CiNDY BIRDSONG JUNE 2023 UPDATE

[milven]

A few weeks ago, Mary Brewster asked how a Brad Herman was involved with Cindy Birdsong. I cant find the thread here where I posted, but I mentioned that Cindy had two strokes, was immobile and couldnt speak and that Brad Herman took over POA for Cindy who had to be rescued from a bad situation.

In today's NY TIMES, there is a much fuller story of Cindy's situation and it answers many questions. After reading it, it shows that her family had to rescue Cindy from her room mate who had taken over complete control of Cindy's life. It shows that Sherrie and Diana helped her on occasion financially .

A lot of our questions about Cindy are answered in this long piece in the NY TIMES. I'm glad that her family was able to rescue her from a bad situation.

This picture of Cindy and her brother and his wife is from about ten years ago.



Here is link to NY TIMES article. It is must reading for Supremes and Cindy fans

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/29/a...vatorship.html

[milven]

Here is the article for those who couldnt get to the link
partt 1

The Family of a Former Supreme Battles for Control of Her Life
Cindy Birdsong’s relatives have asked a court to place her in a conservatorship after they became concerned that her longtime friend had too much say over her care and finances.

By Julia Jacobs and Christopher Petkanas
June 29, 2023
Updated 8:11 a.m. ET
For nearly a decade, Cindy Birdsong reigned as a member of the Supremes. Never as well-known as Diana Ross, Mary Wilson or even Florence Ballard — the singer she replaced in 1967 — she was, nonetheless, Motown royalty, whether onstage with the Temptations or at the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr.

But Birdsong’s life changed dramatically after she left the group in 1976. Her finances fell apart and she eventually sold off the trappings of celebrity life, took an office job and largely withdrew from the limelight, resurfacing only occasionally at Motown events.

Much about Birdsong’s situation remained largely hidden from view, close friends and family say, because of her isolated life inside a Los Angeles apartment she shared with Rochelle Lander, a longtime friend with whom she started a Christian ministry.

Now the depths of Birdsong’s financial and medical struggles have become public as her family has gone to court to request a legal conservatorship to govern her affairs. They say the singer, 83, is
totally incapacitated after suffering several strokes, and had to be rescued from Lander, a person they say began exerting undue influence over Birdsong’s care and finances, isolating her from friends and family even as her health worsened.

“She was keeping us in the blind,” said Ronald Birdsong, the former Supreme’s brother. He asked a Los Angeles Superior Court judge last month to appoint him as one of two conservators for his sister.
Lander has argued that for many years she was the only person willing to help Birdsong, a contention the family denies.

The dispute escalated in 2021 when the Los Angeles police, at the urging of Birdsong’s family, removed the singer from the apartment, citing her deteriorating condition. She is now in a skilled nursing facility.

The removal was put in motion by Brad Herman, a representative of the family who has been asked to serve as a co-conservator by Birdsong’s relatives. Herman, an entertainment business manager whose high-profile celebrity clients have included Burt Reynolds and Pat Boone, has a power of attorney signed by Birdsong’s three living siblings and a sister-in-law.

“It has been an open secret among the Motown family, the tragedy of Cindy,” Herman said in an interview.
Lander considered but did not agree to an interview, and stopped responding to inquiries. During Birdsong’s removal by the police, Lander defended her treatment of her friend, challenged the family’s right to intervene and displayed her own power of attorney form that Birdsong had signed over a decade earlier, which she said gave her the right to direct the singer’s medical and financial decision making.

“She had a complete mental break; no one would help her,” Lander told the police, according to a video of the encounter that took place in the hallway outside Birdsong’s apartment. “Nobody else would do it.”

Birdsong’s struggles follow a remarkable ascent to stardom for the eldest daughter of a Campbell Soup warehouse worker from Camden, N.J. In her early 20s, after learning to sing in the church choir, Birdsong became a doo-wop girl on the chitlin circuit, the network of venues where Black performers found refuge during segregation. While performing with Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles, Birdsong often crossed paths with the Supremes, admiring the rising group’s glamour before she eventually was picked to replace Ballard.

The switch in singers, which some later recognized as an inspiration for “Dreamgirls,” the fictional musical and film, came at a critical moment for the Supremes. Their fame and influence had rocketed after No. 1 hits including “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” and “You Can’t Hurry Love,” but a name change — to Diana Ross and the Supremes — reflected the group’s shifting dynamics. Birdsong, a fluty soprano who bore a resemblance to Ballard — the women even had the same shoe and dress size — was professional, poised and well practiced. With her gentle manner and polished skills, she was well suited for a daunting role: keeping one of Motown’s premier acts on track.

“Cindy had a strong voice and charisma,” Gerald Posner, a Motown historian, said in an interview. “She’s the one who had to make the change look seamless — and she did.”

Birdsong’s profile soared as a Supreme, for good and for bad. In 1969 she was kidnapped at knife point from her apartment, and only escaped by jumping from a moving vehicle, an incident that still shook her years later, friends and family said. The following year, Ross departed for a solo career, but Birdsong stayed on before being asked to leave the group herself in 1976. Not long after her departure, the singer said in interviews that she had agreed to a “bad closing deal” with Motown Records that left her financially bereft.

[milven]

Part 2
Facing divorce and deeply depressed, Birdsong said in an interview in the 1990s, she was suicidal, with “pills in one hand, television changer in the other,” when she came upon the televangelist Jim Bakker preaching directly through the TV to a celebrity who had seen fame and glory but was ready to take their life. That was when she turned to religion, she said.

