Diana Ross: How close to the truth is Dreamgirls? (Part 1)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
- In this video, I take a look at the origins of the Supremes, and Act 1 of Dreamgirls the musical. I address some of their differences and similarities, and try to give a fair opinion on them both. Part 2 coming soon.
All images and videos used in conjunction with the Fair Use act.Music by Bensound. Thank you to Peter Benjaminson for his interviews.
This sounds more like The Marvelettes Story. Duh
it’s also extremely close to the supremes story as well.
In all honesty, it sounds like a litthe bit of the 3 more popular groups: the Supremes, the Marvelettes, and Martha and the Vandellas.
Eh its a conglomerate but alot has to do with the supremes especially the diana( Dena) sleeping with the label owner( Barry gordy) He was also with Florence first.
Most of the stories of the girl groups are the same..
If they based the lead singer on looks the Cindy should have replaced Diane
It’s funny how they got Beyoncé to play Deena when her story is similar to Diana’s, but the major difference is that she started off being in the forefront and then shared lead with Kelly and Michelle later on (still singing majority).
Instead of Gordy or Curtis being a love interest or rival, Destiny’s Child had Beyoncé’s dad, Matthew, as their manager.
LaTavia and LeToya were replaced because they wanted to have separate management from Matthew and Farrah kicked out for missing rehearsals similar to Florence/ Effie
Deena, Diana and Beyoncé went on to have the most successful solo careers of the other group members.
The casting made sense to cast Beyoncé as Deena, a character based off Diana✨
I was coming to look for this comment I’m glad somebody else realized that too. I think Beyoncé definitely related to the role.
Beyonce was definitely typecast.
And the situation with Destinys Child was far worse than what happened with the Supremes because she came into the group with disproportionate advantages due to her father controlling them from the time his co-manager died. Her skills were intentionally groomed disproportionately to the detriment of the other members. And then they were giving her solo endorsement deals while the group was still formed. 😭
@@Gatsbyesque right.. Beyonce was Basically doing Features while destiny's child still had the original members.
@@kelisreal Solo features and million dollar endorsement campaigns. They went out of their way to make her the sole beneficiary of the group’s success and to seem like a superstar in her own right, on the back of their combined effort.
These kinds of things are basically illegal when you’re promoting a group. But considering two members had already been given their walking papers, what was the incentive for the others to assert themselves? Also considering Kelly had been pulled in as a quasi family member and thus gagged... I’m sure they wanted to object but could not risk alienation.
In the case of the Supremes, they did switch to a “Diana Ross and…” working name, as many other groups did. But all parties involved seemed to know that she would have to make a clean break and go out on her own without keeping one foot in the Supremes door or using them for unfair leverage. Her solo career was basically a sink or swim situation. Beyonce’s was more like a guarantee of always being able to go back home. She didn’t let go of DC until she didn’t need them anymore. It was way, way worse. But I blame her father and handlers, not her. She was young and also under the thumb of a driven dadager.
@@Gatsbyesque Kelly however was the first to go solo so this theory doesn't really hold up.
She was even more successful with her single with Nelly where she's trying to call her man using Microsoft Excel
(ofcourse I'm gonna be shady 🍵 😁)
Rest In Power - Mary Wilson, one of the original members and founders of The Supremes, along Diana Ross and Florence Ballad 😔 (March 6, 1944- February 8, 2021). You will be dearly missed.
That's for sure. I'm glad I had the chance to see her speak and sing at Regis College in March of 1993, though. 😊❤️
"Where are my background singers?!" 😅😅😅
That was hilarious!
I got to ur comment JUST as that clip aired. Lol
That video is now a Christmas tradition to watch every year.😂
@@feliciasanders2066 I still listen when I need a good ass laugh!! The sad part is she sounded so good like always but the commentary is hilarious 😂
@@LADYBEYWEST right. It's mainly the commentary and the improvised lyrics. Felt bad for the cue card person.😂
One of my favourite clips in TH-cam history. I revisit every year for a crying laugh. Iconic
Flo was raped at knifepoint by a local high-school basketball star in 1960 after she left a party late (she went with her brother but they lost track of each other) and was picked up by someone she recognized as the local high-school basketball star. Her personality changed; she was prone to sudden fits of anger and would be argumentative. She told her bandmates about the rape and while they knew, they didn't understand - I don't know if Gordy knew but I doubt he would have understood either - and this was likely another reason why Ross became the permanent lead. Since she founded the group and picked the name, I can't imagine how this must have taken a HUGE hit on Flo's mental health and confidence, all while dealing with sudden fame and the pressures that come with it, and the rising superstardom of Ross.
Maybe this is why she began to turn to alcohol. Later when the band became Diana Ross and the Supremes - the reason, according to Gordy, was so he can charge for two acts and bring more money in - it no doubt broke Flo's spirit.
The musical says nothing about this, and neither does the movie based on it.
@@marioescalante4401 Yup.
Exactly the lady was raped! And Diane’s crave for the spotlight pushed her friend to the back?
