Soulful DetroitArchives - July 2004 � Cindy Bridsong vs Norma BArbee,Malene Barrow, Barbra Randolph... Previous Next

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Jimmy Mack (luke)
5-Doyen
Username: luke

Post Number: 293
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 68.198.48.201
Posted on Monday, June 28, 2004 - 10:51 am: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I was reading how Norma of Velvelettes tried out for Florence's place. I looked at her pic and she sure did bear a resemblance to Flo. Considering how Motown typically liked to keep everything in-house(Flo temp Marvelette,Betty to Vandellas, Dennis to Tempts) I wonder why they picked Cindy from another group and label over these other ladies--and I love Miss Birdsong. Just curious. I know she was nice to Diana apparently when she was a Bluebelle but Norma looked a lot more like Flo. According to one book Miss Ross felt threatend by Miss Randolph.
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Reese (reese)
4-Laureate
Username: reese

Post Number: 90
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 12.15.169.90
Posted on Monday, June 28, 2004 - 11:19 am: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It seems that Diana and Cindy got along well, way back from their days on the Chitlin' Circuit. Diana would make her Cindy up like a Supreme,which probably pissed the Bluebelles off to no end.
Plus so many saw a resemblance to Flo, so that must have made Cindy a good contender as well.

I would also think that Berry probably wanted to find someone who wasn't married or a mom. The girls were almost on tour nonstop, and that must become difficult when a child enters the picture.
From what I've read (in THE WOMEN OF MOTOWN), Norma did interview for the job. But she didn't get along with Diana. Plus Norma was also a mother by then.

(Message edited by reese on June 28, 2004)
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Jimmy Mack (luke)
5-Doyen
Username: luke

Post Number: 295
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 68.198.48.201
Posted on Monday, June 28, 2004 - 11:39 am: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yea Reese. I read too that Nona saw Cindy with a Supremes wig Diana had put on her and threw it saying"what r u doing with that white girl hair on your head!" Wouldnt a movie of all of this b great!!
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Boynextdoor (boynextdoor)
3-Pundit
Username: boynextdoor

Post Number: 56
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 4.165.165.13
Posted on Monday, June 28, 2004 - 10:13 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I've always wondered what The Supremes would have been like if someone other than Cindy replaced Flo. I love Cindy, though, and thought she was just right. I've always wondered what the 70's Supremes would have been like if Syreeta would have been the lead singer??? Maybe I wonder too much?
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Jimmy Mack (luke)
5-Doyen
Username: luke

Post Number: 298
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 68.198.48.201
Posted on Monday, June 28, 2004 - 10:45 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Nah-its fun to wonder. Historians do it all the time. I still find the Cindy situation a bit odd tho as u say she was perfect. I remember reading she hung up the phone when she got the first call from Motown, thinking it was a joke!
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roddee (rod_rick)
2-Debutant
Username: rod_rick

Post Number: 11
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 64.12.116.138
Posted on Monday, June 28, 2004 - 11:45 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I also think Cindy was the perfect replacement. With all the hoopla around Diana, it was a nice change of pace to have someone with no agenda, a great personallity and just love being a Supreme as much as Mary. Cindy has always been my favorite. I also loved the 70's line up with Cindy with Mary, Jean and Scherrie
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Michael/Cleoharvey (cleoharvey)
2-Debutant
Username: cleoharvey

Post Number: 28
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 4.172.87.150
Posted on Monday, June 28, 2004 - 11:50 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I think that it had a great deal to do with temperment and class. Cindy had a sweet dispositon and would not give Diana the problems that she perceived from Florence. I don't think there is any argument that Cindy was a stunning addition to the Supremes. I saw them at Steel Pier in Atlantic City about 6 weeks after she joined the Supremes. I went to hate Cindy and came away thinking she was a great addition and upped the "class" factor. She was gorgeous and seemed to fit like a glove, as though she had always been a Supreme. Of course Cindy never had the vocal power of Florence (I can still remember Florence singing "People" live) and at times on the high notes Cindy was difficult to hear (that may have been Diana turning down the mikes, LOL!) but boy was she a knockout!! Also, Cindy in skin tone and physical size bore a striking resemblance to the "Blondie."