“God told me,” Birdsong recalled, “what my whole life was about. He said, ‘I gave you all these things and you got corrupted in them.’ And I was ordained to serve him, even from the womb.”
In the 1980s, Birdsong attempted a comeback as a soloist, but the effort petered out. She came to share an apartment with Lander, who had also been a performer and appeared in several TV shows in the 1970s and ’80s. Both women became increasingly involved with their faith and Birdsong said she chose to sing religious music, not Motown or other pop, often working to bring Christian songs to children and homeless people.

In one incident in 2012, the record producer Steve Weaver recalled in a phone interview, he was preparing to record a duet featuring Birdsong and Scherrie Payne, another former Supreme. He said the project would have provided Birdsong with extra cash, but that Lander intervened in the studio, declaring Birdsong was “not recording any secular music now.”

“Cindy went along with it,” said Payne, who said she witnessed Lander step in. “She was heavily into her evangelism.”

Money remained an issue despite efforts by some Motown alumni to help. Payne said she and Diana Ross gave Birdsong money. Eric Iversen, a manager of former Supremes, said he did too. Berry Gordy, the Motown founder who had hired Birdsong as a Supreme, also provided financial assistance to her over the years, according to a statement from his office.

For many in that circle, Birdsong’s predicament echoed that of Ballard, who had ended up on welfare after being fired from the Supremes. She died at 32 of cardiac arrest.

For years, Birdsong’s siblings did not take issue with Lander taking the lead on caring for their sister, they said. But Melody Birdsong, a sister-in-law, said that after Cindy had a second major stroke about seven years ago, Lander became increasingly secretive about the status of Birdsong’s health, at one point refusing to tell the family the medical facility where she was receiving care.

“We didn’t even know where Cindy was,” Melody Birdsong said.

Birdsong’s only child, David Hewlett, and her brother Ronald said that for years they had difficulty visiting Cindy or reaching her through Lander. Hewlett said that several years ago, he and Payne went to the apartment with police to make certain they could gain entry.

Ronald Birdsong, who lives in New Jersey, said he once took a weeklong trip to California and tried to visit his sister repeatedly without success.

Mary Wilson, an original member of the Supremes who died in 2021, had discussed her own frustrations around not being able to reach Birdsong, said Mark Bego, a close friend who co-wrote a book about the group with her.

Family members initiated the conservatorship proceeding to ensure, they said, that Birdsong’s life and finances could not again become subject to Lander’s control.

The court has scheduled a hearing for August.

Ronald Birdsong said the family hopes the conservatorship process will provide a more complete accounting of his sister’s income and assets, though neither appear to be substantial. Birdsong is not known to have retained significant royalty rights, though she received payments totaling less than “six figures” from one company in 2021, according to Herman, who took over a bank account of hers that year.

The Birdsong family rejected Lander’s assertion that they had never been there to help or offer financial assistance. Ronald Birdsong said he opened a joint bank account in his and his sister’s name. Charles Hewlett, Birdsong’s ex-husband, said he had sent checks. Both said Lander declined their aid.

Herman said he became involved in Birdsong’s affairs seven years ago, after a longtime mutual friend called him, concerned about the singer’s well-being. Family members say he has been instrumental in making new care arrangements for Cindy.

“Without Brad, I don’t know where we’d be,” Melody Birdsong said.

Family members said their concerns grew a few years ago when several relatives were allowed into the apartment and were shocked to find Cindy on a feeding tube. They resolved that day to find her a new living arrangement.

“I was so devastated this last time I went to see my sister because that’s not how she was the last time that I saw her,” Cindy’s sister Terri Birdsong said. “I was able to feed her and cook for her and then I show up and she’s on a feeding tube?”

During the 2021 police intervention, Lander defended her care of Birdsong. She complained that Birdsong never received needed money that had been raised for her in 2013 by a performing arts organization. She explained that she had been the person who arranged for her friend to move into a skilled nursing facility at one point, and she noted that the city’s Adult Protective Services had been to the apartment and had not elected to remove her. [[The agency declined to comment on its finding.)

Lander told the officers it was ill advised to take Birdsong to the hospital amid the pandemic, noting that they both had “religious objections” to the Covid vaccine.

“The family has known about this; they can’t come in without giving me due process,” Lander said before the emergency personnel entered and wheeled Birdsong out on a gurney, according to the video of the police response.

Clayton Golliher, a pastor and director of an organization called Hope for Homeless Youth, said that Lander and Birdsong had been involved with his program for years and that he had never seen anything to question Lander’s care and affection for Birdsong.

“I didn’t get anything but 100 percent positive about Rochelle and the way she was sensitive to Cindy,” Golliher said.

In the conservatorship application, Birdsong’s condition is summarized by the nursing facility, which says she is unable to get out of bed or communicate, and that she is on a feeding tube.

As Birdsong lay in bed last year, Herman brought in a figure from her Motown days, hoping that he could help energize her: Eddie Holland, a member of the songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland behind many of the Supremes’ hits. In an interview, Holland recalled that he started singing songs like “Baby Love” and “I Hear a Symphony,” and saw a sign of recognition.

“For some reason she starts smiling,” Holland said. “She grabbed my hand and sort of clutched my fingers.”

Susan Beachy contributed research. Lauren Herstik contributed reporting.

[milven]

Cindy Birdsong in 2004. Her health has declined significantly over the past two decades, and family members wish to have legal control over her medical decisions.

[RanRan79]

Thanks for posting Milven!!!

That was a sad read. Cindy has always been a fan favorite because of her sweet vibe. And I love how the article pointed out that the "seamless" transition from Flo to Cindy is to Cindy's credit.

I'm always side eyeing non relatives who get so involved in these situations. Are there times when friends are more trustworthy than family? Absolutely. I've seen that situation play out more times than I can count in other families. But a lot of times that non relative is on some shady stuff and this "friend" of Cindy reeks of shady and cruel.