When Mary said "Dreamgirls is closer to the truth then you know" makes me think about the affairs of Motown. They all were sleeping around in Motown. Diana has been link to a few motown men like Smokey Robinson and Eddie Kendricks of the temptations ( who she dated as kids briefly) but it was rumored she got ran out of Eddie house by his then wife Pat. And Mary said she saw Diana Slap Eddie for an unknown reason. Eddie was calm and somewhat a gentleman so he said nothing and just left. also she was sitting on a Motown man's lap at an event (forget who) and the man's wife showed up. She got so mad that she tore off Ross dress leaving her in a slip. Again this is more Motown lore but it comes from old Motown artists and workers themselves. So I think Mary was referring to Motown as a whole. And saying there is alot of skelton's there. So many it can make a graveyard
And me, being the Motown fan I am would love to hear about them!
@@Miketendo93 Right! I love Motown and everything they did. But they were young gifted black people who got to literally live in a way that wasn't the norm. Most blacks couldn't dream of owning homes and making 6 figures etc at that time. So of course there was bound to be some affairs and cattiness roaming about. when I hear about these legends and their real life sagas it makes them human. The real tea is way better then the squeaky clean image they portrayed
@@MsTrueTy I know I collect the albums! And have most of the films/TV Specials Motown has done. I would love to hear about all those skeletons in closet. Between Dreamgirls the play/movie, Mary Wilson's two books and the book Call Her Ms. Ross; I was left wanting so much more! My cup runneth over
@@Miketendo93 Me too my favs are the Temptations. And them boys was wild! Otis said they would knuckle then go on stage like all was good! And the temptation movie only scratched the surface of the real of those men.
That was Eddie Dozier Holland wife that snatched Diana from the table lol
Dreamgirls has enough for the truth to be a slap in the face enough differences not to be sued.
I don’t really know that it was different enough not to be sued. As part two of this video demonstrates, some intellectual property were outright copied, particularly in the film version.
I think it’s more so that the folks in question elected not to bother with it. Suing them was never going to change peoples perception, nor remove it entirely from the public view. Formally suing would also substantiate the work and help to make it canon in Motown / Supremes lore. Arguing that it’s not accurate and that they copied you, simultaneously, may work in the court of law because that forum allows you to get into the minutiae, but it’s precarious in terms of public perception.
It’s actually better that Berry, Motown, and Diana elected to behave like they were too far above Dreamgirls to give it their full acknowledgement. That is how you treat a derivative work such as this and place distance between it and yourself. Had they sued, it would have had the unintended consequence of making this seem to be the definitive work on them, and thus compromised any future works they might put out there.
DREAMGIRLS is a story inspired by the Supremes story,it’s very foundation is built on the story of Florence Ballard,who founded and named the group being pushed out of the group and replaced.However that can’t be told because of,well we all know why ....RIP Florence Ballard 🙏🏽🌹
From what I've researched almost every female singer that encountered Diana Ross in her youth has a negative story about her. Because they notice that strange things would occur after an encounter with her. I think when Diana Ross was younger she was very insecure & so she used her connection with Berry Gordy to push aside any competition
diana was very vengeful .what is the legend of forcing other female motown artists to have front road seats at their (Supremes's) shows. not as a curtesy of friendship but as a way of saying "KISS MY A? look at me now bchesss..
Yes! Once WAAAAY back in the day The Supremes were on tour with Gladys Knight & the Pips. And Gladys being the amazing soul singer she is was taking all the attention (not on purpose) but I mean she was THAT GOOD! And she got Gladys KICKED OFF THE TOUR! But ofcourse it worked in her favor because Berry told her over the phone “hey y’all gotta come back because I’m sending you on the road to open your own act.” But while she was being told this on the phone who was looking at Gladys trying to listen in on her conversation...DIANA!😂
@@vancemars1174 Indeed! I watched Gladys talk about that situation in an interview. Gladys for sure got the last laugh 😏
@@JMac7395 yes I’ll take Gladys, Patti, Chaka, or the QUEEN ARETHA over Ms. Ross mean ass any day lol
Diana was like Pebbles Reid… women who were beautiful and knew they were beautiful, so it made them narcissistic and very self-important.
After all these years, how come no one is mentioning that Berry Gordy and Diana Ross had an affair that resulted in a child???? We may never know all but the daughter Ross had by Gordy looks just like her father.
Everyone knows that Rhonda is his daughter, Diana gave all her children her last name
Thats common knowledge at this point but a lot of people dont like to put Diana Ross dirt out there, especially her fans
Tracey changed her last name to ross but diana did not originally name it that
This is common knowledge. It’s been mentioned. And “affair” is not that accurate. They were together. And he was not married.
It’s been mentioned countless time though. I thought everyone knew this
Faith Evan’s lowkey look like Florence I can’t lie omg
She soooo does!!
I'm just looking at this saying the same thing. She really does!
Yes!
yes and the was looked up on to play her, But Berry Gordy shot it down and i also heard he liked Flo first but she did not like him like that and he held that for ever
And Kelly Rowland looks like Mary Wilson.
It was "Diana Ross and the Supremes." Berry Gordy was highly intelligent and knew what he was doing in the music industry. He ended up bringing Black music to the mainstream, and eventually taking over the scene! Diana Ross topped the Supremes because of her crossover appeal. And they did indeed cross over! The others could not have done that, despite their tremendous talents. DREAMGIRLS IS AN ADEQUATELY PREPARED AND SILKY PRESENTATION OF A STORY THAT WILL ALWAYS REMAIN UNTOLD!
