Did anyone really think Flo and Cindy looked alike?

[floyjoy678]

I could see maybe if the lights were dimmed real low to the point where they looked like silhouettes, but I never thought there really was that much of a resemblance between the two. Flo had this sexy, mischievous thing going on while Cindy looked so beautiful older girl next door.

There was only one time I mistook Cindy for Flo and it was because I didn't have my glasses on. And one of my brothers, who could care less about the Supremes, pointed out to me that it was Cindy in the picture and not Florence.

[RanRan79]

I think they have a similar look, but not necessarily that they look alike, as in dead ringers for each other.

The closest I think they came was in a couple shots from this session:






There's one more from this session where Cindy really looks a lot like Florence to me, but I can't find it.

[RanRan79]

Found it.

[Ollie9]

I always thought they looked nothing alike, being confused when it was brought to attention. I believe they were the same dress size or close to.

[sansradio]

In a word, no.

[floyjoy678]

There's also Diana writing in Secrets of A Sparrow that Cindy had a similar persona to Flo, I was like ummm what? Lol

[sup_fan]

in a close up, highly focused photo shoot. not particularly. but there are some broad similarities. they both have a pointed chin, more almond shaped eyes. And cindy has mentioned that when she first joined, she tried wearing a wig similar to what Flo had often worn. to help ease the transition.

if you're not looking at a professional photo shoot but a fan's pick taken with an inexpensive camera in the audience while they're on stage, it definitely can be more difficult to see if it's flo or cindy. especially when it was that period of 6 or so months when they were still wearing Flo-era gowns.

[midnightman]

Not at all. They only picked her cause she had the same complexion and slightly same build as Flo but other than that, no. Flo had a unique look that couldn't be duplicated.

[BobbyC]

I agree, Midnight. Cindy only looked a bit like Florence, but only in comparison to DR and Mary. Cindy was not as bone thin as Diana, or even Mary at the time. I think it was mostly body type, honestly. I will admit they had similar noses, but that's about it

[BayouMotownMan]

I never saw a resemblance between Flo and Cindy. While Flo was the better singer, Cindy was softer and more elegant.

I DID however see a resemblance between Cindy and Lynda. I, like so many other fans, did not know that was Lynda on the Floy Joy cover. It wasn't until many years later in a newsletter from Randy Taraborrelli that I found out it was Lynda. Cindy was a little bigger than Lynda but they had similar smiles and eyes.

[BobbyC]

Well one thing I've noticed is that if a person is just generically beautiful, they tend to blend into the pretty mob. Diana Ross never had that problem--when you saw her, you knew it was her. She was distinctive. Didn't matter how she changed her hair. I have the same problem telling all the talking female heads apart on Fox News. Yes, they are all beautiful, but they are a dime a dozen. I have a friend of Mexican dissent named Andy, and he was a big fan of Game of Thrones. one day, he nervously told me "No offense, but I can't tell any of the middle aged white guys apart on that show." I busted out laughing! I couldn't either, for the most part. So anyway, yeah, distinctive looks can set you apart

[marybrewster]

Odd how Flo was considered "fat" at the end of her tenure, but Cindy seemingly wore the same size for several sets of gowns in '67.

[Ollie9]

Odd how Flo was considered "fat" at the end of her tenure, but Cindy seemingly wore the same size for several sets of gowns in '67.

The fact Cindy was a similar dress size to Flo seemed no longer an issue once Flo had been shown the door.

[blackguy69]

The question would be could Flo fit into her own dresses. Mary had mentioned that Flo gained enough weight that certain dresses they couldn’t wear onstage. That’s not saying she was fat but a pound gained spelled disaster. Plus the whole tuxedo on the last day gives you a clue that Flo and Cindy were not the same size seeing that when Flo put on the tuxedo specifically made for Cindy it was very tight and ill fitting.

Odd how Flo was considered "fat" at the end of her tenure, but Cindy seemingly wore the same size for several sets of gowns in '67.

[BobbyC]

I had a high school reunion a few years ago, and I looked at a cheesy old paper yearbook of our class to refresh my memory before I went. I was shocked! The two kids who were picked on for being "fat" in my class would be considered skinny by today's standards! So maybe in the 60's we had a different idea of what being fat meant.

[Ollie9]

The question would be could Flo fit into her own dresses. Mary had mentioned that Flo gained enough weight that certain dresses they couldn’t wear onstage. That’s not saying she was fat but a pound gained spelled disaster. Plus the whole tuxedo on the last day gives you a clue that Flo and Cindy were not the same size seeing that when Flo put on the tuxedo specifically made for Cindy it was very tight and ill fitting.

A tailored tuxedo is very different from a dress. It was reported that Flo and Cindy were of similar dress size which saved money on having to have additional outfits made.
Cindy was clearly a larger build than Diana or Mary, being particularly noticeable on the bright outfits worn for TCB.
Perhaps it was Flo’s fluctuating weight change that proved the real problem as opposed to just being larger. Having said that, i wonder if Gordy ever body shamed Cindy?.

[blackguy69]

Actually not really remember these dresses were made for their bodies even the store brought ones were tailored to fit them . Remember Flo was taller than Cindy so the dresses had to be tailored down to fit Cindy

A tailored tuxedo is very different from a dress. It was reported that Flo and Cindy were of similar dress size which saved money on having to have additional outfits made.
Cindy was clearly a larger build than Diana or Mary, being particularly noticeable on the bright outfits worn for TCB.
Perhaps it was Flo’s fluctuating weight change that proved the real problem as opposed to just being larger. Having said that, i wonder if Gordy ever body shamed Cindy?.