Why would you ever try to keep the family away? The Birdsong-Hewletts must not be anything like my family because we would've set it off up in that apartment years ago when we tried to visit and was barred. There would've been bars alright, after we were arrested on assault charges.

That this is the way things are for Cindy sickens me because she has brought so much joy to my life and so many others through song. I hope by some miracle, with a new facility and access to quality healthcare, that Cindy is able to regain some quality of life.

Thanks again for the post.

[RanRan79]

I must also apologize to Diana. Looks like she wasn't lying about not knowing where Cindy is or how to find her.

Also, where did Sarah Dash fit into all of this? Before her death she claimed she was Cindy's caretaker. Odd.

[sup_fan]

from pretty much every source and person, Cindy has always been described as a truly self-less person. kind, gentle, a true professional. it's absolutely heartbreaking to hear that someone so sweet has struggled so. financial, mental and physical.

i certainly hope that her family is successful. and wish that cindy's twilight years can retain some degree of comfort and happiness

i'm also going to avoid comments on Miss Lander. it might be that, while very misguided, she was doing what she honestly thought was best. perhaps it has something to do with their evangelism. that those NOT part of it are bad. I'm also not going to offer my opinions on organized religion. i'm sure everyone can read between these lines!

[sup_fan]

Thanks for posting Milven!!!

That was a sad read. Cindy has always been a fan favorite because of her sweet vibe. And I love how the article pointed out that the "seamless" transition from Flo to Cindy is to Cindy's credit.

I'm always side eyeing non relatives who get so involved in these situations. Are there times when friends are more trustworthy than family? Absolutely. I've seen that situation play out more times than I can count in other families. But a lot of times that non relative is on some shady stuff and this "friend" of Cindy reeks of shady and cruel.

Why would you ever try to keep the family away? The Birdsong-Hewletts must not be anything like my family because we would've set it off up in that apartment years ago when we tried to visit and was barred. There would've been bars alright, after we were arrested on assault charges.

That this is the way things are for Cindy sickens me because she has brought so much joy to my life and so many others through song. I hope by some miracle, with a new facility and access to quality healthcare, that Cindy is able to regain some quality of life.

Thanks again for the post.

this is 100% just my opinion. but my guess is the friend [[who is also heavily involved in this extremely evangelical religion and organization) feels that those that are NOT a part of the religion are bad and outsiders. I'll openly announce that i'm a christian and was raised presbyterian. but today my opinion on organized religion [[note NOT christianity or faith or spirituality) is extremely low. a majority amount of the world's suffering through history can be attributed to organized religion. some people can take a view of entitlement to a WHOLE different level.

i do truly hope that Cindy can continue to find peace and comfort in her final years

[Roberta75]

God bless and protect Miss Cindy Birdsong the sweetest Supreme and may the good Lord take her to Heaven when hes ready. A real sweet lady and the nicest Supreme ever. Maybe Miss Landers objects to the Covid vaccines but I doubt Miss Birdsong was in the right frame of mind to object or approve.

I have a cousin who refuses the vaccine as she believes theres a microchip in it. I avoid her at family gatherings. You cant argue with people like her plus she thinks Dionald Trump had nothing to do with January 6th. Shes cray cray IMO.

[lucky2012]

Much gratitude for posting these, Milven!!! Cindy has been so important in my life, as the Fourth Supreme. ❤️ She is well-loved here and in the world. I'm very happy she is still with us and I wish all the best to her and her family & friends.

[reese]

This is such sad news but I am glad that Cindy's family was able to free of her from the bad situation.

Circa 1991, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT did a story on Cindy. I was surprised to see her friend, Miss Lander in the piece. I recognized her as Ku-Tee, an actress from the PBS series THE RIGHTEOUS APPLES.

Cindy spoke a bit about her faith and how they didn't preach to people but all people would respond to a song. She also mentioned something about she thought Diana and Mary were coming to the Lord as well. I think the story might have ended with a mention of them selling their possessions to fund their ministry.

[jim aka jtigre99]

I saw this and it broke my heart. Apparently, all of her Motown friends and her family have done what they could. She has been helped financially by them. I did remember reading that Scherrie Payne was having difficulty seeing her and that Mary Wilson voiced frustration that she was unable to see her, as well, especially after her HAL award. I agree Ran that Diana was truthful, that she didn't know where Cindy was but that she was still helping her. Such a wonderful human being, I just pray she is taken care of and does not suffer. God bless her.

[Motown Eddie]

Thanks Milven for sharing the articles about Cindy Birdsong. Cindy's condition is such a sad story for a Beloved Entertainer and it's heartbreaking to know that she's in poor health.

[thanxal]

Thanks for this Milven. It is terribly saddening to read this, but like others said, I'm glad to know she is in better care now. I hope someone can tell Cindy how much her fans still love and adore her.

[BayouMotownMan]

I must also apologize to Diana. Looks like she wasn't lying about not knowing where Cindy is or how to find her.

Also, where did Sarah Dash fit into all of this? Before her death she claimed she was Cindy's caretaker. Odd.

I'm glad you said this about Diana. The quote about Sarah Dash I had never heard before.

Diana, Mary and even Berry Gordy have tried to help Cindy but their hands were tied by this woman Rochelle. Scherrie Payne, God bless her, had to get cops to let her, David Hewlett and Charles Hewlett in to see Cindy several years ago when Rochelle tried to stop them. MANY people have tried to help Cindy. I, along with many fans, sent money some years ago to help her, but I, for one, stopped when I became skeptical of what Rochelle was actually doing with the money. I was trying to help Cindy. Not Rochelle.

