By Love Child (198.81.26.231) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 01:36 pm: |
DETROIT (MAA NEWS) - Apparently rumors of Diana Ross' compassion for
her Return To Love crew is true. Sources say that the reason for the
demise of the RTL Tour is not because of lack luster sales, but
because Ross wouldn't sign a 3 year agreement to perform exclusive
with SFX the promoters of the concert series.
Apparently executives tried to force Ross into a longer term
contractual agreement that would tie Ross into the company for an
extended period of time. Sources say that because Ross refused to
sign, the promoters abruptly canceled the tour.
The Source also tells of Ross requesting the tour to continue, and
she would forego her "entire" pay for the remainder of the tour to
make sure everyone on the tour gets what they were promised; Ross'
pay reportedly was $500,000 per event, and the last leg of the tour
would have cost nearly $2,500,000 in lost revenue for the superstar.
Sources said that Ross would break down and cry over the pressure the
public added to her shoulders over the rumor, and insinuations.
Apparently Ross also let the executives know during a sound check
that she was not going to take the kind of pressure the promoters
were trying to instill on her, and she would do her best to keep the
show a float.
"People are not allowing her to change her old ways of doing things"
one insider said, "Ross was wonderful to the entire crew the entire
time ... she was a true professional."
In regard to Mary Wilson, the same source said, " Diana always let us
know she loves Mary ... that doesn't mean that sisters don't fight
amongst themselves ...." An unidentified sources at SFX said "We
couldn't wait ... tickets were being sold, promotion had already
started, and we had a deadline ... Ms. Wilson had to give us an
answer, and we didn't have time to screw around!"
Apparently, Diana Ross was pressured into giving an answer pertaining
to Mary Wilson. Sources said, "Diana is such a private person, she
didn't want this information to get in the public."
The insider said, "Ross (who now runs RTC Management), manages
herself, and has been trying to do things that make her
happy." "She's like my sister ... I understand what she's going
through" Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas once said about
her fellow comrade superstar.
"Diana is part of Motown's alumni family" said Billy Wilson of the
Motown Alumni Association, "we love and support her as we do all of
Motown's alumni ... and most of the alumni that know her personally
have expressed that they love her too ... this includes Mary." Wilson
also said, "Mary has indicated that she wants to talk to Diana and
work things out one on one."
By fayette (152.163.252.68) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 02:08 pm: |
i hope those two patch things up. it's a continual
saga.
By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 02:35 pm: |
Let us also keep in mind with Ross' book coming revisionism is in full swing. FLOS member Lynda Lawrence has said the same thing and somehow the fact that CIndy and Mary not being there gets minimized(which is why the tour really collapsed,ie poor ticket sales as fans not intersted withour Cindy adn Mary). And they have been saying they waited and waited for Mary.Hmmmmmmm--Mary said yes in March(and was told "the tain has left the sation"----and the tour started in June. The rebuilding of Diana's image--vg pr.)
By Davie Gordon (193.122.21.42) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 02:57 pm: |
I'm with you on this one Vandelron - "Don't
Believe The Hype !"
Davie
By R&B (138.238.41.118) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 03:09 pm: |
LOCK THOSE TWO IN THE BEST HOTEL IN TOWN,AND KEEP EM THERE UNTIL THEY WORK THINGS OUT,WITH THE RATE THAT OUR LEGENGS ARE FALLING BY THE WAYSIDE THE SUPREMES HAVE TO HAVE THAT REUNION IF AT ALL POSSIBLE,I MEAN THINK ABOUT IT,THE CLASSIC TEMPS ARE GONE,MARVIN IS GONE,THE MARVELETTES ARE GONE,MARY WELLS IS GONE,THERE'S ALMOST NO ONE LEFT FROM THE CLASSIC MOTOWN SOUND,SO COME MARY AND DIANA GIVE US SOMETHING TO CHEER FOR JUST ONCE MORE..PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE!!