[captainjames]

I don't think they were exactly identical but there were some times it may not have not been announced right away in the press or on stage. I would have loved to have been there when they were on stage with Marlene Barrow. I wonder if Diana just said Hi ... We are the Supremes !!! with no group introduction.

[jobeterob]

There's also Diana writing in Secrets of A Sparrow that Cindy had a similar persona to Flo, I was like ummm what? Lol

I don’t think Cindy looked a lot like Flo.

But perhaps there was a reserve to Flo that was like Cindy - and Flo held things in until she blew up and threw drinks in people’s faces etc

[Levi Stubbs Tears]

95% [[99?) of fans back then probably hardly noticed the change.

The world was a much smaller place back then and not too many fans around the world even got to see them perform on TV. And the majority of those who saw them on TV didn't even have a colour set.

No offence intended but - to the majority - I'm sure they simply thought of Flo & Cindy as 'the bigger one in the background'.

[sup_fan]

Odd how Flo was considered "fat" at the end of her tenure, but Cindy seemingly wore the same size for several sets of gowns in '67.

quite a few of the gowns Cindy ended up wearing were the more flowing ones - the pink chiffon from My Fav Things, the white Sing Motown gowns, there were these blue empire waist ones with little jackets, there was a gold gown, the brown pinstripe Funny Girl ones. none of these were super restrictive.

cindy also wore the red sequin R&H gowns and the white sequin with diagonal stripe. both of these were from 66.

Also cindy was definitely now "small." look at the Porgy and Bess segment on GIT - she is very much larger than Diana.

But flo wasn't fired simply because she was "fat." she was fired for her totally unprofessional and unreliable behavior. She was ridiculed by berry for being fat and who knows - maybe he made snide comments to cindy too. in the JMC era, cindy got very thin. especially in 71

[Ollie9]

I don’t think Cindy looked a lot like Flo.

But perhaps there was a reserve to Flo that was like Cindy - and Flo held things in until she blew up and threw drinks in people’s faces etc

According to Diana, Mary and various others, Flo was never one to hold things in. I guess it’s hard to know for sure how any of us would react when being body shamed in public. BG probably got off quite lightly.

[Boogiedown]

According to Diana, Mary and various others, Flo was never one to hold things in.

including her stomach.

[jim aka jtigre99]

I think that Florence and Cindy resembled each other. In their face, they do have some similarities but they look more like distant relations than exactly like each other. They were a similar size and look but each have distinct manners that didn't resemble one another. Cindy also seemed to blend in more with Mary visually than Flo did. I also agree that Cindy and Lynda resembled each other, as well. On Sonny & Cher, Lynda was styled to look more like Cindy than later on. But those three do somewhat resemble one another.
If you look at Diana, Jean and Scherrie the three of them do NOT resemble each other visually at all. Susaye also did not look like Cindy [[or Flo or Lynda). So, just wonder why the focus is on the resemblance between Flo and her successors/replacements.

[jobucats]

95% [[99?) of fans back then probably hardly noticed the change.

The world was a much smaller place back then and not too many fans around the world even got to see them perform on TV. And the majority of those who saw them on TV didn't even have a colour set.

No offence intended but - to the majority - I'm sure they simply thought of Flo & Cindy as 'the bigger one in the background'.

I agree, LeviStubbsTears. I am/was a fan and of course I noticed it; however, even when looking at those badly pixled pictures on the Reflections album, I can see how a random music fan would not really notice that Florence had been switched out for Cindy.

[jobucats]

I think that Florence and Cindy resembled each other. In their face, they do have some similarities but they look more like distant relations than exactly like each other. They were a similar size and look but each have distinct manners that didn't resemble one another. Cindy also seemed to blend in more with Mary visually than Flo did. I also agree that Cindy and Lynda resembled each other, as well. On Sonny & Cher, Lynda was styled to look more like Cindy than later on. But those three do somewhat resemble one another.
If you look at Diana, Jean and Scherrie the three of them do NOT resemble each other visually at all. Susaye also did not look like Cindy [[or Flo or Lynda). So, just wonder why the focus is on the resemblance between Flo and her successors/replacements.

Regarding Cindy looking like Lynda: Although I was a fan of the 70s Supremes, I thought that was Cindy on the cover of Floy Joy until several years afterwards when I found out differently.

[sup_fan]

when i was young and saw FJ album for the first time, i might not have realized. but i never really thought Lynda resembled Cindy whereas i did think Cindy resembled Flo. not like twins or anything like that.

there are a few random pics of MJC where i have to look a second time to see if it's JMC or DMC. there's a pic or two of them in the butterfly gowns performing on stage and jean is in a wig sort of similar to the piled hairdo that diana wore on TCB. plus the pic is a bit grainy and of them on stage. so it's a little more difficult to tell.

[Ollie9]

including her stomach.

Naughty……

[lucky2012]

including her stomach.

You just had to, huh, Boogie

[Boogiedown]

You just had to, huh, Boogie

I know.
These boards are primed for little impertinences and nine times out of ten I stop myself [honest !], but sometimes my naughtiest finger can't resist pressing the post button.

[captainjames]

95% [[99?) of fans back then probably hardly noticed the change.

The world was a much smaller place back then and not too many fans around the world even got to see them perform on TV. And the majority of those who saw them on TV didn't even have a colour set.

No offence intended but - to the majority - I'm sure they simply thought of Flo & Cindy as 'the bigger one in the background'.

AGREED and so true !!!!

[Ollie9]

I know.
These boards are primed for little impertinences and nine times out of ten I stop myself [honest !], but sometimes my naughtiest finger can't resist pressing the post button.

It certainly gave me a chuckle. The events leading up to Florence Ballads eventual firing being quite rightly a source of amusement and ridicule. Things gets to serious on this board sometimes lol.