It is an ugly situation. I am sure Scherrie, Lynda, Susaye, Randy, Andy, all of us from the old school would have rathered anything but this kind of story to go out. I found out about it a week ago and dreaded it. I have to say the article is accurate and quite sympathetic toward Cindy and her family and I am grateful for this. I just hate beyond words that this will be part of this dear woman's legacy.

[Spreadinglove21]

Hopefully when this case goes before the court the judge will rule in favor of Cindy's family and that it will get this Rochelle woman out of their lives permanently. This article does give light to an ugly issue in society--elder abuse.

[sup_fan]

its a real shame that a Power Of Attorney seems to be in place and that'll make things extremely difficult. maybe there would be some grounds if that POA was implemented after she had started to decline or after a stroke. and that would assume there was a prior POA in place, which may or may not be the case.

i do hope that Rochelle isn't harming Cindy. i completely understand that barring loved ones and loving friends from accessing her is harmful but i'm hoping that mentally and physically she isn't being actively hurt.

as for cindy's legacy, she had already shared much back in the 80s. how she was broke, forgotten by one-time friends, suicidal. the fact that she is currently incapacitated is nothing shameful. she's an elderly person. health declines and things like strokes will unfortunately be part of that. so the fact that cindy willingly revealed her trials and tribulations, i think is honorable. she did so to show that she was human, made errors and had problems. but she found a path forward that seemed to have provided her with fulfillment.

[carlo]

I know that there's been an effort to keep all of these details private, concerning the battle over Cindy and her declining health. However, if anything positive can come of this, hopefully the attention to her story will help her family's conservatorship to be approved. Hopefully it will bring some additional financial aid to Cindy. Finally, hopefully this sad story will encourage others to ensure that their legal affairs [ie. Will and power of attorney] are in order and well known by their loved ones. I've seen this situation before in my own family, with a great aunt, who sadly developed dementia. Her close friend, who was a priest, had ulterior motives and preyed on her compromised mental state by having her sign a new will and power of attorney in his favour. Unfortunately she had no children, her husband had died years earlier, and she was never close with her extended family. I know that because of Britney Spears' difficult situation, the subject of conservatorships with public figures and celebrities has received much more attention from the media and public, in recent years. It's an important discussion and if her story will benefit anyone else's outcome, I'm sure Cindy would be happy about that, as we know that she was passionate about her mission to help and minister to others.

I echo the words in this thread, that she really deserves the best care, considering how much love and light she's brought into all of our lives. I'm glad that things are heading in the right direction.

[Boogiedown]

God bless and protect Miss Cindy Birdsong the sweetest Supreme and may the good Lord take her to Heaven when hes ready. A real sweet lady and the nicest Supreme ever. Maybe Miss Landers objects to the Covid vaccines but I doubt Miss Birdsong was in the right frame of mind to object or approve.

I have a cousin who refuses the vaccine as she believes theres a microchip in it. I avoid her at family gatherings. You cant argue with people like her plus she thinks Dionald Trump had nothing to do with January 6th. Shes cray cray IMO.

On this day , thank the good lord up above for Trump's accomplishment of moving the Supreme Court toward legal jurisdiction based on law and common sense. Hey no, I had no intention at all of posting anything about that, but if others are free to sneak in irrelevant comments regarding the president into whatever topic and for no reason , well then , hey, we should each be afforded that same equal freedom.


As for the Cindy update , which is what why I came to this topic, the story seems too bizarre to be true..... it sounds like a movie script for Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. And I don't mean to make light of this in any way. You read about things about accomplished people like Cindy Birdsong and Dennis Edwards and good lord, if such things happen to them , what chance do the regular joes have in this world ....

I guess it could be argued that Cindy chose her own path ....and I hope that's true, even though from a distance its consequences seem a shame.

[RanRan79]

I'm glad you said this about Diana. The quote about Sarah Dash I had never heard before.

Looks like my information came from this SD post.

https://soulfuldetroit.com/showthrea...-Her-Caregiver

[RanRan79]

I agree Sup, Cindy's legacy is just fine. Yes, it sucks that her story contains this chapter at this point, but because of her age, I don't think this whole mess is enough to override or even compete with Cindy's broader legacy, unlike Florence who died so young and the mess surrounding her firing, which might get talked about more than or as much as her musical legacy.

[marybrewster]

Before I comment on the NY Times article, I'd like to share this recent piece from Minnesota. I'm not suggesting Cindy's situation is similar, but I think you'll find it interesting. Draw your own conclusions:

[[FOX 9) - The Bad Rooster food truck claims with a wink to be "bad to the bone."

Its co-owner, and self-proclaimed "Chief Mother Clucker," is Soulaire Allerai, 65, of Minnetonka.

Witty puns notwithstanding, Bad Rooster and Allerai filed a lawsuit against two sisters for defamation and civil conspiracy after the sisters claimed the food truck is financing a cult that has deprived them of their mother.

The sisters — Kelly Abedi and Angela Hummelgard — said they’ve rarely spoken to their mother, Mary Ring, 70, since 2007 when she joined a New Age-style group called Soulful Journey, which is led by Allerai.

"We’ve been dealing with this for 15 years, I don’t know why we’ve been quiet about this," said Abedi, who was also a follower of Soulful Journey for a year when she was a teenager.

Within a year of joining the group, Ring was divorcing her husband and leaving her old life behind, her daughters said.

Earlier this year, Ring legally changed her name to Cianna LaJoie.

Hummelgard last talked to her mother in 2011, when she agreed to meet for lunch at Mall of America.

"It was weird for me, it almost felt like a goodbye," Hummelgard said, fighting back tears.

"We never talked after that, she missed my sister’s wedding, stopped celebrating Christmas, and didn’t tell anyone that was her path," Hummelgard said.

