Reflections:- Mama said.....

[David J]

Reflections: Mama said

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Category: Entertainment - Original Published on Monday, 03 June 2013 16:09 Written by Steve Holsey.


ONE OF the side benefits of the smash Broadway show “Motown: The Musical” is that it has helped further melt the ice between Diana Ross and Mary Wilson. They even posed for pictures together, and that hasn’t happened in decades!
Maybe they realize that at their age — and they both look fantastic — that it’s time to put aside their “issues” that date all the way back to the final days of Diana Ross & the Supremes. They had been best friends prior to that, plus they made history together as the most famous female vocal group of all time.
It would be great if Diana Ross did a concert and Mary Wilson was her opening act, and at the end they could have fun with some of the Supremes’ many hits.


KELLY ROWLAND, formerly of Destiny’s Child, got off a good one at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony on April 18 in Los Angeles. She had been selected to induct the late Donna Summer.
With regard to Summer’s first hit, the ultra sexy, downright orgasmic “Love to Love You Baby,” Rowland quipped, “I’m pretty sure me and a lot of people here were made to that record!”
Jennifer Hudson sang two of Summer’s other hits, “Last Dance” and “Bad Girls.”
But why did the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame not vote Donna Summer in when she was alive? My guess is that it was a subtle bias against disco.
Tracy Morgan, who first came to the general public’s attention on “Saturday Night Live” and more recently co-starred on “30 Rock,” will be hosting the Billboard Music Awards, to air on May 19. Good for him, but there is just something about Morgan that makes me uncomfortable. Often he comes across as kind of buffoonish.
AT THE TIME of this writing, Detroit’s own jazz and R&B songstress Kimmie Horne was winding up a concert tour of Japan. The people of Japan love Black music passionately and are very supportive of the artists. That’s the main reason Harvey Thompson, another jazz vocalist from Detroit, actually moved there.


I was watching the “Dancing With The Stars” episode that was built around the music of special guest Stevie Wonder. [[I seldom miss the show anyway.) It dawned on me again how many classic hits he has had, so many that if he never made another record, that would be okay. [[But, of course, he will...eventually.)
The hits are woven into the fabric of America [[and most of the world), including “Signed Sealed Delivered I’m Yours,” “My Cherie Amour,” “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” “Sir Duke,” “Uptight [[Everything’s Alright),” “Part-Time Lover,” “I Wish” and “Superstition.”
Tyler Perry’s movies are not everyone’s cup of tea, but he sure has no trouble getting major stars to appear in his blockbusters, among them Cicely Tyson, Angela Bassett, Blair Underwood, Janet Jackson, Rick Fox and Taraji P. Henson.
The latest to join this group is the legendary Diahann Carroll who will be featured in “Tyler Perry Presents Peeples.” Her last movie was “Eve’s Bayou” 1997.
BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW...that the Whispers made an appearance on “Soul Train” every season between 1971 and 1983.
Steve Holsey can be reached at Svh517@aol.com This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and PO Box 02843, Detroit, MI 48202.



Comments




-1 #2 Mary and Diana together at last — edwin 2013-05-06 21:38 At is time to move on and foget the past . Mary Wilson and Diana Ross
are both doing ver y well today, Ms Wilson Has proved to the world she is more than a background singer and doing a lot more than county
fairs, the recent picture of both of these women shows love and growth
as people, So let's move from the past and maybe one day the 2 will
be the the same stage together, if not I do not think Mary Wilson is sitting by the phone waiting for a call, ....Peace
Quote










-2 #1 RE: Reflections: Mama said — Rick 2013-05-05 12:42 Sorry im most pictures with other people Diana seems very at ease and her smile is wide and lovely.....at the Motown Musical Premeir...but the pics with Mary Diana is clearly uncomfortable.. .he smile is small and forced...Mary created the animosity between then and dont think diana will ever work woth her again....Mary ruined The Reunion of The Decade that most fans wanted to see...The Supremes Reunion and single handedly ruined the image of The Supremes for most.....Naw Diana dont need her and her antics....Mary should just do what she does best....play county fairs

[supremester]

I won't make any comments other than I agree that Miss Ross does not appear, to me, genuinely happy to be near Mary. She said something on Barbara Walters in 2000 that made it clear to me she was done for good. I applaud her for allowing Mary to be at the premier and being gracious after a lot of negs have been thrown at her by Mary over the years. I don't know very many people, if any, who would "forget" all of that and dismiss it as "being in the past" ....forgive and move on? Hopefully. I know people want to believe everything is OK, and they have their right to their opinion. Miss Ross' body language says to me that she's not comfortable. I'm proud that both behaved perfectly and I wish them both happiness. Miss Ross seems to be happier now than ever, Mary seems good also. They don't need each other to be happy - why should we?