I also feel that Berry Gordy choosing outside of Motown was calculated. Choosing from inside of Motown may have caused problems that he simply did not want to deal with. The Bluebelles hated Cindy for how she left them but they would have never turned into the hit group Labelle had Cindy not left them and they were forced to regroup and come up with something new. So, maybe everyone should thank the sweet, classy Miss Birdsong for her contributions to two great classic female groups. How many singers in female group history have acheived what she did?
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Cool Ju (cool_ju)
3-Pundit
Username: cool_ju

Post Number: 44
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 152.163.252.200
Posted on Tuesday, June 29, 2004 - 2:53 am: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

...saw Patti Labelle on TV One last night mentioning Cindy's defection to the Supremes.
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Jimmy Mack (luke)
5-Doyen
Username: luke

Post Number: 300
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 68.198.48.201
Posted on Tuesday, June 29, 2004 - 1:17 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Well said MIchael. Cindy was so nice to me when I knocked on her hotel room at Waldorf in 60s. I do like her voice a lot. There is a purity to it that I really like and she also let it loose with amazing punch on her single Dancing Room. ;;;What did Patti say last night, on what show per Cindy?
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C.Patrick Dennis (a_place_for_us)
1-Arriviste
Username: a_place_for_us

Post Number: 3
Registered: 6-2004
Posted From: 208.4.27.140
Posted on Tuesday, June 29, 2004 - 2:27 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Cindy was the right person for most of the reasons mentioned above. But lets face it Berry had to go outside of Motown because all of the Motown ladies knew the Supremes from way back and for the most part NONE of them liked Diana very much and vice versa. Cindy was just happy to be there, therefore her tolerance for bs was a lot higher. Besides what would she have done if this gig didn't work out. She had no choice.
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Jimmy Mack (luke)
5-Doyen
Username: luke

Post Number: 302
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 68.198.48.201
Posted on Tuesday, June 29, 2004 - 3:39 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Makes sense-never thought of this per other Motown women and Diana-and I think Norma did say Diana didnt like her nor did Diana apparently like Miss Randolph and I think Marlene Barrow wasnt interested full time. Personally as one books says I see minimal resemblance of Cindy and Flo. Norma Barbee does look like Flo-especially the eyes. It's always bugged me how some writers have said hardly anyone noticed---like people arent going to clap for the music and Mary and Diana. Clearly the group was never as successful when Flo left and HDH(I wonder how HDH felt and how they would have handled Supremes records if they had stayed).
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Ryon6 (tyrone)
1-Arriviste
Username: tyrone

Post Number: 5
Registered: 5-2004
Posted From: 12.20.58.68
Posted on Tuesday, June 29, 2004 - 9:19 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Good point, Luke. I, too, have wondered how HDH would have handled the Supremes recordings if they had stayed. Personally, I think Cindy was the right choice to replace "Blondie". Someone said in an earlier post that Patti mentioned Cindy's defection on TV One. A co-worker of mine spoke of the same show several weeks ago and said that Sheryl Lee Ralph (who was on the show) said to Patti that she didn't know that Cindy sang with the Bluebelles. I thought he was lying. Cool-ju, is that accurate? Anyway, I said to my co-worker how could Sheryl not know, when she played the starring role in "Dreamgirls" as the Ross-like character. Waiting for Cool-ju to confirm. Thanks! I agree with another poster who said that if Cindy would've stayed a Bluebelle, there would've been no LaBelle. And the 70s Supremes with Cindy in the group are my fave, yep with both Jean and Scherrie.

Tyrone
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Jimmy Mack (luke)
5-Doyen
Username: luke

Post Number: 304
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 68.198.48.201
Posted on Tuesday, June 29, 2004 - 11:22 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I think there still could have been a Labelle with Cindy. They are all very talented women(some of Cindys acting abilities were hightlighted on tv shows) and silver space suits can come in 4s!!I imagine Sheryl Lee is having a memory issue if she said that as I the history of Dreamgirls -replacement for Effie=replacement for Flo ie Cindy.(One book states Miss Ralph went up to Miss Ross in a restaurant and Miss Ross was not pleased per Sheryl being in Dreamgirls!)
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John Lester (theboyfromxtown)
3-Pundit
Username: theboyfromxtown

Post Number: 70
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 217.44.166.79
Posted on Thursday, July 01, 2004 - 5:15 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I spoke to Norma about the time she auditioned for the Supremes. Norma said "Diana didn't want me and that was that"....
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Michael/Cleoharvey (cleoharvey)
2-Debutant
Username: cleoharvey

Post Number: 30
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 4.172.87.246
Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 12:14 am: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

From what I understand Patti and Cindy made up years ago, in fact Cindy appeared on Patti's Lifetime biography apologizing for the way she left Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles and went to The Supremes. She said that if she could do it all again she would do it differently. Essentially, Cindy told the Bluebelles she needed time to look after her father but in fact was going to Los Angeles to audition for Berry and Diana. 6 weeks later, Patti, Nona, and Sarah were shocked to see Cindy on Ed Sullivan with Diana Ross and the Supremes.

Patti and Sarah have forgiven Cindy but it has been said that Nona has long been the holdout in the forgiveness arena. In fact, she supposedly wrote the song "Can I Speak to You Before You Go to Hollywood" with Cindy in mind.

Although it may have caused Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles momentary problems with being hurt and egos (I am sure the ladies must have been jealous that Cindy in one fell swoop became more famous then any of the Bluebelles were at the time, by joining The Supremes), now Patti herself is a legend and Cindy Birdsong saved a group and kept it going for years. Can anyone say it was a wrong decision?

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