In This Very Room2. Cindy Birdsong was born on December 15, 1939 in Mount Holly, United States (81 years old). I wore the same shoe size and the same dress size. Birdsong filed for divorce in March, 1975 citing "irreconcilable differences". Other songs were demoed, but none released. At twenty years of age, Birdsong was Ross had called Birdsong, who lives in Los Angeles, when she did a two-day stint at Hollywood Bowl last year and the former Supreme who replaced Florence Ballard in the biggest girl group of all time still tries to catch Ross in concert when she can. And I’m guessing Cindy really needed the money. Birdsong first met The Supremes when the group opened for them in 1963. Birdsong continued to perform with the Supremes when she became pregnant with her son, David, Birdsong officially leaving the Supremes in April 1972, after completing the Floy Joy album's recording sessions. Twitter With Cindy Birdsong, Patti LaBelle, Cyndi Lauper, Bette Midler. Birdsong was born in Mount Holly, New Jersey in December 1939 to parents Lloyd Birdsong, Sr. and Annie Birdsong. two friends (Patti LaBelleand Cindy Birdsong), who sang together in a high school group, the Ordettes (line up featured: Patricia Holte, Sundray Tucker, Wynona 'Nona' Hendryx and Sarah Dash), merged with, another local attraction, the Del Capris (whose line-up included Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash). Patti LaBelle has noted that a rivalry between the two groups developed after the Supremes were seen in the same store LaBelle and her band members were, shopping for clothes for performances. JL. Cindy Birdsong is best known as a R & B Singer. at 5:30 pm, January 14th, 2021 It was edited out of the televised special but was widely publicized and was recounted in the first chapter of Wilson’s best selling memoir “Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme” released three years later. Birdsong had previously been a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles. You get angry and there are no answers.”. However, Cindy can be heard doing a brief solo during "Let the Sunshine In" on their Farewell performance. Love this. Today, Cindy is divorced and a minister in the Los Angeles area. Cindy also told me about the competition with The Supremes while she was a member of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells whose lead singer was Patti LaBelle (pictured, left). Seventeen years passed before another Supremes reunion was broached. She retired from showbiz years ago but I got to interview her back in 2009 when I was a columnist and blogger for the LA Daily News. In 1983, there was a disastrous performance at the 1983 Motown 25 concert special. Cindy Birdsong first met The Supremes when the Blue Belles opened for them in 1963, and again when the two groups travelled together throughout 1965–1966. at 9:06 pm. In 1967, the group became a trio after Cindy Birdsong left to join the Supremes, replacing Florence Ballard. Like sisters, they fight. Posted by Roy on Tuesday, 02/24/2015 @ 11:44am. Cindy married Charles Hewlett in August, 1970 in San Francisco. Cindy sings 2 songs.1. After Covid. Diana Ross & The Supremes Sing and Perform "Funny Girl", https://thesupremes.fandom.com/wiki/Cindy_Birdsong?oldid=4745. Singer who gained fame while performing in groups like Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles and later The Supremes, the group known for hits like ‘Baby Love.’She was born on December 15, 1939 in Mount Holly, NJ. You would think Ross had stolen her man, the way LaBelle carried on about her for almost four decades. But it would be great if Mary and Cindy could join Diana on stage for one night somewhere. It was like Cinderella.”. I was still really close with Diana and I said I’d like to do it. Jun 23, 2020 - Cindy Birdsong- Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles L-R Patti Labelle(front), Nona Hendryx, Cindy Birdsong and Sarah Dash circa 1965 Ballard grew increasingly troubled and missed some performances until finally things came to a head during an engagement in Las Vegas. Ross wanted to do a 2000 summer concert tour performing the group’s many hits incluidng “Reflections,” “Love Child,” “Someday We’ll Be Together,” “I Hear a Symphony,” “Where Did Our Love go,” “Baby Love,” and “You Keep Me Hanging On.” Her desire was to have Mary and Cindy join her on the tour. That was a nice read. Birdsong was noted for her high soprano vocals in the background.From 1963 until 1967, The Blue Belles, later Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles, found relative success on the charts and were raved for their live performances. The Temps were the first to be at David’s funeral. Singer who gained fame while performing in groups like Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles and later The Supremes, the group known for hits like ‘Baby Love.’ When the controversy over the song winded down, the group found a hit with the ballad, "Down the Aisle (The Wedding Song)". Cindy Birdsong, Formerly of THE SUPREMES on the PTL (Praise The Lord) channel in the early 1980's. But soon enough, Ross had warmed up to Birdsong and they began chatting. In the new group, both Mary and Cindy's voices were heard more prominently, including the three albums the group recorded with the Four Tops. After living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a duration of her childhood, the family returned to New Jersey settling in Camden. a2a_linkname="Greg In Hollywood"; She was an original member of the Former Ladies of the Supremes along with Jean Terrell and Scherrie Payne but left to pursue a solo career in singing. Cynthia Ann Birdsong (born December 15, 1939) is an American singer who became famous as a member of The Supremes in 1967, when she replaced co-founding member Florence Ballard. And so, nine years later, the question remains: Will there ever be another Supremes reunion? Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles, The Supremes, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Jean Terrell, Scherrie Payne, The Temptations, Four Tops, Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx, Sarah Dash Cynthia Ann "Cindy" Birdsong (born December 15, 1939) is an American singer, most famous for singing with the legendary soul groups The Supremes and Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles . Merry Christmas everyone, stay safe! Except for featured backgrounds on several collaborations with The Temptations, live album tracks, and some studio LP tracks, Birdsong and fellow member Mary Wilson did not sing backing vocals on the group's later singles. During this time-frame, Cindy recorded lead vocals on a version of "High Energy," however her version has not been found. Kidnapping: On December 2, 1969, Birdsong was kidnapped while returning to her apartment with her then-boyfriend (later husband) Charles Hewlett and their friend, Howard Meak. contact | “We were so competitive – all this catty stuff with girl groups – and my girls didn’t want to have anything to do with them. She is currently writing her memoirs, to be published in 2012. “We were hot and they were hot,” she says. Some people carry old pass along until their death bed. Twitter, Follow Greg: Session singers The Andantes substituted for Mary and Cindy on many, although not on all, cuts in subsequent Diana Ross & the Supremes albums. If you want to hear dirt about Diana Ross, don’t bother asking Cindy Birdsong for any. I was like a kid in a candy store. Flash-forward to 1966 and a series of number one hits for the Supremes who were now superstars. Birdsong managed to unlock the car door and jump out of the car onto the highway to safety. Cindy Birdsong had long been a member of the girl group Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells when in 1967 she was stolen away to join the biggest girl group of them all: The Supremes. Following the success of "Down the Aisle", the group would have follow-up success with "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Danny Boy" before leaving their second label, Cameo-Parkway, for a more lucrative deal with Atlantic Records. Biography. Along the line, they had extended their name to Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles. In 1961, after a year performing in jubilees, sock hops and school functions, the Ordettes, then managed by respected music manager Bernard Mbbbontague, who later managed several other Philadelphia-based groups such as The Stylistics and The Delfonics, got their first deal with Harold Robinson's Newtown Records. Jay said it all. This was Birdsong's first marriage and Hewlett's second. A person from Diana’s camp called and said, ‘Miss Birdsong, we’re not going to go with you and Mary.’ I was devastated. They also contributed background vocals to Tony Kosinec's "Simple Emotion" and Wilson Pickett's hit "634-5789" in 1966. After almost rejecting the group due to him not being initially impressed with the looks of Patsy Holt before Holt and the group sang to him during an audition, which prompted Robinson to change his mind, signing the group and changing the name of both the group (into The Blue Belles, based from a Newtown subsidiary, Blue Belle Records) and Holt's own name, from Patsy Holt to Patti LaBelle. Cindy Birdsong. “I had gained quite a bit of weight and I couldn’t get a gown right away,” she remembered. Birdsong had previously been a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles. But Birdsong has no hard feelings toward Ross who endured one of the biggest failures of her stunningly successful career when the “Return to Love” tour suffered from such poor attendance that it was cancelled shortly into its run. In 1999, she reunited with the Bluebelles, who changed their name to Labelle after Birdsong's departure, for the first time in thirty-two years as the group accepted an R&B Foundation Award for Lifetime Achievement singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" together. Birdsong said that the remaining Bluebelles were angry with her for not telling them about joining the Supremes and refused to talk to her for years. Birdsong set on sights being a nurse attending college in Pennsylvania, returning to Philadelphia, where she was contacted by a longtime friend, Patsy Holt, to replace another member of her group, Sundray Tucker in the group, The Ordettes, in 1960. But they are sisters.”. Cynthia Ann "Cindy" Birdsong (born December 15, 1939) is an American singer who was formerly a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles, but is most famous for replacing Florence Ballard as a member of the legendary Supremes. The group would also befriend a fellow Motown alum and Philly native, Tammi Terrell during that same period. Cindy Birdsong Nona Hendryx Patti LaBelle Sarah Dash . Facebook. Birdsong was born in Mount Holly, New Jersey on December 15, 1939, to parents Lloyd Birdsong, Sr. and Annie Birdsong. I always loved the Supremes and a million others and it will trill our hearts to see a reunion. I always love the Supremes . She’s a queen of her art.”. Plan a REUNION Gainesville, FL The Supremes VS The Bluebells! Born Cynthia Ann Birdsong on December 15, 1939, Cindy Birdsong is an American singer, most famous for her involvement with the 1960's girl groups, "Patti LaBelle & The BlueBelles" and "Diana Ross & The Supremes.". Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters join the Bernie Sanders meme craze and it is hilarious! For her first two and a half years as a Supreme, listeners did not hear Birdsong's voice on most of The Supremes' newest singles. Birdsong set on sights being a nurse attending college in Pennsylvania, returning to Philadelphia, where she was contacted by a longtime friend, Patsy Holt, to replace another member of her group, Sundray Tucker in the group, The Ordettes, in 1960. As with the Ross-Gordy relationship, the details of Ballard's departure were kept under wraps. Cindy Birdsong left in 1967 to replace Florence Ballard in the Supremes, permanently reducing the group to a trio. In 2004, Birdsong joined former Supreme Mary Wilson and Kelly Rowland (of Destiny's Child) to perform a medley of Supreme hits for the Motown 45 anniversary television special. Related Blog Posts. “I just happened to turn it on and there she was and I thought, ‘Wow!’ She’s in great shape and sounded good. In 1983, Birdsong joined fellow former Supremes Mary Wilson and Diana Ross in a one-off reunion on the Motown 25 anniversary television special. “I was excited about it but I waited too long,” Birdsong said. With no real hits forthcoming, Atlantic wound up dropping them in 1969. Ballard performed the first week of a two-week engagement then Birdsong – between Bluebell gigs at the time – was brought in to do the second week and quietly became a member of the biggest girl group of all time. I Believe The Supremes were playing the Hollywood Bowl in the summer of '67 when Florence looking into the audience realized that Cindy was in the crowd and her time with The Supremes was over. But LaBelle said it really started because of Cindy Birdsong… In 1970, Jean Terrell replaced Diana Ross as lead singer of The Supremes. The couple have one son, David, born in 1972. As The Bluebelles, and later Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, the group found success with ballads in the doo-wop genre, most notably "Down the Aisle (The Wedding Song)", "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Over the Rainbow". But their professional reunions have been fraught with difficulty because of the famously strained relationship between Ross and fellow original Supreme Mary Wilson. a2a_linkurl="http://feeds.greginhollywood.com/greginhollywood"; Get GIH news via The opportunity to replace Flo Ballard and join Diana Ross and … It is unclear what Collier's intentions were. Birdsong’s high soprano vocals were noticed when she performed background for the band Patti LaBelle and the Blue … Cindy Birdsong Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles (1967–1970) Patti LaBelle Nona Hendryx Sarah Dash LaBelle (1970–1976) Patti LaBelle Nona Hendryx Sarah Dash LaBelle (2005–2009) Patti