Mr. Berry Gordy "LOVED" Diana Ross, she was special, and he was the "BOSS". Seems he believed she needed to be the singled out one.. Mary Wilson was just as out going and talented as Diana,, and Mr. Gordy loved her, he talked about her,, this,, in his book,, but he "LOVED" & believed in Diana. He saw the unique talent of all 3. All 3 were totally different in voices, styles & performing. But again, Mr. Gordy was The BOSS.. Diana's mainstream voice,, Mary's sexy smooth smokey alto voice & Florence's soulful powerful soprano voice,, were magical as one, The Supremes.. They were all LOVED equally by millions & millions & millions of people. But Mr. Gordy did all he could do to make the lead singer stand out in every way. The true admirers & fans of the original Supremes LOVED all 3 of them & noticed their different uniqueness. To this day,, Miss Ross & Miss Wilson give The "BEST" concerts.. They still are The Greatest Girl Group of all time. Long Live The Supremes!
. Mary & Florence vocally are superior to Diana, especially Florence and in my opinion Mary had the best looks of the group. Diana was the chosen one for three reasons, she was conventionally attractive to the white audience, small nose, thin lips and no curves, number two she had a long term affair with Gordy he was clearly "in love" and that blinded him, and three Diana was willing to do anything to get to the top, no integrity in the entertainment industry is the only way to make it.
@@mariahyohannes Personal feelings aside, the only difference in your reply was in pointing out how white people were at fault, which I thought was implied.
It’s fun rewriting history, but many of Diana’s 1960’s fan base is still alive, so, it’s a harder sell.
Diana, clearly, had smaller features and a more photogenic profile. That’s show biz.
Deanna Durban thought she would be an ingenue, but Judy Garlands face and voice were more appealing to audiences. This is not an unsolvable mathematical equation. Berry Gordy just understood the facts of life, and rolled with it. Que Sera, Sera....
Don't forget, Berry was trying to get into the white clubs and crossover into the pop charts for more money. Diana Ross could sell to white Americans more than Florence or Mary.
@@mariahyohannes she didn't have an affair. Both Berry and Diana were single.
@@brownin329doesn't change the fact that she slept her way to the top.
The producers of Dreamgirls HAD to change a few things just enough so that Diana and Berry couldn’t sue them and close/ hold up production of the Broadway show, but it is, without a shadow of a doubt, based on the story of the Supremes and Diana Ross. Everyone in the industry knows that’s the case, but also that Diana is extremely touchy about the whole subject!! Even when Beyoncé was doing her research for the film I’ve seen her being interviewed and saying that she looked at every photograph of Diana and watched every inch of footage that she could get her hands on for her portrayal of ‘Deena’ (lol)!! Even the photographs they used in the film are DIRECT reproductions of FAMOUS Ross photo shoots!! It’s ludicrous to try and say that in essence, it’s not the story of the Supremes (with, as I said, just enough changes to avoid legal entanglements)!! Don’t piss on my leg and try and tell me that it’s raining lol!!
mary said before that dream girls is closer to the true story than you will know (I think that's how should put it i don't remember her exact words it's along that lines though) i wish i can see he exact story on how it played out.
beyonce and sheryl both looked like diana in broadway and the film
Eh, Sheryl could never look like Diana Ross
Yep. And Berry still threw a fit about the Curtis character because they really made him look bad.
It is the Supremes story, but the power of the dollar is more important.
I wish I could have seen the the original broadcast of “The Dream Girls”. 😍😍
I agree there are a lot of similarities between the musical and the “real life” story of the Supremes, Wilson confirmed it in her autobiography. The part that upsets me about the negative things that are said about Ballard, she was 32 when she left the group. Does anyone really know how to handle going from rags to riches overnight without having a strong mentor to help them along the way? Now that Wilson has passes away, Ross can claim anything she wants without practically anyone to question her.
Great Video, Virtual Hugs from Salt Lake City!
Exactly
The costumes in dreamgirls (the movie) dont have shit on the supremes actual costumes....just gorgeous
I even think the stage production had better costumes. I love watching the old footage of the Supremes in their beautiful gowns... Stunning.
The old footage is gorgeous
May I just ask, Where did you find all that HQ footage of the Broadway cast?? This was awesome!
The broadway footage is from the tv commercial that aired in 1981. Thank you, and glad you liked!
Some of the stage footage is also from the 2009 US Revival tour and several other productions over the years.
Yess I wondering the same thing!!
I Don't know if it's still on youtube, but several years ago I saw the original Broadway show with Jennifer Holiday. it's funny, when the show was off Broadway it ended right after "I'm Telling You". actually after that song there was one more scene where the Dreams discover Effie killed herself during that Las Vegas show
If you actually read Mary's book, Berry Gordy comes off much worse than Diana does. Mary does say that Diana is aggressive and selfish, but not downright MEAN.