[David J]

I won't make any comments other than I agree that Miss Ross does not appear, to me, genuinely happy to be near Mary. She said something on Barbara Walters in 2000 that made it clear to me she was done for good. I applaud her for allowing Mary to be at the premier and being gracious after a lot of negs have been thrown at her by Mary over the years. I don't know very many people, if any, who would "forget" all of that and dismiss it as "being in the past" ....forgive and move on? Hopefully. I know people want to believe everything is OK, and they have their right to their opinion. Miss Ross' body language says to me that she's not comfortable. I'm proud that both behaved perfectly and I wish them both happiness. Miss Ross seems to be happier now than ever, Mary seems good also. They don't need each other to be happy - why should we?

Here's Mary's opinion about Motown the musical, she seem to think that it was all about Berry and Diana and the rumours about Mary trying to upstage Diana, it seems as if it's true after all, as Mary mentioned in the recent below interview herself that she convinced Gladys Knight that they should be onstage and Mary along with Gladys Knight decide to crash the stage and interviews ,forcing photos and press to write about her reunion with Diana than the musical.

Interview Starts at 10:12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nztfX6YRebU

[smark21]

Here's Mary's opinion about Motown the musical, she seem to think that it was all about Berry and Diana and the rumours about Mary trying to upstage Diana, it seems as if it's true after all, as Mary mentioned in the recent below interview herself that she convinced Gladys Knight that they should be onstage and Mary along with Gladys Knight decide to crash the stage and interviews ,forcing photos and press to write about her reunion with Diana than the musical.

Interview Starts at 10:12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nztfX6YRebU

Well if that was Mary’s intent, it failed. Most of the press coverage after the premiere were reviews of the show. There were a few mentions that both ladies were on stage at curtain call, but most didn’t know who Mary was. Now die hard Supremes fans were all atwitter on the internet about it, but it was not big news in the larger entertainment world. And then the Boston Marathon bombings occurred the next day and that was that.

[David J]

Well if that was Mary’s intent, it failed. Most of the press coverage after the premiere were reviews of the show. There were a few mentions that both ladies were on stage at curtain call, but most didn’t know who Mary was. Now die hard Supremes fans were all atwitter on the internet about it, but it was not big news in the larger entertainment world. And then the Boston Marathon bombings occurred the next day and that was that.

Posted on diana-web.com message board.

Well, myself as well as others speculated that based on the video and photos from the Motown The Musical Opening Night, that Mary Wilson was trying to upstage Diana and hog the spotlight, ala the Motown 25 reunion. Now, let me make it clear, I'm not one of those fans that is anti-Mary. I actually like her and even bought her Walk The Line CD. With all that said, I am very disappointed in what she just confessed in her interview and her behavior at the Musical's opening night. Below, is a link to the recent interview in which she tells how at the Motown Musical Opening, she convinced Gladys Knight that they should be onstage and Mary along with Gladys Knight decide to crash the stage and interviews,forcing photos and press to write about her reunion with Diana than the musical. She throws underhanded criticism about the Musical and says it's all about Diana and Berry Gordy and not about Motown [[which is probably true). But, I think she is taking the victim role thing too far and prior to even seeing the Musical she was on the red carpet promoting her books and insinuating that her stories in her books are more authentic than Berry's-- The Musical-- [[even before she saw the musical).

I see a pattern here. It seems like Mary recruits others to help her do her dirty work. It seems as though she talked into Cindy Birdsong's ear both at the Motown 25 special and the Return to Love Tour to get Cindy to help her sabotage Diana. It seems like she talked into Gladys Knight's ear at the Musical Opening to be her crash the stage and step into the spotlight. I once thought Mary was entertaining and ignored her shortcomings, but now I think she is a very bitter, envious, jealous and toxic person who has a problem and I question her character.

