THE LADIES' INDIVIDUAL
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FULL BIO Story
Scherrie & Susaye, Formerly of The Supremes
Unquestionably, the universally acclaimed, all-time favorite girl group, The Supremes are a cultural icon for glamour, poise, style, charm, elegance and wardrobe. The Supremes set a new standard for soulful sophistication by crossing over from R&B to Pop. While topping the charts with 12 #1 smash singles, they sustained the legacy with a total of 33 Top-40 hits, sales of 20 million singles, and an induction into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. In all, the act consisted of eight bona-fide Supremes between 1961 and 1977.
An accredited screen/song writer, Scherrie Payne was originally discovered by legendary Motown producer/writer Eddie Holland (Holland/Dozier/Holland). Scherrie signed with Holland’s label, Invictus, and fronted their act, Glass House, who charted with the single, “Crumbs Off The Table,” written by Scherrie. It was because of her affiliation with The Holland Brothers and Lamont Dozier that Scherrie then became a member of The Supremes in 1973.
Lead vocal sparks flew from Detroit born Scherrie Payne during 1973 to 1977 on the three final Supremes’ LPs. “He’s My Man,” “I’m Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking,” “You’re My Driving Wheel” & "Let Yourself Go" were the singles that Scherrie sang lead on in Motown’s closing chapter of The Supremes. Scherrie is officially recognized as the act’s final lead vocalist and is known around the world as "The Little Lady With The Big Voice."
Susaye Greene attended The New York City High School of Performing Arts, and appeared in various commercials early in her entertainment career. Prior to joining The Supremes, Greene sang with Ray Charles' Raelettes and Stevie Wonder's Wonderlove. In 1973 she sang lead as a guest vocalist on The New Birth's hit "Until It's Time for You to Go." A successful singer and songwriter as well, Greene has written hit records for Michael Jackson, Deniece Williams and many others.
Susaye Greene shined on both lead and backing vocals from 1976 to 1977 with The Supremes. With Susaye on board, the group released the critically acclaimed “The Supremes, High Energy” LP with Susaye singing lead on the album title cut. In 1977 The Supremes released their final studio LP "Mary, Scherrie & Susaye." Susaye is affectionately known as "The Last Supreme" as she is the final member to officially join the Motown trio .
Following the farewell performance of The Supremes on June 12th 1977, Scherrie and Susaye continued as a duo on the Motown label and recorded an album titled “Partners.” Both singers shared songwriting duties as well as received associate producer credits for their album.
In 1986, Scherrie Payne, Lynda Laurence & Jean Terrell – all former Supremes – reformed and decided to start a new group. Their vision was to rekindle the glamour, style and music of The Supremes. The name for the trio was a natural evolution....."The Former Ladies of The Supremes.”
After Jean Terrell's departure in 1993 the trio continued and today they are joined by Joyce Vincent. While Joyce never performed officially with The Supremes, she was chosen to replace Mary Wilson in the trio before they officially disbanded in 1977. Joyce's credentials are indeed substantial. In the 1960's Joyce was a highly respected back-up singer, and even recorded backing vocals in Motown's famed Studio A! Joyce was born and raised in the Motor City, Detroit Michigan, and is most recognized as one of the original members of the renowned singing/performing group “Tony Orlando & Dawn.” She became an international celebrity in the early 70’s and collected three #1 records, 14 top 40 singles, and a hugely popular CBS-TV weekly variety program. Through her musical associations, Joyce has had the opportunity to perform and record with some of entertainment’s best including Dionne Warwick, James Brown, Isaac Hayes and many more!
The Former Ladies of The Supremes have performed live in concert and appeared on TV Shows throughout Europe, the Middle East and the Orient alongside such stellar acts as Tom Jones, James Brown, Sister Sledge, The Temptations, Martha & the Vandellas, The Four Tops, The Three Degrees and The Commodores, just to name a few. These international appearances have allowed the world to experience again the music, charm, and elegance of this timeless act on a grand scale. They have also released several popular albums in Europe, such as the fan favorite, “Supremely Yours.” Their impressive list of corporate clients include: CNN, Sony, Nortel Networks, Kodak, IBM, Mitsubishi Electronics, and MicroSoft. Scherrie counts among her favorite performances and venues – The Royal Albert Hall performance for the late Princess Diana, Wembly Arena, the QE2 Cruise ship, The Las Vegas Hilton and the European Woodstock. Diana Ross came backstage in 1998 at one of their Las Vegas performances, glowing with praise for their glamorous show and for keeping the Supremes legacy alive! Motown biographer Sharon Davis of Blues and Soul magazine chimes in with emphasis, “This trio authentically keeps the Motown legend alive….”