LaBelle Nona Hendryx Sarah Dash. “I didn’t have the money! “It wasn’t that we didn’t love each other, we always did. But I was still socializing with both. After a brief hiatus, Birdsong returned to the Supremes in late 1973, replacing a pregnant Laurence. R&B 40: 1975 ; R&B 40: 1974 ; Labelle Biography by Steve Huey + Follow Artist. In 1987, Birdsong returned to singing, and released the single "Dancing Room" on Hi-Hat Records. Dec 15, 2020 6:06 am |, December 16th, 2020 Birdsong and lead singer Patti LaBelle repaired their friendship in the early 1980s after Birdsong appeared at one of LaBelle's sold-out, standing-room concerts. After leaving the Supremes, Birdsong worked as a nurse at UCLA Medical Center under her married name of Cindy Hewlett, and then went to work for Suzanne de Passe at Motown Records. The plan to replace Florence Ballard with Cindy Birdsong was put in place a couple months before the switch up actually occurred. Cynthia Ann “Cindy” Birdsong (born December 15, 1939) is an American singer, most famous for singing with the legendary soul groups The Supremes and Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles. Labelle was an American all-female singing group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. While the Supremes were flashy with wigs and gowns and false eyelashes, the Bluebells had a more simple style and were only allowed to wear lipstick at that time. But there was haggling over money – Wilson felt her $4 million salary did not reflect her contributions to the group and its legacy. “There’s still a fanbase out there who say: ‘We still want it!’”. Birdsong had previously been a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles. When I was (first) onstage, nobody knew that I wasn’t Florence. Florence answered the door and she was like, ‘Come on in Cindy!’ Mary and Diana were like, ‘What’s she doing in here?’”. Cindy Birdsong Cynthia Ann “Cindy” Birdsong (born December 15, 1939) is an American singer who was formerly a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles, but is most famous for replacing Florence Ballard as a member of the legendary The Supremes. Like Wilson, Birdsong says the decision lies with Ross. The opportunity to replace Flo Ballard and join Diana Ross and Mary Wilson was an offer she could not refuse. Since her earliest days with The Bluebelles in the ’60s (here she is with her group-mates, Nona Hendryx, Sarah Dash and Cindy Birdsong), LaBelle … I still wish Mary had just swallowed her pride so she and Cindy could do that tour. But she confessed that she also felt self-conscious because she had not been performing for several years. Critically acclaimed funk-rock trio forever best known for the 1975 smash "Lady Marmalade." She spent three years with Wilson and Ross then remained a Supreme for part of the 1970s after Ross left the group and was replaced by Jean Terrell. She is a class act and has nothing bad to say about her former singing partner who she remains friends with to this day. “We looked like fresh little girls from the (housing) projects,” she says. Find out … They missed $4 million dollars each and that will never happen again at their age. It was reported that Birdsong was to have received about the same amount while Ross’ take was five times what either of the other women would be making. ... Sarah Dash and Cindy Birdsong. at 5:45 am, December 20th, 2020 The Temptations forgave David Ruffin and did a reunion before he died. The Supremes Wiki is a FANDOM Music Community. Four days later, on December 6, 1969, Charles Collier, a maintenance man at Birdsong's apartment, contacted police and turned himself in. At twenty years of age, Birdsong was the oldest member of the group with the remainder of the group still in their mid-teens. “It came out so bad and there were hard feelings,” she remembered. She was replaced as lead singer by the glorious Jean Terrell who joined Birdsong and Wilson. Patti LaBelle has noted that a rivalry between the two groups developed after the Supremes were seen in the same store LaBelle and her band members were, shopping for clothes for performances. at 2:11 pm, January 14th, 2021 Directed by Gary Tellalian. Her replacement, Lynda Laurence, who is Sundray Tucker's sister, had already joined Mary Wilson and Jean Terrell onstage and on the Floy Joy album cover, as Birdsong's pregnancy became visible. According to John Clemente's book, Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, LaBelle and her bandmates Sarah Dash, Nona Hendryx, and Cindy Birdsong, performed every day at different venues. From a distance, she looked just like me.”