Folk have been blaming Diana for YEARS for firing Flo. But they seem to forget that GORDY was the BOSS; not Ross. And from what I've heard, he was quick to let her know he was the Boss. Ross would cut up...but she knew not to go too far with him. I wouldn't be surprised if he popped her in the mouth a few times in private when they were together. His first wife said he was a pimp when she met him; so he knew how to manipulate women. Ross didn't EVER have the power to fire anyone. I don't care how much she laid down with him. Wasn't like she was the only one he was banging back then...
@@fwdthinker he popped quite a lot .. inside her mouth.
After Florence died I threw the book away. I couldn’t read any more.
@@fwdthinker I think people know Berry Gordy is the boss and Diana Ross couldnt FIRE Flo but she damn she participated/helped.
@@thomasdelvin3683 lolllll yikes
They couldn't be exact for legal purposes. I saw an interview with Diana Ross and the host ask her will she watching the movie version of Dreamgirls. She replied, "Me and my Lawyer will be watching it together." But she laugh afterwards. The costumes in Dreamgirls were almost the exact match of the Supremes. So, yes I believe it was about Diana Ross & the Supremes.
I have worked in the entertainment industry for a few decades and I can tell you this: many popular stories about celebrities are highly exaggerated or sometimes even urban legends, while some well kept secrets are ten times more shocking yet unknown to the public.
This video deserves more views period👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
The best cast. Jennifer Holiday/ jennifer lewis Sheryl lee Ralph and loretta Divine.
I loved how Loretta got a cameo as a nightclub singer in the Dreamgirls movie.
@@maxinezook3835 Right? "But they didn't want the old girls talkin to the Nu girls too much " Sheryl lee Ralph. I guess they didn't want the them to influence their performance.smh
Ima keep it a bucc. Florence was finer than diana. Is it far fetched to think that Gordy tried to holla at her but she turned him down? As opposed to how it was on the movie wher they had some goin on and then he started to b more attracted to diana cuz she was an opportunist. Maybe he then started to berate or jus outright disrespect florence? Men wit power have a prob wit rejection
OMG I've been SEARCHING for a video like this for Dreamgirls forever!!! Thank you so much!!
Diana Ross clearly didn't have a problem with Dreamgirls, in her 1983 Central Park concert she sings We are a Family from the show, however she always denies that she's seen it!
Yes, because the show wasn’t as much similar to The Supremes story but the movie was definitely closer to the story. Look at the way Beyonce did her makeup, those big eyes and eyebrows were a portray of Diana Ross!
My thoughts about Dreamgirls are this: The musical is a compendium of and about black history in the American music industry... the Supremes is but one (though central) of the models to tell the story of what black musicians went through in the 60s to the 70s. For example, Jimmy represents James Brown, one can argue: whose music was seen by white and white-leaning music producers as "too black" to be chart topping (or promoted heavily by the white owned industry) . Jimmy Tries to retune to white tastes but ends up blowing that up and returning to more authentically black soul sounds, which, one could argue, mirrors black pop music undergoing a revolution and establishing it's own authentic sound during the great cultural opening of the late 60s and early 70s. Jimmy and Effie as well can be stand ins for many black artists and for Soul and R&B themselves... For example, Effie's return and success can be seen as black music finally gaining popular success on its own terms and without being retuned to white tastes. - Caveat: I am white and using what exposure I have (and do not have) to reach my conclusions. I may be horribly wrong and I am open and eager to hear the opinions of black artists who may know much more clearly than I.
I grew up a fan of the Supremes and when DG came out I saw DR's reaction, which was extreme enough to know it hit a nerve. It's hard to discern the facts from the accounts and compare with the movie but it sure looked like DR had the ambition and discipline to take everything to the next level. The film doesn't quite capture that, or the artist development aspect. But overall the elements of the film do match, in many ways, the main elements of the accounts and the controversies.
the play is far more rough on dena( diana ) than the films, also some of the original play has been trimmed down. check out the song "One more picture' where reporters are pushing the other two girls back into the sidelines, actually happened to Florence an d mary and totally when cindy came aboard even on tv shows they were escorted off stage to give diana solo time. Poor mary. so humiliated, she even sings in a recent song that you treated me badly, but no more
@@thomasdelvin3683 Also with tv appearances, the camera would only go close up on Diana or the group as a whole but never up close on Mary or Flo/Cindy
No one cares about what Diana did or could've done for the droup. The point is she was an a$$hole and stepped on her friends to get to the top.
The movie also has a Director's cut out, so those two different cuts need to be compared.
Thanks for sharing very interesting information RIP miss Florence and miss Mary wilson !!
Literally watching just The Supremes story and I can tell which character is which in Dreamgirls
4:54 🤣🤣🤣 Listen, I was not expecting that, but it was so appropriate. 🤣🤣🤣 That was great!👍
Lolllll 🤣🤣🤣
I was so pissed lmaoooooo
Didnt Jennifer Hudson when a award and thanked Florence Ballard 🧐. So yes I believe that majority was based off the Supremes but they couldn't say so😑
Yolanda Yolanda, Yes she did. she said Florence Ballard you will never be forgotten!!!!!!!
RIP Mary 💔🙏🏽
OMG I’m hollering! Who and I mean WHO did “Listen” like that? I just spit out my tea.😂😂🤣
RIP Florence & Mary! Dreamgirls is very much based on the Supremes.