In the Summer of 2000, Diana Ross and The Supremes began their “Return to Love” tour. The tour rolled out with Scherrie Payne, Lynda Laurence and Diana Ross as The Supremes trio. Impressed with her lead vocals, Diana invited Scherrie to take center stage, showcasing her singing talents on The Supremes' 1970 classic "Stoned Love."
The new Millennium has been very exciting for The Ladies. In 2001, they co-wrote, recorded and performed “Light The World With The Flame of Love” for the opening games of the Small Country Olympics. In 2002, Motown Records released the 70’s Supremes Anthology; a 2 CD set featuring the collective talents of the Supremes 1970-1977, which included Scherrie and Susaye. In November of that year, five former members of the Supremes, including Scherrie Payne and Susaye Greene along with Cindy Birdsong, Jean Terrell and Lynda Laurence came together to promote the Anthology at the Archlight Theatre in Hollywood, California.
In April of 2016 the ladies celebrated the 30th Anniversary of The Former Ladies of The Supremes with a special performance in Hollywood, CA. The ladies were presented with personalized trophies to commemorate their successful career after their standing ovation performance.
In the Summer of 2017, after 31 years of performing alongside Scherrie Payne, Lynda Laurence decided to leave the group. As the saying goes "The Show Must Go On' and Scherrie called upon former Supreme Susaye Greene to replace her. Susaye excitedly accepted the offer and the trio hasn’t miss a beat! Photo shoots and rehearsals instantly took place and the new lineup emerged to much fanfare. It's noteworthy to point out that the current lineup of Scherrie Payne, Susaye Greene and Joyce Vincent were to be the 1977 lineup of Supremes. However, plans changed and Motown chose to disband The Supremes, and the lineup never got a chance to perform together......Until Now!
Scherrie Payne, Susaye Greene and Joyce Vincent continue to perform all over the world with live performances, TV appearances and new exciting recordings. Scherrie and Susaye are proud of their Supreme history, and continue to present this legendary music to audiences all over the world as......Scherrie Payne & Susaye Greene, Formerly of The Supremes!
* "The Supremes" is a service mark and trademark of Universal Music Group/Motown Record Company, LP.
An accredited screen/song writer, Scherrie Payne was originally discovered by legendary Motown producer/writer Eddie Holland (Holland/Dozier/Holland). Scherrie signed with Holland’s label, Invictus, and fronted their act, Glass House, who charted with the single, “Crumbs Off The Table,” written by Scherrie. It was because of her affiliation with The Holland Brothers and Lamont Dozier that Scherrie then became a member of The Supremes in 1973.
Lead vocal sparks flew from Detroit born Scherrie Payne during 1973 to 1977 on the three final Supremes’ LPs. “He’s My Man,” “I’m Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking,” “You’re My Driving Wheel” & "Let Yourself Go" were the singles that Scherrie sang lead on in Motown’s closing chapter of The Supremes. Scherrie is officially recognized as the act’s final lead vocalist and is known around the world as "The Little Lady With The Big Voice."
Susaye Greene attended The New York City High School of Performing Arts, and appeared in various commercials early in her entertainment career. Prior to joining The Supremes, Greene sang with Ray Charles' Raelettes and Stevie Wonder's Wonderlove. In 1973 she sang lead as a guest vocalist on The New Birth's hit "Until It's Time for You to Go." A successful singer and songwriter as well, Greene has written hit records for Michael Jackson, Deniece Williams and many others.
Susaye Greene shined on both lead and backing vocals from 1976 to 1977 with The Supremes. With Susaye on board, the group released the critically acclaimed “The Supremes, High Energy” LP with Susaye singing lead on the album title cut. In 1977 The Supremes released their final studio LP "Mary, Scherrie & Susaye." Susaye is affectionately known as "The Last Supreme" as she is the final member to officially join the Motown trio .
Following the farewell performance of The Supremes on June 12th 1977, Scherrie and Susaye continued as a duo on the Motown label and recorded an album titled “Partners.” Both singers shared songwriting duties as well as received associate producer credits for their album.