By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 03:23 pm: |
U said it R and B. I was thinking the same thing the other day. Two Beatles gone. Elvis gone and yet the most successful American group/black group/female group can still come together. Maybe Flo will help work it out.!!!!Mary said she is willing--Diana has to drop the ego.
By Ritchie (62.254.0.9) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 04:04 pm: |
Is the original posting available in a sugar-free version?
By Sue (205.188.209.109) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 04:42 pm: |
The original Marvelettes aren't gone -- Katherine doesn't want to tour and Wanda can't, but Gladys does want to, and probably could do quite a good show with the right backing.
By John Lester (213.123.127.25) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 05:45 pm: |
Hey
Can I remind you all that the original Velvelettes are still performing.
And of course, Martha Reeves has also reunited with Rosalind and Annette for some shows.
By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 08:06 pm: |
John--not dissing Velevelettes or Vandellas--love them all--just talking about stars of the magnitude of Beatles and Elvis.
By Ritchie (62.254.0.9) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 04:08 am: |
Yes, Elvis was rather large at the time of his demise ;o)
By John Lester (217.40.227.64) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 04:34 am: |
Vandelron
You know me by now.....I use any excuse to mention those ladies. LOL!
By Rose (64.12.97.7) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 08:02 am: |
Love Child's post is a news release from the Motown Alumni Association so it has credability, they have firsthand inside information. Diana, The Boss Ross--the Imperial Queen of Motown--is getting a raw deal here.
By ..... (207.241.96.10) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 11:01 am: |
Who are these sources? Are they credible?
Why did it take 3 years to report this?
hehehehehehe
By Ritchie (62.254.0.9) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 11:39 am: |
Just as an aside, on a Supremes-related subject... I jus fell about laughing as I read the tracklist to a CD of Lupine cuts currently on eBay. One of the songs listed is "Return Of Stagger Lee" by Don Revel & the Primates.
(Some monkey business afoot?)
By Love Child (198.81.26.231) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 01:13 pm: |
The truth will come out..
promoters can do what they want with no regard to tal ent..even when it's a big star - contracts arecontracts and these two ladies personal history was discussed more than this "contract" from the promoters..
By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 01:24 pm: |
Sorry Love Child--I just dont see it. Has Miss Ross EVER allowed herself to be victimized--no-her documented aggressiveness has prevented that as wellas her ego would never allow that or even the perception of it. Lynda Lawrence of the Flos has also been saying what Motown ALumni said. Motown ALumni sent me an email that Diana has been a wonderful person since the 80s. Hmmm--she shoved Mary in 1983 and Cindy and Mary didnt tour in 2000 and Diana said on Oprah that Lynda and Scherrie have carried on the Supremes legacy which hurt Mary deeply. Diana needs a pr makeover and I think we r seeing the beginnings of it. I respect Diana's talent. Just reporting the facts as I have read them--and I saw the Oprah show. Maybe her recovery will help her be truly supporitve of others and trust that her talent can not be dimmed by the talent of others.
By Davie Gordon (193.122.21.42) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 03:42 pm: |
Lovechild,
"Contracts are contracts" - true, but it takes
both sides to agree to the terms. If one party doesn't like some of the terms they negotiate.
Don't kid yourself that Diana Ross,after all these
years in the business, signs anything put in front of her without questioning the terms.
By ..... (207.241.96.10) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 03:53 pm: |
On a 1994 Oprah show, Diana said (or implied) that Cindy was temporary. Six years later on Oprah, Diana is praising Scherrie and Lynda.
hehehehehehe
By : (198.81.26.231) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 10:22 pm: |
Gosh!! 1994 is soooooooooo long ago..
let's forgive ok..
By stephanie (64.63.221.17) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 10:48 pm: |
Diana could have had her PR image improved if she had included Mary and Cindy on the tour the public would have loved her by then ......Diana Ross is rich and when Mary said OK Miss Diana could have had her on the tour...even if I hated Mary Wilson I would have had her on the tour and made myself look good if I were Diana. If Mary wanted 3million dollars and 3 solos I would have given it to her...This was Diana's chance to look good and she blew it....I know Mary Wilson is not perfect and of course people have issues with her too but no Mary Wilson no Supremes!!!..Mary is the foundation of that group she was there from beginning to end and she is STILL working whether she has to or not and she is the one who got screwed by Motown along with Flo. Yeah Diana got screwed too but she had the industry loving her and offering her more money so life was easier for her and she left BG too!!!