. Patti LaBelle (born Patricia Holt in Philadelphia on October 4, 1944) grew up singing in a local Baptist choir and teamed with friend Cindy Birdsong to form the Ordettes in Philadelphia in 1960. One day, Birdsong just couldn’t resist knocking on the dressing room door of the Supremes: “I went across the hall. What do you think of Ricky Martin’s bleached beard? copyright © Greg Hernandez 2021 | Biography Early life Birdsong was born in Mount Holly, New Jersey on December 15th, 1939, to parents Lloyd […] “It was such a dramatic thing and it was all so fast. These songs included "Ready For You", "Check It Out", "Talk is Cheap", and "Anatomy". Birdsong, smiling from ear-to-ear, had already joined Ross onstage looking lovely in a white gown. You want to try one on?’ Then I put on rouge and earings that were almost down to my shoulders. Finally, as told by Pop Dose, their big break came in 1962 and involved a cover of the song "I Sold My Heart to a Junkman." design: Kate and Val Cohen, By Greg Hernandez on Diana Ross left the Supremes in early 1970 but that was not the end of the group. Submit Corrections. I went back across the hall and (Bluebell members) were like, ‘Look at Cindy! The founding members were Patti LaBelle (formerly Patricia Holt), Cindy Birdsong, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash. “Mary would probably do it now,” she said. Starting in 1967, Birdsong began to appear as a stand-in vocalist for Supremes founder Florence Ballard when Ballard's bout with alcoholism had caused her to miss important gigs. In 1967, two major changes were instituted: "Flo" was dismissed and replaced with Cindy Birdsong (of Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles) and the group became officially known as "Diana Ross and The Supremes". A full tour won’t happen now. Later, as the group changed their name to Labelle and embraced funk and rock music, they would record member Nona Hendryx's composition, "(Can I Speak To You Before You Go To) Hollywood", which was allegedly based on Birdsong. Pete Buttigieg confirmation hearing round-up. Cindy Birdsong is a R&B Singer, zodiac sign: Sagittarius. Diana would call and say, ‘Come up for the weekend!’ “They both (pause), both the girls, they still love each other. Forgiveness is the best healer and it will cure the soul. Cynthia Ann Birdsong (born December 15, 1939) is an American singer who became famous as a member of The Supremes in 1967, when she replaced co-founding member Florence Ballard. In 1999, Birdsong and the other Blue Belles received a Pioneer Award from the R&B Foundation and were honored by Lauryn Hill. But I was fascinated by them.”. Patti LaBelle, photographed at her home in Villanova, Pa., on Oct. 14, 2020. Birdsong remained with the Supremes until she retired in February 1976, frustrated with her dealings with Mary Wilson and Wilson's then-husband, Pedro Ferrer, who was serving as the group's manager. The trio, together for the first time since 1970, were just a few verses into “Someday We’ll Be Together” when there was an altercation, onstage, between Ross and Wilson. Cindy Birdsong Cynthia Ann Birdsong (born December 15, 1939) is an American singer who became famous as a member of The Supremes in 1967, when she replaced co-founding member Florence Ballard. She currently resides in Camden, New Jersey, USA. The group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the area around Philadelphia and Trenton, the Ordettes and the Del-Capris, forming as a new version of the former group, then later changing their name to the Blue Belles (later Bluebelles). Pete Buttigieg talks to Jimmy Fallon about possibly becoming first openly gay cabinet member, top | Take the feed! I will follow these groups. Group members reportedly were angry when the Supremes were shown in the same outfit that they wore. The group had their first hit with "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" in 1962 though LaBelle wrote in her memoirs that the song was actually recorded by The Starlets. In attendance were then singing partners Jean Terrell and Mary Wilson. FORGIVENESS! During that period, Birdsong contributed to two albums: The Supremes (1975) and High Energy (1976). Once again, she was replaced by Lynda Laurence in the group. In July 1967, Birdsong abruptly left the Bluebelles to join The Supremes as Ballard's official replacement. They were just so sophisticated.” Carrying hate and recement in your heart is a hater and it will eat at your soul like cancer. The founding members were Patti LaBelle (formerly Patricia Holt), Cindy Birdsong, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash. Cindy remembers Diana saying: “You’ve never had a wig or anything? “I really didn’t expect that I was going to be a part of it,” she says now.

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