In 1986, Scherrie Payne, Lynda Laurence & Jean Terrell – all former Supremes – reformed and decided to start a new group. Their vision was to rekindle the glamour, style and music of The Supremes. The name for the trio was a natural evolution....."The Former Ladies of The Supremes.”
After Jean Terrell's departure in 1993 the trio continued and today they are joined by Joyce Vincent. While Joyce never performed officially with The Supremes, she was chosen to replace Mary Wilson in the trio before they officially disbanded in 1977. Joyce's credentials are indeed substantial. In the 1960's Joyce was a highly respected back-up singer, and even recorded backing vocals in Motown's famed Studio A! Joyce was born and raised in the Motor City, Detroit Michigan, and is most recognized as one of the original members of the renowned singing/performing group “Tony Orlando & Dawn.” She became an international celebrity in the early 70’s and collected three #1 records, 14 top 40 singles, and a hugely popular CBS-TV weekly variety program. Through her musical associations, Joyce has had the opportunity to perform and record with some of entertainment’s best including Dionne Warwick, James Brown, Isaac Hayes and many more!
The Former Ladies of The Supremes have performed live in concert and appeared on TV Shows throughout Europe, the Middle East and the Orient alongside such stellar acts as Tom Jones, James Brown, Sister Sledge, The Temptations, Martha & the Vandellas, The Four Tops, The Three Degrees and The Commodores, just to name a few. These international appearances have allowed the world to experience again the music, charm, and elegance of this timeless act on a grand scale. They have also released several popular albums in Europe, such as the fan favorite, “Supremely Yours.” Their impressive list of corporate clients include: CNN, Sony, Nortel Networks, Kodak, IBM, Mitsubishi Electronics, and MicroSoft. Scherrie counts among her favorite performances and venues – The Royal Albert Hall performance for the late Princess Diana, Wembly Arena, the QE2 Cruise ship, The Las Vegas Hilton and the European Woodstock. Diana Ross came backstage in 1998 at one of their Las Vegas performances, glowing with praise for their glamorous show and for keeping the Supremes legacy alive! Motown biographer Sharon Davis of Blues and Soul magazine chimes in with emphasis, “This trio authentically keeps the Motown legend alive….”
In the Summer of 2000, Diana Ross and The Supremes began their “Return to Love” tour. The tour rolled out with Scherrie Payne, Lynda Laurence and Diana Ross as The Supremes trio. Impressed with her lead vocals, Diana invited Scherrie to take center stage, showcasing her singing talents on The Supremes' 1970 classic "Stoned Love."
The new Millennium has been very exciting for The Ladies. In 2001, they co-wrote, recorded and performed “Light The World With The Flame of Love” for the opening games of the Small Country Olympics. In 2002, Motown Records released the 70’s Supremes Anthology; a 2 CD set featuring the collective talents of the Supremes 1970-1977, which included Scherrie and Susaye. In November of that year, five former members of the Supremes, including Scherrie Payne and Susaye Greene along with Cindy Birdsong, Jean Terrell and Lynda Laurence came together to promote the Anthology at the Archlight Theatre in Hollywood, California.
In April of 2016 the ladies celebrated the 30th Anniversary of The Former Ladies of The Supremes with a special performance in Hollywood, CA. The ladies were presented with personalized trophies to commemorate their successful career after their standing ovation performance.
In the Summer of 2017, after 31 years of performing alongside Scherrie Payne, Lynda Laurence decided to leave the group. As the saying goes "The Show Must Go On' and Scherrie called upon former Supreme Susaye Greene to replace her. Susaye excitedly accepted the offer and the trio hasn’t miss a beat! Photo shoots and rehearsals instantly took place and the new lineup emerged to much fanfare. It's noteworthy to point out that the current lineup of Scherrie Payne, Susaye Greene and Joyce Vincent were to be the 1977 lineup of Supremes. However, plans changed and Motown chose to disband The Supremes, and the lineup never got a chance to perform together......Until Now!
Scherrie Payne, Susaye Greene and Joyce Vincent continue to perform all over the world with live performances, TV appearances and new exciting recordings. Scherrie and Susaye are proud of their Supreme history, and continue to present this legendary music to audiences all over the world as......Scherrie Payne & Susaye Greene, Formerly of The Supremes!
* "The Supremes" is a service mark and trademark of Universal Music Group/Motown Record Company, LP.
* "The Supremes" is a service mark and trademark of Universal Music Group/Motown Record Company, LP.