[marybrewster]

FOLLOW-UP: Bad Rooster Responds: It’s because of our success

‘Cease and desist’
The breaking point for the sisters came in July when the Bad Rooster announced it was on hiatus after a "death in the family."

The sisters, who believe their mother sometimes works for the food truck, feared she had died.

Abedi reached out to Bad Rooster on social media, expressing condolences for their loss and seeking information about her mother. She directly messaged them again, with no response.

Six days later, she got a reply from someone who identified themselves as the Bad Rooster’s social media manager, who said, "All I know is the family has asked for space and time to grieve from a sudden loss."

The message ended with an oblique warning: "Please cease and desist."

Minutes later, Abedi received a message from her mother that reanimated old family grievances and said her daughter was "getting the taste of her own medicine."

After that episode, Abedi and Hummelgard called out Bad Rooster on Facebook last month, saying the food truck and Allerai "use the funds they earn to support a cult," and asking people to "think twice" before supporting them.

A couple of weeks later, Bad Rooster and Allerai, filed the defamation lawsuit against the sisters, demanding a retraction.

Others Come Forward
But the Facebook post had already gone viral.

"It’s not just us, there are other families," said Sarah Rangal of Michigan.

Rangal hasn’t talked to her sister Sue Archambault in a decade since she joined Soulful Journey and changed her name to Askia Luminae.

"I think she’s been brainwashed," said another sister, Grace Yake.

Since the lawsuit was filed last month, the FOX 9 Investigators have talked to a half-dozen other family members and former followers who shared remarkably similar stories about Allerai and Soulful Journey.

Former followers said the group operates out of the Soulful Journey Wellness Center in Minnetonka, where some followers have small businesses providing massage, hypnosis, and in one case, someone who claims they can communicate with animals.

According to public records, the center is the registered address for more than a dozen limited liability companies [[LLCs) associated with Allerai or her followers.

It’s also the registered address of a 501C3 non-profit, Living Faith Spiritual Community.

In YouTube videos and other recordings, Allerai offers up a word salad of New Age, self-help platitudes.

"I’m a life coach, a strategist, and I’ve done stupid," Allerai said in one video with a self-deprecating smile.

Channeling ‘G’
But go deeper, former followers say, and you’ll discover Allerai claims to channel spiritual beings from other dimensions, including one known as "G."

Fai West, now living in London, lived with the group for three years as a teenager. She left the day after she turned 18.

"I’ve been thinking for years about coming forward. But I didn’t think my story alone would be enough to convince people it was real," said West.

She struggles to describe Soulful Journey’s theology, she said, because while it began with meditation and positive thinking, it quickly evolved into something else.

"It became very much rooted in and tied to Soulaire was a channel and was channeling God," she said.

West said Soulaire would also "channel" historical figures too, like Jesus and King Solomon.

A Parallel Dimension: ‘The 99’
Allerai also told her followers they had spirit identities with other names in a parallel dimension she called "The 99," according to former followers.

West said Allerai claimed she was her daughter in "The 99."

"This became a tool, to take away your identity, your autonomy. And to say things were happening on ‘The 99’ to control you on earth," West said.

The FOX 9 Investigators identified more than 15 legal name changes among Allerai’s followers.

"For a bit there, I was able to suspend disbelief, but it started to get pretty weird," said Nicholas Johnson, who was in Soulful Journey for more than a decade, along with his sister, and mother, Raila.

Raila said she was also told her children belonged to someone else in "The 99."

"I realized I had to get out when I felt like I would rather die than stay," Raila told the FOX 9 Investigators.

John Goepel’s sister, Katie, left a full scholarship for a doctorate program in psychology in Maryland and moved to Minnesota 15 years ago to join Soulful Journey.

While they were once incredibly close, Goepel hasn’t talked to his sister in seven years, but he messaged her on Facebook a few weeks ago.

She asked him not to contact her through social media. He fears someone is monitoring her communications.

"She said many things that made us think she was brainwashed. She said, ‘I am following my desires. I want you to be happy for me,’" Goepel recounted.

Checks The Boxes
David Clark has heard such stories for the four decades he has been studying cults. Clark was himself a member of a cult in the late 1970s.

"What concerns me when it gets cult-like is there’s a totalistic takeover of the person’s life. This is the number one encounter you notice with families that run into trouble with this; people get cut off," Clark said.

At the request of the Fox 9 Investigators, he reviewed material and teachings from Soulful Journey, which he said checks many of the boxes used to describe cult-like activity.

"Not only that, but you have an effective communicator who makes it stick to the ribs," Clark said, referring to Allerai.

The Money Trail
Clark says there’s often a price to be paid in such a group, quite literally.

Former members told the FOX 9 Investigators that weekly classes could quickly add up to $150 per week, and "G" channeling sessions could cost anywhere from $40 to $150.

There were also trips – to the Bahamas and Peru — that could cost members $5,000 to $7,000, according to former members.

"She creatively categorized money," Abedi said of her mother. "This is a donation for my church, this is educational expenses, this is for trips."
Former followers said it was unclear how the money flowed between the overlapping businesses, LLCs, charity work, and the non-profit.

"The financial side, especially with New Age groups, tends to be very lucrative. They know how to make money. They also know how to protect money," said Clark, who has served as a court-appointed expert on cults.

In court filings in the lawsuit, Bad Rooster claims the food truck can make $9,000 a day.

Former followers said they were not always paid appropriately for their labor.

"I was never paid a dime for anything I did," said Raila, who worked on a video game developed by Allerai called Banonkey Town.

A spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Labor said there are no wage complaints against Bad Rooster, or any companies associated with Allerai.

Toxic Families and Free Will
Allerai declined an on-camera interview.

