Jean Terrell

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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist

Velma Jean Terrell (born November 26, 1945)<ref name="Soul"/> is an American R&B and jazz singer. She replaced Diana Ross as the lead singer of The Supremes in 1970.<ref name="NME Rock 'N' Roll Years"/>

Biography

Early life and career

Terrell was born on 26 November 1945 in Belzoni, Mississippi, United States.<ref name="Soul">http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Jean%20Terrell.html</ref> She was born into a family of ten children, whose father was a Mississippi sharecropper who during Terrell's childhood moved the family north to Chicago when he found employment in the factories.

She is the sister of the former WBA heavyweight boxing champion Ernie Terrell, who fought Muhammad Ali.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="NME Rock 'N' Roll Years">Template:Cite book</ref>

Before her career with the Supremes, she sang with her brother Ernie in the group Ernie Terrell and the Knockouts (sometimes the Heavyweights).<ref name="AllMusic">Template:Cite web</ref>

The Supremes (1970–1973)

Motown president Berry Gordy discovered Terrell in 1969 in Miami, where she was performing with her brother at a club.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Looking for a replacement for 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 decided to join her with the Supremes as Ross's replacement alongside Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong, as announced in 1969.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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 Syreeta Wright.<ref name="Ribowsky"/> Gordy said:

I don't like Jean. I want to replace her with Syreeta.<ref name="Ribowsky">Template:Cite book</ref>

Wilson vetoed this move, instead wanting to continue the group with Terrell.<ref>Wilson, Mary (2000). Dreamgirl & Supreme Faith, Updated Edition: My Life as a Supreme. New York: Cooper Square Press; Template:ISBN</ref>

The group scored more chart success at the beginning of the new decade, scoring hits in the United Kingdom, while having several pop and soul hits in the United States, including "Up the Ladder to the Roof", "Everybody's Got the Right to Love", "Stoned Love", "River Deep – Mountain High" (with the Four Tops), "Nathan Jones", and "Floy Joy".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="AllMusic"/>

After the success of "Floy Joy," Birdsong quit after getting pregnant and was replaced by Lynda Laurence.<ref name="Sepia">Template:Cite book</ref> Despite the success towards the end of 1973, Terrell and Laurence decided that it would be best for the Supremes to leave Motown and seek another record label, however, Motown owned the name "Supremes" and Wilson was reluctant to leave, so both Terrell and Laurence departed the group that year.<ref name="Sepia">Template:Cite book</ref> All three Supremes were not interested with Motown's seeming lack of interest in promoting this line-up of the group, in addition, Laurence was expecting a child at the time.<ref name="Sepia"/> Scherrie Payne, sister of Freda Payne, replaced Terrell<ref name="Hoffmann"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Cindy Birdsong returned to replace Laurence in 1973.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Solo career

Signing a contract with A&M Records, A&M issued a solo album by Terrell, I Had to Fall in Love, in 1978, which did not make impact on any charts, however she did promote the title track on the Dinah! show in July 1978.<ref name="AllMusic"/><ref name="soul"/> She did have a minor hit with "Don't Stop Reaching for the Top", which peaked at #72 on the R&B charts. Despite A&M's plans to extensively promote Terrell in an effort to boost their R & B division, Terrell declined to travel extensively and leave her family, and complained that certain plans A&M had for her conflicted with her Jehovah Witness beliefs. The album failed and she was dropped. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Hoffmann">Template:Cite book</ref> In the early 1980s, Terrell put together a one-woman show, and did limited touring throughout the United States, and her act consisted of several Supremes songs, songs from her solo album and cover versions of songs by Bette Midler and Lionel Richie.<ref name="Life and Times of the Motown Stars"/> Laurence would often perform background vocals for Terrell throughout the shows in the tour.<ref name="soul"/><ref name="Life and Times of the Motown Stars"/> Another who performed backing vocals for Terrell during these tours was Freddi Poole, later a member of Payne and Laurence's group the Former Ladies of the Supremes.<ref name="Life and Times of the Motown Stars">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="soul">Template:Cite web</ref>

Former Ladies of the Supremes

In 1985, eight years after the Supremes officially broke up in 1977, Payne was signed to SuperStar International Records, a Los Angeles-based record label.<ref name="First Ladies of Disco"/> Her then-partner Ronnie Phillips approached her with the idea of reforming the Supremes, to which she agreed, and asked Wilson and Birdsong to join the group.<ref name="First Ladies of Disco"/> Wilson declined, instead opting to continue her solo career, while Birdsong agreed and persuaded Terrell to join the new group.

The grouping of Terrell, Payne and Birdsong set about forming a spinoff group of the Supremes, although due to contractual difficulties over the ownership of the name.<ref name="First Ladies of Disco"/> They decided to create an entirely new group using the abbreviation "FLOS", for the name the Former Ladies of the Supremes.<ref name="First Ladies of Disco"/> Before the group began their career, Birdsong left for a solo career, and Laurence joined the lineup alongside Terrell and Payne, replacing Birdsong just as she had in 1972, and the group released the song "We're Back", released on SuperStar International Records.<ref name="First Ladies of Disco">Template:Cite book</ref> However, the label did not have national distribution, the song failed to chart and the label folded after. The group began touring and performing in shows around this time, making their debut at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles in 1987.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By then, they recorded several singles for the United Kingdom-based Motorcity Records label for Ian Levine throughout 1989 and 1990, joining a roster of former Motown artists.<ref name="AllMusic"/> After several single releases out of the United Kingdom failed to catch on, Terrell again became disenchanted and suddenly dropped out of the group.