I say both Mary and Diana had a chance to make big money and good PR here and I cant blame Ross for everything it was the promoters too but I will say this I agree with Vandelron the PR machine is at work here and whether or not Ross wants to admit it she had a BIG chance to do some BIG PR on RTL..did you see the pink banners when the show came out you could see Diana's face and Lynda and Scherries mouths!!!! I liked the show Ross sounded good for her age but to me the whole thing when it came to the background reminded me of 1967 all over again!! I always thought that show should have been billed the Supremes featuring Diana Ross Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong not Diana Ross and the Supremes,,,
that would have been another good PR move for her as well. I guess she still has yes people around her. They say it was Oprahs idea to have Lynda and Scherrie sitting in the audience when they were on Oprah Im shocked Ross allowed that.
People who are not even fans asked me why they were in the audience doesnt Diana understand?
Well I hope her book does well and I hope she gets to the meat of her feelings and no white wash in Secrets of a Sparrow..
Stephanie
By Marv (64.12.97.7) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 11:11 pm: |
BRAVO SFX! It is clear they wanted that tour cancelled and resorted
to a common corporate practice: create a situation where an offer
could not be accepted and voila! You get what you wanted in the
first place CANCELLATION OF A LOSER TOUR!
This recent explanation for the demise of RTL ( although it is 3
years late) does not change the fact that the tour had to be
cancelled because the public was not buying tickets if Mary Wilson
and Cindy Birdsong were not going to be there with Ross.
Diana, it appears would have done anything to keep from facing the
fact that she was as wrong as rain to mount that tour without Mary,
including continuing on to less than half filled houses and losing
money. She was breaking down and crying because she could not
say "I am sorry, I was wrong " to Mary Wilson,(Barbara Walters gave
her a golden opportunity to do so on national television).
So now the rest is history. The tour was cancelled and for the most
part, Ross' career here in the U.S.
By Marv (64.12.97.7) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 11:12 pm: |
SFX has to be one of the stupidiest companies I've heard of in a very
long time!! What company would be prepared to invest millions in a
product and not even know what the ingredients or components are? In
this case they were investing millions in a Supremes Tour and did not
know or understand that Mary Wilson was one of the major
components/key ingredients. After reading this statement via M.A.A.
I am thrilled all over again that RTL was cancelled. It sounds as if
SFX was not only stupid ,but also operating on a slim margin of
integrity even when it came to Diana Ross.
By Marv (64.12.97.7) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 11:19 pm: |
To Rose, sorry to burst your bubble but I just read that Billy Wilson ,President of the Motown Alumni Association also feels that this is an attempt to smooth out Ross' image after RTL. If what I read is true ( and I believe it is considering who wrote it about Billy), he also strongly believes that RTL collapsed because Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong were not involved.
By ..... (207.241.96.10) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 04:19 am: |
It's not about 1994, it's what Diana said then that still applied to 2000 and even today!
hehehehehe
By Michael/cleoharvey (160.79.83.208) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 11:57 am: |
I guess this argument will go on and on. But having been a fan of the Supremes since there inception and even at one time being involved with the Supremes fan club with J. Randy Tarraborelli, it is clear that the reason for the collapse of the tour is the exclusion of Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong. There have been many attempts to make it otherwise but promoters and booking agents has to scramble when they realized that it was going to be a Supremes without Mary and Cindy. The show became a much harder sell. Even VH-1 was extremely upset (I am friends with one of execs) when they found out that the Supremes that they were going to get for the Diana Ross VH-1 Diva Concert were not going to be Mary and Cindy but two "Supremes" that Diana never sang with. When they worked out the deal with Diana it was with the understanding that Mary and Cindy would be involved. Believe me they were not happy when it was otherwise.