9:18. One of the most incendiary things about how the fiction of Dreamgirls influenced reality is often glossed over. In order for the play to be effective, there needs to be a vast wrong that was done to someone. Since the real story doesn’t possess the cartoon villains and heroes that are needed to make the play effective, the creators of Dreamgirls needed to invent a scenario that could support an unforgivable outrage to secure the audience’s buy in. So, they decided that the vastness between the talents of the two women had to be wider than it was in reality.
The character of Effie transforms Florence into a larger than life soul singer in the style of Aretha Franklin or Patti LaBelle in order to make the wrong of her background position seem more egregious. The love triangle is a typical plot device, so I don’t fault them too much for that. But while the play pretends that Florence is one of the most richly talented singers anyone has ever heard, it also transforms Diana into someone who is beautiful but almost entirely untalented via Deena.
This was not the case in real life. Florence had a beautiful voice but was nowhere near a singer in the vein of Jennifer Holiday, who originated the role. And while Diana‘s voice was lighter and less resonant, she was capable of the brilliant phrasing that lent itself to a dual career as a blues and jazz artist. She has a genuinely beautiful tone and expressiveness that is highly endearing. It is not such a shock that she would sing lead in *that* group where there were other talented singers but no Effie White type powerhouses. The Supremes was not a group with a Shirley Bassey hiding in the background, being repressed. That WOULD have been egregious. But it wasn’t that.
When you add the fact that everybody in the Supremes got their crack at lead and Diana was only permanently fixed in front after three or four of her songs had blown up on the charts, effectively ending the Supremes precarious career standing, you see that not only did she earn her position as lead, but it was actually vital to all of their success that she became such.
Ultimately, Dreamgirls exploited negative sentiment toward Diana Ross as a black woman who unapologetically embraced her power. It became a propaganda piece that Mary Wilson famously capitalized on with two ridiculously biased tell all books designed to feed into people’s sensational ideas and neuter pop music’s “uppity negress” while carefully omitting facts that would’ve complicated the more profitable narrative. Diana Ross is one of the most significant and influential entertainers of all time, yet in Dreamgirls, her value as an artist is basically reduced to “the boss wanted to f*ck her, so she got the job.” That’s how basic and frankly insulting it is. No man, no yt person of her magnitude would EVER be put in that position in a work of fiction. Ever.
A lot of that dirt has been undone now, but the damage to her around the time was significant. It was basically a take down. She spent the better half of a decade as a punching bag for people who wanted to make money off of her name and image. And no one stepped up to say “Hey, maybe this is a little over the top and… I don’t know, highly inaccurate!”
While Diana is no saint, much of the commentary surrounding the Supremes and Dreamgirls fails the scrutiny test and people are fine with it because the fiction is more fun than reality. Mary Wilson knows that and used it to create financial security for herself. The creators of Dreamgirls knew that and we see the result. Florence Ballard was given a redemptive arc that changes history in her favor. Berry Gordy is a record executive, and they are known to be shady. The play does not go out of its way to reprogram people’s perception of him or make him into a person that he wasn’t. He’s essentially accurately portrayed. But all of Dreamgirls happens at the expense of Diana Ross. She is the one who was negatively impacted by the inaccuracies fed by this phenomenon and I think that needs to be made clear.
Perfect!
You are clearly a huge Diana Ross fan! LOL I respect that! and I love your breakdown of the REAL differences and truths behind Dreamgirls vs The Supremes! You make very interesting viewpoints when pointing out how Diana Ross is villainized as well as victimized in the Dreamgirls adaption of The Supremes/Motown story! I personally believe Dreamgirls was created and written based on the true story of The Supremes! but of course the play had to be sensationalized by changing certain facts and events surrounding the female Trio! Add a protagonist, a villain and a bunch of catchy songs and you've got yourself a HIT stage play! It was definitely a vehicle to make money! and I'm not mad at it at all! Although I've never seen it live, I've been intrigued with the Dreamgirls stage play since the 80s. Nowadays, thanks to TH-cam I get to see clips of it online and finally got to see the full story in the movie adaption starring Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy, Beyonce and Jamie Foxx!
Gerri Hirshey's book, "Nowhere to Run" provides more perspective, as it includes reminiscences of ALL the Motown groups who traveled on the same bus in the early days of Motown.
I wonder whether this isn't part of the fallout of her taking the movie role of Dorothy in *The Wiz* away from Stephanie Mills.
@@AttmayThat’s another weird scenario where misogynoir grabs hold of people and won’t let go. Stephanie doesn’t even think Diana took it from her, but the world is insistent upon it.
When it comes to The Wiz, people are willfully conflating the tough sell of a grown woman playing a reinterpreted Dorothy (and the fact that Diana, rather oddly, seems aged up in the film), with the notion that Stephanie Mills’ fantastic portrayal of her on Broadway somehow guaranteed that she would’ve played her in the film version.
I hate to break it to people, but that was not the standard format for casting. The Broadway actor rarely plays the same role in the film version. The likeliest outcome, is that if The Wiz had not been adapted like it was, ppl like Kim Fields or Janet Jackson would’ve been preferred casting choices because they were familiar to national audiences and already had some Hollywood cachet. The Hollywood versions of successful plays rarely casts the Broadway stars because they don’t really have name recognition outside of the Ivory Way. It happens sometimes, but it’s far from standard.
