Jean Terrell

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Jean Terrell (born Velma Jean Terrell, November 26, 1944, Belzoni, Mississippi) is an American R&B and jazz singer, singularly known for having replaced Diana Ross in The Supremes in 1970.

Biography

Early life and career

She is the sister of the former WBA heavyweight boxing champion, Ernie Terrell, who famously fought Muhammad Ali.

Moving from Belzoni, Mississippi to Chicago for a better life at an early age, Jean Terrell was guided by her family to sing, and it was in the late 1960s that she and her brother formed a group called Ernie Terrell and the Heavyweights.

The Supremes (1970-1973)

It was while singing in Miami, Florida where Motown president Berry Gordy discovered the 24-year-old singer performing with her brother at a club in Miami Beach. Looking for a replacement for his protegée, singer Diana Ross, who was leaving the group she had fronted during most of the 1960s, The Supremes, for a solo career, Gordy first signed Terrell to Motown as a solo artist, but then decided to drop her into The Supremes as Ross's replacement alongside continuing, fellow members Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong. Terrell then recorded much of the new post Ross Supremes material in the studios, and rehearsed the group's new act during the day with Wilson and Birdsong, while Ross, Wilson and Birdsong performed as Diana Ross & The Supremes at night.

After Ross's farewell show with the group at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas on January 14, 1970, Terrell joined the group on stage to be presented to the press and public. After this introduction, according to Mary Wilson, Gordy changed his mind about Terrell leading the group and suggested replacing her with another Motown act Syreeta Wright. Wilson vetoed this move, preferring to stick with Terrell.^[1] Terrell made an instant impact fronting the new Supremes, recording prolifically and successfully with several of Motown's top producers. The revitalized Supremes scored more chart success right from the beginning of the new decade; scoring big in the United Kingdom, while managing two pop hits in the United states. "Up the Ladder to the Roof", "Stoned Love", "River Deep Mountain High" (with The Four Tops), "Nathan Jones", and "Floy Joy." After the success of "Floy Joy," Birdsong quit to start a family and was replaced by Lynda Laurence (a former member of Stevie Wonder's group Wonderlove). Despite the initial successes, toward the end of '73, Terrell and Laurence decided that it would best for the Supremes to leave Motown and seek another record company. As Motown, and not Mary Wilson, owned the name "Supremes", both Terrell and Laurence left the group that year. All three Supremes were unhappy with Motown's seeming lack of interest in promoting this line-up of the group, a line-up that recorded no hit singles, the closest being "Bad Weather", a Stevie Wonder tune that failed on the charts at a time when everything else he was releasing went gold. In addition, Laurence was expecting a child at the time. So Scherrie Payne replaced Terrell and Cindy Birdsong returned to replace Laurence.

Later career and current work

Signing a contract with A&M Records, Terrell had finished a solo recording, I Had To Fall in Love, in 1978 but due to her Jehovah's Witness beliefs disagreeing with promoting the recording in a specific way the record label wanted, she semi-retired.^{[citation needed]} In the early 1980s Terrell put together a one woman show and did limited touring throughout the United States. Her act consisted of several Supremes songs, songs from her solo album and cover versions of songs by Bette Midler and Lionel Richie. Friend and former Supreme Lynda Laurence would often perform background vocals for Terrell during these tours. Another who performed backing vocals for Terrell during these tours was Freddi Poole, now the long-standing member of Scherrie & Lynda's group the F.L.O.S. (former ladies of THE SUPREMES).

Scherrie Payne was approached by Superstar International records for a Supremes' reunion record project. She first contacted Mary Wilson & Cindy Birdsong about joining, but Wilson declined. Birdsong then contacted Terrell, and from this the Former Ladies of the Supremes (FLOS for short) with Terrell, Payne, & Birdsong was born in 1986. Birdsong left very shortly thereafter, & was replaced (again) by Lynda Laurence. After several years, Jean left the FLOS to pursue business interests and was replaced by Laurence's sister, Sundray Tucker. Tucker left the group a few years later, leaving the path clear for Freddi Poole to join. Pooole remains in the line-up today. Terrell has since released a biographical DVD of her life and has continued to sing onstage with jazz musicians.

References