简介：JeanTerrell(bornVelmaJeanTerrell,November26,1944inBelzoni,Mississippi)isanAmericanR&Bandjazzsinger.ShereplacedDianaRossastheleadsingerofTheSupremesinJanuary1970.Biography[edit]EarlylifeandcareerSheisthesisteroftheformerWBAheavyweightboxingchampion,ErnieTerrell,whofoughtMuhammadAli.MovingfromBelzoni,MississippitoChicagoforabetterlifeatanearlyage,JeanTerrellwasguidedbyherfamilytosing,anditwasinthelate1960sthatsheandherbrotherformedagroupcalledErnieTerrellandtheHeavyweights.[edit]TheSupremes(19701973)ItwaswhilesinginginMiami,FloridawhereMotownpresidentBerryGordydiscoveredthe24yearoldsingerperformingwithherbrotherataclubinMiamiBeach.Lookingforareplacementforhisprotegée,singerDianaRoss,whowasleavingthegroupshehadfrontedduringmostofthe1960s,TheSupremes,forasolocareer,GordyfirstsignedTerrelltoMotownasasoloartist,butthendecidedtodropherintoTheSupremesasRoss'sreplacementalongsidecontinuing,fellowmembersMaryWilsonandCindyBirdsong.TerrellthenrecordedmuchofthenewpostRossSupremesmaterialinthestudios,andrehearsedthegroup'snewactduringthedaywithWilsonandBirdsong,whileRoss,WilsonandBirdsongperformedasDianaRoss&TheSupremesatnight.AfterRoss'sfarewellshowwiththegroupattheFrontierHotelinLasVegasonJanuary14,1970,Terrelljoinedthegrouponstagetobepresentedtothepressandpublic.Afterthisintroduction,accordingtoMaryWilson,GordychangedhismindaboutTerrellleadingthegroupandsuggestedreplacingherwithanotherMotownactSyreetaWright.Wilsonvetoedthismove,preferringtostickwithTerrell.[2]TerrellmadeaninstantimpactfrontingthenewSupremes,recordingprolificallyandsuccessfullywithseveralofMotown'stopproducers.TherevitalizedSupremesscoredmorechartsuccessrightfromthebeginningofthenewdecade;scoringbigintheUnitedKingdom,whilemanagingseveralpopandsoulhitsintheUnitedstates."UptheLaddertotheRoof","StonedLove","RiverDeep–MountainHigh"(withtheFourTops),"NathanJones",and"FloyJoy."Afterthesuccessof"FloyJoy,"BirdsongquittostartafamilyandwasreplacedbyLyndaLaurence(aformermemberofStevieWonder'sgroupWonderlove).Despitetheinitialsuccesses,towardtheendof1973,TerrellandLaurencedecidedthatitwouldbestfortheSupremestoleaveMotownandseekanotherrecordcompany.AsMotown,andnotMaryWilson,ownedthename"Supremes",bothTerrellandLaurenceleftthegroupthatyear.AllthreeSupremeswereunhappywithMotown'sseeminglackofinterestinpromotingthislineupofthegroup.Inaddition,Laurencewasexpectingachildatthetime.SoScherriePaynereplacedTerrellandCindyBirdsongreturnedtoreplaceLaurence.[edit]SolocareerSigningacontractwithA&MRecords,Terrellhadfinishedasolorecording,IHadtoFallinLove,in1978butsupposedlyduetoherJehovah'sWitnessbeliefsconflictingwithpromotingtherecordinginaspecificwaytherecordlabelwanted,shesemiretired.[citationneeded]Intheearly1980sTerrellputtogetheraonewomanshowanddidlimitedtouringthroughouttheUnitedStates.HeractconsistedofseveralSupremessongs,songsfromhersoloalbumandcoverversionsofsongsbyBetteMidlerandLionelRichie.FriendandformerSupremeLyndaLaurencewouldoftenperformbackgroundvocalsforTerrellduringthesetours.AnotherwhoperformedbackingvocalsforTerrellduringthesetourswasFreddiPoole,lateramemberofScherrie&Lynda'sgrouptheF.L.O.S.