They say she took that role from Stephanie Williams like they know Stephanie would’ve gotten it. No one knows whether or not she would’ve gotten it, but we do know that there are other young black girls who were already in Hollywood whom casting agents would have wanted. This doesn’t mean they would’ve done it as well, it just means they would’ve had a better shot at landing it than someone who is less known. Films carry huge budgets and tend to go for bankability first. If Diana took it from anyone, she likely took it from one of those girls.
I hope they make a movie based on Mary Wilson’s book.
Young fella, Mary and Flo should know, they were there through it all. Other artists will support the snakish, cut throat antics of Diane Ross. Sleeping with the boss, was on her side in getting her way. Now while I've heard Florence sing, she just didn't have that voice that would have propelled the group forward to the whites. So Berry Gordy worked from a double perspective: appeal to whites, for a wider exposure, and to make Diane a "star" ! I've always hated that black artist always had to cowtow to whites to except who we were. While all the while, white artists were stealing from, and emulating those very artist they gave a hard time to. No one ever tried to convince the Beatles, Bob Dylan and other white entertainers to crossover to the black audience !!!! Now you've got other people globally, straight up stealing the thunder of African Americans....to this very day !!!! We're so admired from a distance....hair, lips, butt, natural melanin, talent on so many levels !!!!
Facts
Towards the late 60s black artist and soul music started to become mainstream , that’s when they was safe to split the leads , Barry could’ve really made some money off flo
Diane got child by Gordy
This happened a lot in movies, a lot of situations were taken and put in movies, such as the five heartbeats
Where’s my background singers😂😂😂
Every day I'm discovering something portrayed in Dreamgirls that I didn't know that happened in real life too😂 Today I learned that Diana even had a child with Berry Gordy, just as Deena became intimate with Curtis
All I know is Florence looked better than Diana to me. Florence was a baddie 😍 and Mary. R.I.P to these 2 beautiful women.
Just like Bye Bye Birdie is similar to Elvis
The Rose was a fictitious version of Janis Joplin
I have to see that
Yep
The difference is that *Bye Bye Birdie* has nothing to do with the racial politics of Elvis Presley's rise to stardom and more to do with parental authority regarding how fathers are supposed to respond to their daughters no longer being little girls.
Fun Fact: the Primes who the Supreme were the sister group to would mix with another group called the “Distants” and they would become the “Temptations”!!
Every time I listen to "Baby Love" I think of "Jackie Brown". Love that film.
Didn't Diana give birth to Berry Gordy's 'Lovechild'?
Yes
Her name is Rhonda lol
couldnt have been too much of a love child cause he didn't marry her but rented out a jewish guy to beard, berry has been known to get with young dudes on the downlow
@@thomasdelvin3683 The projection is real with sociopaths like you
Yes, she’s an actress too
Great video. I am one of the many that feels Diana was a unique voice and talent that helped distinguish the Supremes from the other girl groups. Florence was talented and of course she could sing but Berry wanted a different sound. Florence may have been unhappy with the focus on Diana but... that was Berry (the boss) decision. Unfortunately, Florence other problems got the best of her and a decision was made to remove her from the group. We have seen the Same thing happen with other groups. I don't think it's right to make Diana to be the bad one. It's not like she was the head of Motown. And...lastly, it's Diana Ross voice that made all those hits as lead. There's no fraud in that.
I think Florence Ballard was just fed up of the b$%^"t and was hurt and frustrated. She lived the unfairness of the industry, and was just tired of it. She was obviously depressed and if it was now she would be considered bipolar.
It was ENTIRELY Diana's fault..she totally sucked up to Berry..she wanted stardom..she wanted out of the group in the end to pursue a solo career hence she didn't give a toss about Flo or Mary...Berry bullied Flo..he called her fat when she was not fat...it was just Diana was too skinny!
It is her fault. How could Florence compete with pillow talk between Diana and Berry? Not to mention they had a daughter together in 1970.
@@Dion_Mustard The idiotic, Diana-Ross-Hater LiveLife strikes again. Do you do anything other than bash DR all the time? You go on about the way Berry bullied Flo, and yet you fail to mention the way he bullied Diana more than anyone else, causing her extreme anxiety and anorexia. Even Mary has said that so much more was expected of Diana than the others by Gordy. The pressure he put on her was immense...little wonder she was “too skinny”.
@@CeliniacForLife 1971...20 months AFTER Diana split from the group...some 4 years AFTER Flo was dismissed from the group, after her famous and infamous final appearance.
Good documentary, I like the way u broke it down, now pieces to the puzzle is all scattered every where, so that mean the geniuses people who created this movie dreamgirls did a lot of reading and thinking to keep the pieces to puzzle scattered, what wonderful job
This is SO very well done!