I couldn't watch the rest of the interview after her admission of crashing the stage and press coverage!

[milven]

The musical is not about Diana and Berry's love life. It is Berry's story. His beginnings of working on an a car assembly line, his relationship with his family, how he got cheated from royalties from other record companies, his decision to start his own label, the acts that he signed to the label, his relationship with a group member of one of those acts [[Diana of the Supremes). Because Motown had so many successful acts, most of them, including the Supremes were glossed over. It wasn't the Supremes story, or the Tempations Story or the Diana Ross story. It was the Motown Story starring Berry Gordy.

I was happy to see the videos of Diana and Mary together on stage opening night, but after watching Mary's interview above, I looked at some of the pictures again, and do see the tense Diana smile. According to Mary in the interview, no one expected her on stage and Diana was not prepared for it. But watching the videos again, Diana handled it with class and stood behind Berry as Mary stood next to Berry until Berry turned around and danced her up front so that Mary and Diana were standing together next to him. I am disapointed in how the re-union occured, but I am glad it happened.

I loved this musical and hope to see it again

[David J]

The musical is not about Diana and Berry's love life. It is Berry's story. His beginnings of working on an a car assembly line, his relationship with his family, how he got cheated from royalties from other record companies, his decision to start his own label, the acts that he signed to the label, his relationship with a group member of one of those acts [[Diana of the Supremes). Because Motown had so many successful acts, most of them, including the Supremes were glossed over. It wasn't the Supremes story, or the Tempations Story or the Diana Ross story. It was the Motown Story starring Berry Gordy.

I was happy to see the videos of Diana and Mary together on stage opening night, but after watching Mary's interview above, I looked at some of the pictures again, and do see the tense Diana smile. According to Mary in the interview, no one expected her on stage and Diana was not prepared for it. But watching the videos again, Diana handled it with class and stood behind Berry as Mary stood next to Berry until Berry turned around and danced her up front so that Mary and Diana were standing together next to him. I am disapointed in how the re-union occured, but I am glad it happened.

I loved this musical and hope to see it again

I agree with you that Motown the musical is about Berry's life and the Motown empire he built but obviously Mary doesn't see it this way, according to the words that came out of her mouth, she reckons that it was all about Berry and Diana.[[as if she's sort of saying 40 years later that it's still all about Berry and Diana and that nothing has changed).

Listen to the way Mary joked about barely being portrayed in the Musical. She's laughing it off, but do you think she thinks it's funny?...NO. sorry to say this but she does come across as being bit bitter.

[roger]

I wonder what Miss Wilson thought of the fact that the presenter, in her introduction, did her "Supremes Imitation" singing her rendition of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"!

Interesting interview though.
Roger

[smark21]

From what I read at the time of the opening, only Berry Gordy was scheduled to join the cast at curtain call. Everyone else who was on stage, in effect, “crashed” the proceedings. The pics and footage of Diana and Mary after the show was a nice moment that showed the women could be professional and cordial when in public together. I don’t like it when some fans saw those pics and either got too excited and starry eyed about a reunion tour that will never happen, or people like David J. who want to cast a pleasant moment in an ugly light because he, like too many die hard so called Supremes fans, love to wallow in victimization and conspiracy theories and cat fights and look for them wherever they can find them. Mary Wilson might be bitter, but fans like David ARE bitter.

[REDHOT]

This just tooo Funny,you guys are trying to make something,out of nothing,i was there,if you say Mary crash the stage,well so did Smokey,Stevie and a lot of other people,come on,get over it people,The Premier of Motown The Musical was a Special night for all,the play is Super Good,i'm plandin' to fly out to New York to see it again,that's how much I enjoyed it,and seein' Supremes Mary Wilson and Diana Ross together make it more special for me,as a Supreme fan,so please stop the madness,and Stay Positive lol

[BigAl]

Mary has admitted being aggressive both at Motown 25 and, now, at the opening of the musical. With both women present at the event, even if Mary had not been aggressive, there would hardly have been any way that they would not be thrown together. Ignoring each other would have cast both in a bad light, and neither has ever shied away from a photo-op. Thus, they would have no choice but to keep it civil and it appears that's what they did. I doubt either was particularly happy about this chore but they gritted their teeth and smiled for the camera. Under the circumstances I think it went as well as could have been expected.