Recent years

In December 1992, Terrell left the group and was replaced by Sundray Tucker.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1996, Tucker left the trio and Terrell made a brief comeback to the group, reuniting with both Payne and Laurence for two special concerts held at the Industry Cafe in Los Angeles. This reunion ended with the recruitment of Freddi Poole in July 1996. In 2004, Terrell released a biographical DVD, "Through the Eyes of a Supreme", and has continued to sing onstage with various jazz musicians.<ref name="soul"/> A planned CD of Jazz music never materialized after her DVD release. She has made an occasional appearance onstage (along with Poole and Mary Flowers), singing Supremes hits.<ref>Archived at GhostarchiveTemplate:CbignoreTemplate:Cbignore: Template:Cite AV mediaTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

Personal life

Jean married Juan Thompson in 1973 shortly after leaving The Supremes. They divorced in the mid 1980s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The union produced two sons, Jason and Jonathan.

Discography

Template:Main

Albums

With The Supremes
List of albums, with selected chart positions and certifications All records released on Motown Records.
Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications
US
<ref name="US BB200">Template:Cite magazine</ref> 		US
R&B
/HH
<ref name="R&B Albums">Template:Cite magazine</ref> 		US
Record World
<ref name="Record World Albums Supremes">


The Supremes and the Four Tops:


The Supremes:

</ref>

CAN
<ref name="CAN Albums">
  • For all The Supremes' search results in Canada's RPM Top Albums chart archive:Template:Cite web


The Supremes:

</ref>

GER
<ref name="GER Albums">Template:Cite web</ref> 		NOR
<ref name="NOR">Template:Cite web</ref> 		UK
<ref name="UK">

For all except noted:

Right On 25 4 24 41 — — —
The Magnificent 7
(with the Four Tops) 		113 18 102 73 — — 6
New Ways but Love Stays 68 12 43 — — — —
The Return of the Magnificent Seven
(with the Four Tops) 		154 18 72 — — — —
Touch 85 6 66 — — — 40
Dynamite
(with the Four Tops) 		160 21 – — — — —
Floy Joy 54 12 44 – — — —
The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb 129 27 104 — — — —
"—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not released

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions, sales and certifications, showing year released and album name Template:Small
A-side title
B-side title 		Year Peak chart positions Sales Certifications Album
US
<ref name="Hot 100">Template:Cite magazine</ref> 		US
R&B
/HH
<ref name="R&B Songs">Template:Cite magazine</ref> 		AUS
<ref name="AUS Singles 1970s">


The Supremes:

  • For "Stoned Love":

Template:Cite web

  • For "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)":

Template:Cite web </ref>

BEL
(WA)
<ref name="BEL (WA)"> Template:Cite web</ref> 		BGK
<ref name="BGK">

</ref>

CAN
<ref name="CAN 1970s">


1970 singles:


1971 singles:


1972 singles:


1976 singles:

</ref>

IRE
<ref name="IE">Template:Cite web</ref> 		ISL
<ref name="ISL 1970s">

</ref>

NLD
<ref name="NLD">

Template:Cite web

Template:Cite web </ref>

UK
<ref name="UK" />
The Supremes
"Up the Ladder to the Roof"
"Bill, When Are You Coming Back" 		1970 10 5 43 — — 8 — 10 —Template:Efn 6 Right On
"Everybody's Got the Right to Love"
"But I Love You More" 		21 11 — — — 14 — — —Template:Efn —
"Stoned Love"
"Shine on Me" 		7 1 99 37 — 9 19 6 — 3 New Ways but Love Stays
"River Deep, Mountain High"
"Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music"
(with the Four Tops) 		14 7 — 35 — 20 12 — 25 11 The Magnificent 7
"Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)"
"Where Would I Be Without You Baby"
(with the Four Tops) 		— — 56 — — — — — — —
"A Taste of Honey"Template:Efn-ur
"Knock on My Door"
(with the Four Tops) 		1971 — — — — — — — — —Template:Efn —
"Nathan Jones"
"Happy (Is a Bumpy Road)" 		16 8 — 42 — 15 — — 27 5 Touch
"You Gotta Have Love in Your Heart"
"I'm Glad About It"
(with the Four Tops) 		55 41 — — — — — — — 25 The Return of the Magnificent Seven
"Touch"
"It's So Hard for Me to Say Good-bye" 		71 — — — — 71 — — — — Touch
"Floy Joy"
"This Is the Story"
(from Touch) 		16 5 — — — 31 — — — 9 Floy Joy
"Automatically Sunshine"
"Precious Little Things" 		1972 37 21 — — 3 49 — 10 — 10
"Without the One You Love"
"Let's Make Love Now"
(with the Four Tops) 		— — — — 17 — — — — — The Magnificent 7
"Your Wonderful, Sweet Sweet Love"
"The Wisdom of Time" 		59 22 — — — 81 — — — — Floy Joy
"I Guess I'll Miss the Man"
"Over and Over"
(from Floy Joy) 		85 — — — — — — — — — The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb
"Bad Weather"
"Oh Be My Love"
(from Floy Joy) 		1973 87 74 — — — — — — — 37 Template:N/a
"Tossin' and Turnin'"
"Oh Be My Love"
(from Floy Joy) 		— — — — — — — — — — The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb

References

Template:Reflist

Notes

Template:Reflist Template:Notelist-ua

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Template:AllMusic

Template:The Supremes

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