Often, when a story or statement is told over and over, it eventually becomes truth in people's mind. The notion that Flo had this amazing soulful voice is often said. Interestingly, when I pull up any of Flo's solo recordings or listen to any of her lead vocals, it's not that soulful at all and certainly nothing close to that of Aretha Franklin, which many claim it to be. Also, the other that Berry made Ross the star of The Supremes because the two shared a personal relationship doesn't exactly hold water either. You see, at the end of the day, Berry was a businessman. If Ross had been his "girl" and he wanted to appease her by making her the lead and eventually a "star," if she didn't already have talent, star potential or something on her own, Berry, Motown and anyone else on that Diana/Berry love affair ship would have sank and failed miserably, Oh, but it didn't. You see, while Berry certainly helped Diana and supported her career (which she has always admitted, btw), she was sparkling onstage. She had that "it" factor and many couldn't take their eyes off of her! In the studio, Motown produced music featuring Ross's voice, which was sweet, nasal, but unlike anything people had ever heard. And when The Supremes recorded "Where Did Our Love Go," it hit and raced up the charts to number one! And the rest is history...
Just how close to the truth is Dreamgirls with Diana Ross and The Supremes? I'd love to hear your opinions.
Part 2 is out now so be sure to check it out, and make sure to subscribe for more content :)! Thanks!
Very close
Thank you for doing this. I loved this. Thank you for your hard work and for sharing ❤❤
Berry made a mistake. Florence was favorited by the audience ESPECIALLY the men. We all know diana and berry did her wrong.
Berry didn't make a mistake. Lets not take away Diana's talents. Its what got them all those hits. Florence had talent as well but, there was already the Marvellettes and the Vandellas. Florence had more of that sound more and Florence had other issues. Berry was boss and made a decision. That's all.
Daniel Robinson ain’t nobody taking away from Diana. She good. But there is a reason people say flo was the best singer. They wanted to hear her too not just on backup. She also brought tons of men to the audience because of her body and looks. Did you know “you keep me hanging on”was her song? Yeah she was robbed
@@LoveTheKay well it was Berry company. He called the shots and knew what he wanted to do with the group. The girls were very young. They just knew they wanted to be stars. Not really any examples on HOW TO be in such a business. Destinys Child could look back at those mistakes....and made sure they didnt follow them.
R N you’re missing the point. Don’t write a check your @ss can’t cash. The amount of bs you were just spilling was ridiculous. You don’t know supremes history like Diane, Mary and Florence do.
@@LoveTheKay dont be mad because Diana had the appeal to catapult the group. It sucked the other girls didn't get more leads. But Diana sounds best on all the hits. I've heard every song Flo and Mary have been on... and it was simply missing 'that thing'. You can relax and sit down now, or tomorrow- your choice.
It's been stated that Micheal Bennett wanted to continue the theme of show business behind the scenes.
This was really good.. loved all the cut ins
Mary Wilson had the best singing voice...I heard her voice live and she was amazing
Interesting topic, very well done. Looking forward to future videos. Andrew at HouseResort
I have never heard anything kind about her from people who have met Ms. Ross.
I needed a video like this! Thank you!
Interesting video, with very funny jokes and clips! But, right off the bat the main argument is flawed, as Dreamgirls and The Dreams were written as a dramatization of several MoTown groups and stars at the time (The Supremes was not the only girl group that directly inspired The Dreams). And therefore, differences between the musical and The Supremes cannot automatically be seen to go against the theory Dreamgirls was written about The Supremes.
I still say it was payback for the movie of *The Wiz.*
One tiny quibble - the Primettes was pronounced PRY-mets. Not PREE-mets. They were copying the name of the guy group the Primes.
Rest in Peace Flo
In the 80s when Dreamgirls was just a workshop Effie is supposed to DIE...now who was ina girl group & got kicked out and died years later?🤔this movie/play is definitely an unauthorized musical biopic 😂😂😂🤷🏾♂️
It was about the Supremes
I wonder why Gordy did not make Ballard go solo while keeping Diana Ross with the Supremes? Maybe too expensive to run both options? He made the right business decision about Diana Ross and the Supremes for cross-over. But it was too brutal to Ballard. As her voice was better than Diana Ross', she could have sung on her own, with his help on the business side.
I wonder if Florence had lived if she would have been a part of the Aretha Franklins of the world. I can so hear Flo snapping on R-E-S-P-E-C-T! I understand Gordy wanting a different sound for crossover appeal which proved to be a great move for that time, but then Aretha exploded on the scene and drowned out Diana's voice replacing it and even having crossover appeal. Maybe Flo would have flourished during that era of Soul.
That would have required her to sign for another label. Aretha was signed to it Atlantic records after having done jazz standards for Columbia. When I was a child in the 1980s, she was at Arista singing "Jump to It" and "Who's Zoomin' Who?"
Cece =Smokey Robinson
Effie/Florence didn’t have a child by Berry/Curtis, Deena/Diana did. And no one revealed this to the child until she was 13 years old
th-cam.com/video/edvK6LDgQQc/w-d-xo.html
😉!
As for Cece and Smokey, I don’t see it totally myself...There’s just too many differences to say they are parallel or representative. Smokey knew Diana (they were neighbours) & he was what helped them get to Berry Gordy - this doesn’t happen in the musical, Smokey was also part of his own act, and he also bore no relation to Florence. He did however write songs, but not that many for The Supremes to say he was their lead songwriter. Cece, as I believe, is an amalgamation of various Motown and non-Motown people (likely to include parts of Smokey, Hank Ballard, and other writers/admin/family members of Motown).