There are those that feel that Diana was the Supremes and that it doesn't make any difference who she sings with (they tend on the whole to be younger and never saw the Diana Ross and the Supremes live) but there are enough people in this country who believe that Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong were important enough to not go see a Diana Ross and The Supremes concert without them, and scuttle a tour.
By Vadelron (24.44.20.172) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 05:36 pm: |
Saying Diana was the Supremes is ignorant-like saying John was the Beatles. If Marvelettes got Where DId Our Love go etc we might be talking about Gladys and Wanda now-and hopefully Mary and Diana as well. But Mary's beauty,charisma, and powerful alto,Flo's soaring soprano,and humor and Diana's uniqueness,charisma and charm created an unstoppable,symbiotic whole--the only group I can think of that come close were the Temptations.
By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 05:51 pm: |
With all due respect to Jean Terrell, Scherrie Payne and Lynda Lawrence, the Supremes will always in my eyes be four women - Diana, Mary, Florence and, yes, Cindy Birdsong.
If the promoters did the right thing and paid each woman equally (just like they were paid equally in the 1960s) they probably would've had a successful tour featuring Diana, Mary & Cindy.
Love Child's posting isn't new information - SFX's reason for cancellation was known for years. What amazes me is that Diana would resort to the playing the victim role - especially after her run-in with the law and her own children's pleadings for her to get help with her drinking.
Kevin Goins - KevGo
By stephanie (64.63.221.243) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 06:08 pm: |
She is playing the victim!!! Hey remember when she told Barbara Walters that Mary was acting like she was a victim or like someone was doing things to her....LOL Mary has had some things done to her and she was the victim...
Stephanie PS Flo had a drinking problem and Mary had to fight with Motown and phony Supremes the only difference is Ross is rich and they arent..it can happen to anyone!!
By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 06:14 pm: |
Stephanie:
I remember the Barbara Walters interview - I almost threw a brick at my TV set when Diana pulled her "poor poor pitiful me" act.
What I meant to say in my prior post is that I'm surprised that Diana would STILL play the victim role after her run in with the law and her children pleading her to get help.
Oh,well......
Kevin Goins - KevGo
By Marv (152.163.252.68) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 07:04 pm: |
Do you all remember when Diana said "She (Wilson)has been singing MY songs all of these years". Wow! When I heard that, I nearly hit the floor! LOL. Diana believes that the original Supremes songs were her songs alone. Now it makes sense to me why she wanted the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame to honor her and not the Supremes as a group. She boycotted their induction and suggested to Paul McCartney that he do the same thing regarding the Beatles induction. Talk about ego!!!
By stephanie (64.63.221.243) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 07:12 pm: |
Marv,
I have heard that story but in all fairness to Miss Ross I have never SEEN that she told Paul McCartney that in print do you have proof of it or do you know where that came from? I know Paul didnt show up because he was suing Yoko Ono or something like that but I dont think he would not show up because Diana asked him not to.
By the way I dont dislike Diana Ross or hate her but when she started having her drinking problems (since she never had money problems) I wonder if she thought about Flo when she said "Flo needed to get her life together".....just because you have money doesnt mean your husband wont leave you. Im not saying this to be mean because I truly believe that Ross wants to get well and as a fan of ALL of the Supremes I want her to get well but I hope that she now knows that she is not immune to the very things she ridiculed Flo for (drinking) and being without a record label (Mary)..she never ridiculed Mary for that ..that is not what I mean but what it means to be without that. My props go out to Mary for being a survivor when she could have thrown in the towel and said forget it and work a nine to five and be a forgotten Supreme but she didnt do that..
Stephanie
By MotownForever (205.188.209.109) on Tuesday, June 10, 2003 - 08:16 am: |
Marv:
Regarding the Paul McCartney/Rock & Roll Hall of Hame incident you're mentioning, from what I understand that was just a rumor. Where is your proof/source for this information?