happen? didn't happen the way it was told? was embellished in order to make CHMR more sensational for the 80s? recent evidence or information contradicted the story?

Could be a combination of all of those things.

For instance in CHMR, he writes about Flo's funeral, and includes a section where he says Flo's mom was sitting in the front, looking suspiciously at Tommy Chapman to her left and Diana to her right. But Maxine Ballard's book said that Flo's mom didn't even attend the funeral so where did the story come from in the first place?

There's also some instances in CHMR where he attributes a quote anonymously but in the later book, he actually uses the name of the person. Plus much of the Motown/Mafia stuff is gone from the later book as well.

[reese]

ah good to know about the pool. seems a bit "insignificant" to be at the opening of a swimming pool but hey. publicity is publicity. and i'm assuming it's a pool in the inner city which typically never had such things. so that does make it more meaningful.

In the FAREWELL album booklet, there's a photo of DMF surrounded by a group of young black children. It looks to be taken at the same event.

[reese]

thank Nomis but i can't claim this knowledge. many many fans have shared all of this wonderful content like Brad, Andy, George, Bayou, Steven Woods and many others. I simply try to either jot it down in my Supremes history excel sheets or save the pics. i'm just passing this stuff along and sharing with the rest of us fans

Same here. Plus I've read so many Supremes / Motown books that info is just swimming in my head. I try to reference it if I can so that people can read it for themselves, if they'd like.

[RanRan79]

Going off memory, the story regarding the commercial taping in CHMR was attributed to Florence and she was quoted as saying- paraphrasing here- that the argument that ensued because of Diana's last minute spotlight hog had an audience of residents from the projects and that the scene became embarrassing so the two of them shut up. Not sure why we would question this story and not the tons of others where Diana needed to be center of attention. Of course this was also Flo's side of the story, so her memory may have been exaggerated due to the hostile atmosphere surrounding the time of the memory. But it isn't one of the stories I question in the book. Seems like a Rossy thing to do.

It's my understanding that the follow up book by JRT was a way of attempting to undo the damage of the first book, particularly his relationship to Diana. While the second book is, IMO, as good as the first, some of the bad looks of Diana in the first book didn't make it to the second. Plus, some stories made it into the second book that didn't make the first and of course vice versa. The two books weren't meant to be the same book, so it should come as no surprise that stuff from the first didn't make it into the second.

[RanRan79]

Same here. Plus I've read so many Supremes / Motown books that info is just swimming in my head. I try to reference it if I can so that people can read it for themselves, if they'd like.

Agreed. Sometimes it's hard to remember exactly which source to cite because of all the reading, but I try my best to keep my claims sourced because folks love to accuse someone of having made something up. I love when I can tell somebody the name of the source, the page, even the paragraph number if need be.

Still trying to figure out where I read about Flo's Latin Casino gig. I would've sworn it was in Benjaminson's book but I couldn't find it for the life of me. It's still pissing me off that I can't track it down. It was from Al Abrams, I stake my life on that. Just can't remember where.

[BayouMotownMan]

Could be a combination of all of those things.

For instance in CHMR, he writes about Flo's funeral, and includes a section where he says Flo's mom was sitting in the front, looking suspiciously at Tommy Chapman to her left and Diana to her right. But Maxine Ballard's book said that Flo's mom didn't even attend the funeral so where did the story come from in the first place?

There's also some instances in CHMR where he attributes a quote anonymously but in the later book, he actually uses the name of the person. Plus much of the Motown/Mafia stuff is gone from the later book as well.

Mrs Ballard did attend Flo's funeral, she did not attend the burial

[RanRan79]

Mrs Ballard did attend Flo's funeral, she did not attend the burial

Maxine says her mother didn't attend the funeral as she couldn't bear the funeral of another child. The poor lady had already had to bury a three year old son many years before, and then buried another son in 1973 only to have to turn around and bury a daughter two or so years later. That seems like more than any one woman should have to deal with, ever. But she seemed to be a pretty strong lady, she just couldn't deal with Flo's funeral. I've never seen a photo of her in the church. And the lady that is sometimes credited as Flo's mother at the funeral has on a church nurse uniform. That always pisses me off.

[midnightman]

Maxine says her mother didn't attend the funeral as she couldn't bear the funeral of another child. The poor lady had already had to bury a three year old son many years before, and then buried another son in 1973 only to have to turn around and bury a daughter two or so years later. That seems like more than any one woman should have to deal with, ever. But she seemed to be a pretty strong lady, she just couldn't deal with Flo's funeral. I've never seen a photo of her in the church. And the lady that is sometimes credited as Flo's mother at the funeral has on a church nurse uniform. That always pisses me off.

Didn't Lurlee Ballard die shortly after Flo passed?

[RanRan79]

Didn't Lurlee Ballard die shortly after Flo passed?

She died six years later.

[Jaap]

i was curious too about the content that was omitted between Randy's two books. does that mean that the initial story didn't happen? didn't happen the way it was told? was embellished in order to make CHMR more sensational for the 80s? recent evidence or information contradicted the story?

This question is even more valid when comparing his first book on Diana Ross, simply entitled "Diana" from 1985 [[published by Doubleday) with "Call Her Miss Ross" published 4 years later. Both are very well researched, yet "Call Her Miss Ross" includes much more innuendo, quotes from anonymous "friends" and an overall negative spin of Ross being a difficult B-word [[hence the title). The second book sold much better, which is not surprising as that kind of innuendo tends to sell.

[sup_fan]

yeah i really enjoy Diana. also enjoy his early book on Motown. the title is something like: Motown - Hot Wax, City Cool, Solid Gold.

[reese]

This question is even more valid when comparing his first book on Diana Ross, simply entitled "Diana" from 1985 [[published by Doubleday) with "Call Her Miss Ross" published 4 years later. Both are very well researched, yet "Call Her Miss Ross" includes much more innuendo, quotes from anonymous "friends" and an overall negative spin of Ross being a difficult B-word [[hence the title). The second book sold much better, which is not surprising as that kind of innuendo tends to sell.

I really liked the "Diana" book from 1985. I can remember spending all of my allowance one weekend only to go to Barnes and Noble and see this prominently displayed. I must have drooled over it for a good half hour before I caught the bus back home, begged my sister for some money, and went back to the bookstore to buy it. It is still one of my favorites.

[reese]

yeah i really enjoy Diana. also enjoy his early book on Motown. the title is something like: Motown - Hot Wax, City Cool, Solid Gold.

That was a good one as well. Lots of interesting facts and great stories.