Instead, Allerai and Bad Rooster hired a "crisis manager," Stacy Bettison, and gave the FOX 9 Investigators a prepared statement.

"The personal attacks on social media are patently false and solely designed to harm
Soulaire Allerai and Bad Rooster because of the tremendous success and goodwill they
have earned over the years. Soulaire Allerai and Bad Rooster have sued the individuals
who insist on continuing to make these baseless accusations," the statement read.

It continued:

"Each and every instance of defamation and other tortious acts are being tracked and identified, and these individuals will be held accountable for the reputation and financial damage they have caused."

The crisis manager also provided the FOX 9 Investigators with a supporter of Allerai’s.

Tom Reis was introduced to Soulful Journey by a woman he was dating but was always at "the periphery" of the group, he said.

Reis said Allerai’s critics are blaming her for their own toxic relationships.

"It’s much easier to point the finger at Soulaire and scapegoat her than say, ‘Wait a minute, I had free will in all this,’" Reis said.

"I think it’s unfortunate that there is a witch hunt quite frankly, and I think you are part of it," he said to this reporter.

But the estranged families told the FOX 9 Investigators their only agenda is wanting their loved ones back. After waiting more than a decade, they say they have little left to lose.

"We don’t have contact now," said Goepel.

"There is a lot of trauma; which is why we are speaking out," said Raila. "There are so many people who are still in trauma, and if we can get a message out to one of them, that’s enough."

Raila’s son, Nicholas Johnson, said he was always the skeptic in the family about the group.

Asked if he believes Allerai is a fraud or someone with supernatural abilities, he paused for several seconds and said, "One of her greatest abilities is to tell stories, and that could get you to any number of places."

[Roberta75]

On this day , thank the good lord up above for Trump's accomplishment of moving the Supreme Court toward legal jurisdiction based on law and common sense. Hey no, I had no intention at all of posting anything about that, but if others are free to sneak in irrelevant comments regarding the president into whatever topic and for no reason , well then , hey, we should each be afforded that same equal freedom.


As for the Cindy update , which is what why I came to this topic, the story seems too bizarre to be true..... it sounds like a movie script for Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. And I don't mean to make light of this in any way. You read about things about accomplished people like Cindy Birdsong and Dennis Edwards and good lord, if such things happen to them , what chance do the regular joes have in this world ....

I guess it could be argued that Cindy chose her own path ....and I hope that's true, even though from a distance its consequences seem a shame.

Read for comprehension dear. Cindy's caretaker Miss Landers and Cindy, probably under the guidance of her Miss Landers didnt get the vaccine. Trumps appointments of an alleged rapist and the other two clowns he put forward set Abortion rights back decades in some States and the Supreme Court has its lowest ratings EVER. I dread to think of how many abortions President pussy Grabber has paid for over the years.

Cindy Birdsong deserves to be surrounded with so much love and im hoping her son and ex husband david and brother and surviving former Supremes get to see that lovely lady real soon.

[Boogiedown]

Read for comprehension dear. Cindy's caretaker Miss Landers and Cindy, probably under the guidance of her Miss Landers didnt get the vaccine. Trumps appointments of an alleged rapist and the other two clowns he put forward set Abortion rights back decades in some States and the Supreme Court has its lowest ratings EVER. I dread to think of how many abortions President pussy Grabber has paid for over the years.

Cindy Birdsong deserves to be surrounded with so much love and im hoping her son and ex husband david and brother and surviving former Supremes get to see that lovely lady real soon.

Who knows why they didn't get Trump's vaccines, did you get them ??
Why do you dread how many abortions?? The more the better right? You're all for them it seems.


You're a very inappropriate person to bring this to this topic. And I'll state it kindly like that. Have a blessed day.

[Roberta75]

Who knows why they didn't get Trump's vaccines, did you get them ??
Why do you dread how many abortions?? The more the better right? You're all for them it seems.


You're a very inappropriate person to bring this to this topic. And I'll state it kindly like that. Have a blessed day.

Respecting Miss Birdsong but ending this with you by PROUDLY informing you I am PRO CHOICE and Im real happy that Ive had 4 Covid Vaccines. Go to the light and goodnight.

[REDHOT]

This is very sad news, Much LOVE To The Supremes Cindy Birdsong.

[luke]

I just cannot fathom how all of this went on for over 10 years and there was no investigation before this by family or friends. Love and Prayers to Cindy.

[Boogiedown]

I just cannot fathom how all of this went on for over 10 years and there was no investigation before this by family or friends. Love and Prayers to Cindy.

Reading this article , I'm kinda with you. I'd have had that door busted down years ago.

[jobeterob]

Realistically and putting aside emotion and a lack of knowledge, this woman probably was appointed in some legal document Cindy signed years ago when no other family members were around or wanted to be involved.

Realistically, there is probably not a lot of money at stake which is why nothing was ever done.

I wouldn’t expect you’ll hear a lot more about this.

Sadly, a lot of these musicians don’t properly attend to any legalities while they are alive and then there are legal troubles later - like the classic mess Aretha Franklin left - which benefited many lawyers.

Mary Wilson needs to be commended because she obviously left no mess at all.

If Cindy signed no documents, her son would be the guy with all the say, assuming she is divorced. But clearly, there was something that took him out of play.

Another sad story.

[PeaceNHarmony]

Realistically and putting aside emotion and a lack of knowledge, this woman probably was appointed in some legal document Cindy signed years ago when no other family members were around or wanted to be involved.

Realistically, there is probably not a lot of money at stake which is why nothing was ever done.

I wouldn’t expect you’ll hear a lot more about this.

Sadly, a lot of these musicians don’t properly attend to any legalities while they are alive and then there are legal troubles later - like the classic mess Aretha Franklin left - which benefited many lawyers.

