The Supremes Trivia Quiz

Answer: Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson

Although all of these ladies were in some incarnation of the group, it was Ross, Ballard and Wilson who were the original Supremes. Florence Ballard originally formed the group as a quartet named The Primettes, a backing group for the singing group The Primes (who later became The Temptations).

After a series of roster changes and unsuccessful recordings on other labels, The Supremes were signed by Berry Gordy to the Motown label as a trio. Ballard named the group The Supremes at the suggestion of Mr. Gordy to come up with a better name than The Primettes.

Answer: I Want a Guy

The first eight singles released by The Supremes were considered duds by folks at Motown and the group was being pressured by the record company brass to produce some hit singles. Things were looking bleak for the girls until they started working on some songs written by the established hit makers Holland/Dozier/Holland. Tamla was the name Gordy established Motown with before Motown became an incorporated business. Tamla was established in January of 1959 with the loan of $800 from family. Motown incorporated in April of 1960 and became the empire it is today. Who says it's a bad idea to lend family money?

Answer: Where Did Our Love Go

August 22, 1964 was a wonderful day for the lovely ladies in The Supremes. That day they held the number one positions in the US on the Pop and R&B charts. They could no longer be called the "no-hit Supremes" any longer.
This song was originally written for The Marvelettes, but they passed on it, much to the delight of The Supremes.

Answer: Baby Love

This song became The Supremes second number one hit in the US on the Pop and R&B charts, but it also hit number one in the UK, a first for an all-girl group. The Supremes have the distinction of being the very first American group to have had three number one songs from the same album on the US Pop charts ("Come See About Me", "Baby Love" and "Where Did Our Love Go").

Answer: 10

The Supremes had a total of 12 number one singles on the US Pop charts, although two of these were released when the group was known as Diana Ross and The Supremes. Of the ten hits recorded as The Supremes, all number ones were written by Holland/Dozier/Holland. These included:
"Where Did Our Love Go" (1964)
"Baby Love" (1964)
"Come See About Me" (1964)
"Stop! In the Name of Love" (1965)
"Back in My Arms Again" (1965)
"I Hear a Symphony" (1965)
"You Can't Hurry Love" (1966)
"You Keep Me Hangin' On" (1966)
"Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" (1967)
"The Happening" (1967)
The Supremes also are the only US band to release five number one hits in a row, although on two separate albums.
After great success and popularity, the Holland/Dozier/Holland team left Motown over disputes with Berry Gordy. They went on to form Hot Wax and Invictus Records, two labels that did not yield the same successes as the team realized at Motown.

Answer: Cindy Birdsong

Many say it was the romance between Ms. Ross and Mr. Gordy that was the ultimate blow to Ballard's firing. Ballard had become depressed and paranoid that Ross and Gordy were conspiring against her. The Supremes were appearing at the Flamingo Hotel when Ballard was fired with Cindy Birdsong replacing her on July 1, 1967. Florence Ballard's story is not a happy one. Mired in alcohol abuse, her weight becoming a serious health issue, Ballard died suddenly at the age of 32.

At the time of her death, Ballard had exhausted all of her earnings with The Supremes and was receiving state assisted welfare. Berry Gordy paid for her funeral and Diana Ross set up a trust for each of the three children mothered by Ballard.

Answer: Frontier

This would mark Ross' final appearance with The Supremes as a regular member of the group. She did reunite with Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong in 1983 at a Motown 25th anniversary celebration and television show, but that event ended in a pushing match between Ross and Wilson which prompted a gathering of Motown legends onstage to dissuade the mêlée.

Answer: Someday We'll Be Together

Not only was the song on the US Billboard Pop Singles chart at the close of the 1960s, it was also on the US Billboard R&B charts to start the 1970s; so, the song was there to close out one decade and to ring in another. The song was billed as Diana Ross and The Supremes although only Ross was the only member of the group to sing on the recording. Maxine Waters and Julia Waters were her backing singers for this song. This would be the last song Ross ever performed with the group, and she did it twice, once during her final performance at the Frontier, and then again on the Motown 25th Anniversary special.

Answer: Mary Wilson

The musical version of the book was only a fleeting take on the book. For example, the girl group was from Chicago and they had a much different musical style than did The Supremes. The movie version was much more direct. The group from the movie hailed from Detroit and the album covers shown in the movie resembled actual album covers from The Supremes.

The movie went on to win six out of the nominated eight Academy Awards. The movie starred Jaime Foxx and Jennifer Hudson.

Answer: London

The group bid adieu as what has to be considered one of the most revered American singing groups of all time. Their final appearance was at London's Drury Hall. Although several incarnations of the group have surfaced, some with original and replacement members, some without; that London performance marked the end of the Supremes as an entity that took life on January 15, 1961 when Berry Gordy signed them to a contract with Motown.