(FormerladiesofTheSupremes).[edit]FormerLadiesoftheSupremesIn1985,eightyearsaftertheSupremesofficiallybrokeupin1977,ScherriePayne,thethirdandfinalSupremesleadsinger,wassignedtoSuperStarInternationalRecords,anLosAngelesbasedrecordcompany.SuperStarapproachedherwiththeideaofreformingtheSupremes,towhichsheagreed,andcalledonformerSupremesMaryWilsonandCindyBirdsong.Wilsondeclined,insteadoptingtoforgeasolocareer,whileBirdsongagreedandcoaxedformerSupremeJeanTerrelltojointhenewSupremesgroup.ThethreeofthemsetaboutforminganewincarnationofTheSupremes,althoughduetocontractualdifficultiesovertheownershipofthename(MaryWilsonwasinvolvedinlengthylawsuitswithMotownoverownershipandrightstothename)decidedtocreateanentirelynewgroupunderthename"FLOS",TheFormerLadiesoftheSupremes.BeforetheFLOSgotofftheground,BirdsongleftforasolocareerrecordingbrieflyforU.K.basedHiHatRecords.FormerSupremeLyndaLaurencejoinedthelineup,replacingCindyBirdsongjustasshehadin1972;andin1986,thegroupwasofficiallyformed.Thegroupreleasedthesong"We'reBack",backedwith"Getaway",as12inchversions.Itfeaturedallthreeladiesshowcasingtheirvocalswithacontemporarypopsound.BecauseSuperStarInternationalRecordsdidnothavenationaldistribution,thesongfailedtochartandthelabelsoonfolded.Thegroupbegantouringaroundthistime,makingtheirdebutatTheWilshireEbellTheatreinLosAngelesin1987.FormerSupremeMaryWilsoncamealongtoshowsupporttoherformergroupmatesatthisconcert.BackingvocalsatthisconcertwereprovidedbyLynda'ssisterandsoontobegroupmember,SundrayTucker.In1989theFLOSsignedtoBritishproducerIanLevine'sMotorcityRecordsproject,joiningarosterofformerMotownartistsatthelabel.ThefirstsinglebytheFLOSonthenewlabelwasanoriginaltunecalled"CrazyabouttheGuy"(MOTC13),releasedduringthatsummer,andfeaturingJeanonleadvocals.Thissingle,togetherwithallreleasesbythegroupontheMotorcityRecordslabelranthecreditasJean,Scherrie&LyndaFormerlyofTheSupremes.ThefollowupsinglewasaremakeoftheclassicSupremeshit"StonedLove"(MOTC56)whichsawScherrieandJeansplittingleadvocaldutiesbetweenoneanother.Thesingle'sbsidecontainedaliveversionof"CrazyabouttheGuy".Thenextsinglewas"IWanttoBeLoved"(MOTC77),showcasingtheleadvocalsofallthreeladies.Thebsidecontainedtworemixesofthetrack.ThefinalsingleforMotorcity,theLyndaled"Hit&Miss"(MOTC88),wasreleasedin1991andtheladieswerecreditedas'TheSupremes'andalloftheirbackcatalogueofrecordingsmadeforMotorcityaremarketedasjust'TheSupremes'sincethen.TheladiesalsoreleasedasinglewithlabelmatesTheOriginals,called"BackByPopularDemand",anoriginaltune,whichLaurencehasstatedasoneofherfavoritesongsontheMotorcitylabel.Analbumcalled"BouncingBack"wasscheduledtobereleasedbutthelabelranintofinancialdifficultiesbeforeitcouldbereleased.Thealbumeventuallywasreleasedbyvariouslabels.Onesongscheduledforinclusiononthealbumwas"HowDoYouKeepTheMusicPlaying"whichhassincebecomeastapleofthegroup'sliveact.[edit]AftertheF.L.O.S.InDecember,1992,TerrelllefttheF.L.O.S.andhassincereleasedabiographicalDVD,"ThroughtheEyesofaSupreme".Shecontinuestosingwithjazzmusiciansaswellasmakinganoccasionalappearanceonstage(alongFreddiPooleandMaryFlowers),singingSupremeshits.