Mary Wilson needs to be commended because she obviously left no mess at all.

If Cindy signed no documents, her son would be the guy with all the say, assuming she is divorced. But clearly, there was something that took him out of play.

Another sad story.

It's even more of a puzzle as this has been going on for at least 10 years. Around that time I was in casual, social-media contact with an ex: background singer of Bette Midler's who is deeply involved with the Christian community in CA. She made an opaque statement about Cindy being well-cared for by that community ...

[jobeterob]

She donated what she had and “they” look after their own

[PeaceNHarmony]

She donated what she had and “they” look after their own

Yes. I did not think of it that way. I experienced the same thing in my family. My father's last wife, left with a good-enough income and holdings, 'sold' their last home to a Christian 'relief' group in return for the promise of being cared for 'forever, in the style to which she was accustomed. She was transferred to a multi-bed unit in a less-than-desirable nursing home and nothing could be done about it. A lesson to the cautious. I hope you are doing well, JRob -

[Levi Stubbs Tears]

It is so sad that some elderly people are not cared for in their twilight years.

After my mother died [[it was a shock to us all) Dad wanted to remain where he was [[my sister & I live in different states now) and I would pay for him to have a vacation at my sister's house [[warmer climate) each year.

But after a few years of this, it became evident that he could no longer look after himself. It was often near impossible to reach him on the telephone and we found that one of his neighbours was worried about him. My sister insisted that he come to live with her and her family and we travelled back to his home to sort things out. It was a shock to us to discover the state of his house - it looked like it had not been cleaned in many many months. I thanked God that my sister had persuaded him to agree to the move.

Dad lived happily with my sister for about five years and whenever she travelled [[they liked to go on a cruise or overseas holiday annually), I would fly there to 'Dad-sit' for a few weeks.

Sadly he later suffered a stroke and had to be hospitalised. I flew up immediately to help make arrangements to get him into an aged care facility [[he now needed round the clock care). Luckily we found a near-new facility which was almost like a five-star hotel. Others we looked at were quite shocking. I can only imagine how horrible it would be for people that didn't have people like me and my sister looking out for their best interests.

Sadly Dad passed away just before Covid hit. I often think it was a blessing as I can only imagine how lonely it would have been to have no visitors during those months of lockdown.

I pray Cindy is now well looked after in her twilight months and hopefully years.

[jobeterob]

It is so sad that some elderly people are not cared for in their twilight years.

After my mother died [[it was a shock to us all) Dad wanted to remain where he was [[my sister & I live in different states now) and I would pay for him to have a vacation at my sister's house [[warmer climate) each year.

But after a few years of this, it became evident that he could no longer look after himself. It was often near impossible to reach him on the telephone and we found that one of his neighbours was worried about him. My sister insisted that he come to live with her and her family and we travelled back to his home to sort things out. It was a shock to us to discover the state of his house - it looked like it had not been cleaned in many many months. I thanked God that my sister had persuaded him to agree to the move.

Dad lived happily with my sister for about five years and whenever she travelled [[they liked to go on a cruise or overseas holiday annually), I would fly there to 'Dad-sit' for a few weeks.

Sadly he later suffered a stroke and had to be hospitalised. I flew up immediately to help make arrangements to get him into an aged care facility [[he now needed round the clock care). Luckily we found a near-new facility which was almost like a five-star hotel. Others we looked at were quite shocking. I can only imagine how horrible it would be for people that didn't have people like me and my sister looking out for their best interests.

Sadly Dad passed away just before Covid hit. I often think it was a blessing as I can only imagine how lonely it would have been to have no visitors during those months of lockdown.

I pray Cindy is now well looked after in her twilight months and hopefully years.

This sounds like a wonderful family

[jobeterob]

This reminded me that Cindy could’ve got a million bucks or more 23 years ago.

[PeaceNHarmony]

This reminded me that Cindy could’ve got a million bucks or more 23 years ago.

Yes, she could have. But we all [well, most of us ...) know what happened there. A true tragedy of bad judgement on the part of an ex-Supreme that I have never been able to reconcile. Diana wanted Cindy; we know this as fact.

[midnightman]

The story of the Supremes is turning out to be just as tragic as the story of the Marvelettes in some ways. Yes, they got to become the queens of pop for a good long while and each member added their own input into the group but to see how the "classic four" of Diana, Mary, Flo and Cindy have dealt with things is just tragic. Godspeed to Cindy and her family. I wonder how Patti LaBelle is feeling about her friend going through all of this. I know she was trying to reach her too and couldn't. I wonder if Patti occasionally was in conversation with Mary and/or Diana about Cindy. Same with Sarah before she passed. No idea about Nona Hendryx though.

[RanRan79]

Realistically and putting aside emotion and a lack of knowledge, this woman probably was appointed in some legal document Cindy signed years ago when no other family members were around or wanted to be involved.

Realistically, there is probably not a lot of money at stake which is why nothing was ever done.

I agree that there might be a good chance there are docs signed by Cindy prior to the second stroke that give this woman some kind of power over her and her finances. I expect a hearing will sort that out. It seems like Cindy was of sound mind and body after her first stroke, so there would be no reason for her family to be involved in her affairs. It's the second stroke that appears to be at the center of this mess, as it incapacitated Cindy and also coincides with this Landers lady alienating the family. I see no evidence to suppose that Cindy's family was disinterested in being involved, especially as it pertained to money. If money was the issue, and there wasn't a heap of it to reap years ago, then the family wouldn't be fighting for Cindy now when there is surely even less money involved.

[RanRan79]

This reminded me that Cindy could’ve got a million bucks or more 23 years ago.

And then what? It would have prevented her strokes? Or the million bucks or more would have been spent by this Landers lady on better care? I'm not betting on either of these.

[RanRan79]

The story of the Supremes is turning out to be just as tragic as the story of the Marvelettes in some ways. Yes, they got to become the queens of pop for a good long while and each member added their own input into the group but to see how the "classic four" of Diana, Mary, Flo and Cindy have dealt with things is just tragic. Godspeed to Cindy and her family. I wonder how Patti LaBelle is feeling about her friend going through all of this. I know she was trying to reach her too and couldn't. I wonder if Patti occasionally was in conversation with Mary and/or Diana about Cindy. Same with Sarah before she passed. No idea about Nona Hendryx though.

Yeah, I wonder what Patti has to say about this. I bet things play out differently if Diana and Patti had showed up at the door. David turned to the wrong singing partner. Lol

[jobeterob]

https://apnews.com/article/aretha-fr...lwihdpvz4p0q3n

This is how bad it can get

[daviddh]

Confused. I thought MW had a benefit for her a few years back at a Motown function.
Sorry my memory is fuzzy. But her son David was there to accept on behalf of his mother. I think Scherrie and Susaye were there also.maybe jean also but I may have two events mixed up...
Maybe one was the gowns exhibit but another ,for Cindy.
I did see that Cindy came to see Mary after a Lena Horne tribute show .
But ,I thought ,then David got control.
I just remember her former husband stating that they were not the problem but did not elaborate any further.
Sad situation. Hopefully now the light has been shed.the right people will get envolved

[jim aka jtigre99]

Confused. I thought MW had a benefit for her a few years back at a Motown function.
Sorry my memory is fuzzy. But her son David was there to accept on behalf of his mother. I think Scherrie and Susaye were there also.maybe jean also but I may have two events mixed up...
Maybe one was the gowns exhibit but another ,for Cindy.
I did see that Cindy came to see Mary after a Lena Horne tribute show .
But ,I thought ,then David got control.
I just remember her former husband stating that they were not the problem but did not elaborate any further.
Sad situation. Hopefully now the light has been shed.the right people will get envolved

I believe you are mixing up 2 different events. Mary reunited with Jean, Scherrie & Susaye at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles for an event celebrating the Supremes and featuring some outfits. Mary was a big part of a fundraiser for Cindy at the Heroes and Legends Awards[[HAL Awards) where she also received an honor. From what I read, Mary had difficulty seeing Cindy at that time, think Scherrie was there as well as Janie Bradford. It has been said that both Diana and Berry have also helped Cindy. My question is what about Suzanne DePasse? Had she not been a friend of Cindy's and been introduced to Motown in that way, her entire career may have been totally different. I would think De Passe would want to help and maybe she has without being vocal. This is just a sad situation.
I believe the last time I saw public photos on Cindy was when she saw Mary in the Lena Horne Tribute and for an opening of one of the plays Scherrie wrote.
Once people choose Power of Attorney it is all a legal nightmare. Cindy was definitely into her ministry and had said many of the people in entertainment were fair weather friends once she had left the Supremes. It seems Scherrie and Mary still did have some contact with her.

[Circa 1824]

The historic book by Cindy that will never happen.

[jobeterob]

I don’t think there should be a rush to see Cindy as a complete victim.

She made choices earlier in her life to make a life with a church group and certain people rather than her family.

She made a choice to not take an active role in negotiating to participate in RTL

And she did have many years as a Supreme and she’s lived to a fairly grand age.

She lived a life she chose.

[RanRan79]

Nobody said Cindy was perfect. She's as fallible as everyone else. But no one chooses to have a massive stroke. She's most definitely a victim and none of that other stuff has anything to do with that horrible affliction which is the center of her troubles today. Yes, she lived a fantastic life as a Bluebelle and a Supreme, but her present condition is an awful way to spend the remainder of life.

Please don't downplay that.

[sup_fan]

Nobody said Cindy was perfect. She's as infallible as everyone else. But no one chooses to have a massive stroke. She's most definitely a victim and none of that other stuff has anything to do with that horrible affliction which is the center of her troubles today. Yes, she lived a fantastic life as a Bluebelle and a Supreme, but her present condition is an awful way to spend the remainder of life.

Please don't downplay that.

i think what Jobete was referring to are the long term financial and legal plans EVERYONE needs to consider. every one of us could be victim of a stroke or heart attack or some other ailment. we all have a responsibility to make arrangements for our estates, our wellbeing, retirement, etc. So i think Jobete was saying that cindy DID make these decisions and selected this woman and i guess this religious community over her family.

in Randy's last book he mentioned that one of the true tragedies with the supremes is that the women didn't really plan for retirement. they were not salaried employees while at motown and so some of the standard deductions [[like Social Security) were not deducted from their earnings. this wasn't motown trying to cheat them or anything. royalties are not a "salary" and therefore it was most likely just overlooked. and being young, they didn't really think about saving for when they would be old. and then financial difficulties came along too.

[jobeterob]

Oh Cindy definitely is the victim of a stroke and medical issues for sure - but all the other things I and Supfan mentioned - who knows; she made choices and she might make the same ones again [[except for RTL)

[RanRan79]

It came across to me as a strange statement in response to all the posts here saddened that this is the current state of Cindy and her life.

Even if Cindy chose this woman to be so active in her care and life, I think it's still inbounds to feel sad about the situation. I'd be surprised if Cindy ever considered that, in the event she was incapacitated, that she would not be given top quality care or that her family would be alienated from her. Apparently everything was good before the second stroke. She was in contact with her family and friends, visiting and such. Then the second stroke happens and now all of a sudden the family and friends are enemies? And that's Cindy's doing?

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.