Oooooo...no y’all didn’t! This so messy! Wait, let me get some popcorn! (I ain’t say I wasn’t here for it. Besides, that’s why we all saw Dreamgirls back in the day anyway.)
Florence started it and got the short end of the stick. Smh damn!🤨
Right
So sad honestly
This makes me see more Clearly Dream Girl was “ The Supreme “ 100% ! Less a few things. Diana Ross and Berry Gordy pushing The Stronger Voice Florence Ballard back and Out. Everything but a few changes was made to say this was not the life of The Supreme. But A blind person could see The Diva was Diana . The love affair with Curtis and Effie didn’t happen Effie being Pregnant with Curtis daughter did not happen . Not being able to control Effie. To keep from being Being sued for money. Parts was change. But the main play was about. Berry Gordy Destroying Florence. Berry don’t give 3 millions $$$ to Florence in fact he didn’t give nothing for Florence or her children. Diana Ross kept saying she was going to Sue! Over and over WHY? Now I am understanding more. So sad not to care about others? To get to the Top. I have learn a Lot about Motown. It was not to All . Eddie Kendrek said Mr Gordy didn’t like him because Diana was dating Eddie too. Diana went To Eddie and his wife house and broke out their window, it got back Mr Gordy. As seen on Unsung Eddie Kendrek . My heart hurts for Florence and her children.
Hey Jack, nice video. Just wanted you to know that I spotted the one or two laughs- extremely funny.
Thanks, Nick! I’m glad you enjoyed it 😊!
@@TheDramaDorks Just saw it again and couldn't control my laughter. Don't want to do a spoiler but it was sometime after 4:00. Good Job.
First of all there's a major difference in the Broadway play Dream girls and the movie, the original group were 4 girls Florence Mary Diana and Betty and another young lady Barbara IDK which took the other ones place, Ms Ballard didn't make the name up she pulled the name Supremes from a hat, Ms Ross friendship with childhood buddy Mr Smokey Robinson is how they got to Motown, Ms Ross became lead because the song she led is how they got on the charts, the movie stole heavily on the Motown story and imagery of Ms Ross, Ms Ballard was raoed and back then there wasn't a place for a young black girl to deal with that kind of drama, I believe the true story is alot more complex than we'll ever Know, not even Ms Wilson can say what was happening business wise with the handling of a black owned business and all that went along with it, there are stories white business men were constantly trying to get me Gordy to sell half his company and Mr Gordy was trying to protect his very young artist. There wasn't investors back then so the money that came out of sells and concerts helped greatly in keeping the company afloat, there wasn't a plot to get rid of Ms Ballard but no one other than Ms Ross and Ms Wilson knew of Flo's sexual attack as a teenager by someone she knew and never told anyone who he was. Motown is American history but it must be told accurately, Mr Gordy founded the company and wrote a book about it so why not listen to his reenactment of what he knows happened rather than fictional takes.
True i will always say everybody in that time im sure has something they can say to deliver the supremes movie n be honest im not gonna just go by one movie pinpointing im sure motown had affairs a lil bit is shown in another movie where guys go to motown bottom line is past is the past tired of the continuing backstabbing tryna pull people down wen we all make mistakes
But did Florence have a better voice than Diana, because in the movie even Diana says it and felt unsure about taking the lead. So, if FLorence had a better stronger voice yeah I would be upset also knowing that my competitor is sleeping with the boss!
She didn’t. Dreamgirls makes Flo seem like she was Patti Labelle. TH-cam her. Lovely voice, but no.
And the relationship with Berry began later.
@@Gatsbyesque finally someone said it. None of those songs woulda been hits had Florence sang them..
Flo’s voice was really soulful, Diana’s was more pop like and could be more relatable to by mainstream aka white audiences
@@jeanandre6998 People keep saying her voice was very soulful. Where? I’ve chased down several TH-cam clips. Oddly enough, to me, she sounds even yter than Diana did. But she does have a fuller, more robust tone. That can’t be denied.
But her voice doesn’t put me in a Gladys Knight or Etta James space... Flo gives me early Rosemary Clooney or Patsy Cline vibes with a little more oomph. 😅 They can sing but they are not Effie White.
Like Nat King Cole had a beautifully rich tone. But you wouldn’t specifically call him “soulful,” today. There are people who were making soul music and they didn’t sound like him. The idea that Flo was some Effie White type singer is actually one of the biggest lies ever propagated.
@@jeanandre6998 At the end of the day, that’s not the reason why Diana was made the lead. If The Supremes had garnered hits via any other formation, that would’ve been the formation they would’ve kept. The Supremes weren’t having his with urban audiences or any audiences at all until three Diana led singles in a row became hits and ended their flop streak. The result could have been due to the public relating more to her voice than the others, but that doesn’t mean it was the reason that she was made lead.
You can also listen to their song songs and see that WDOLG and the songs that followed stand head and shoulders above the nonsense they had previously released, so it was also the song quality.
Oddly enough, the ladies didn’t like WDOLG and the like. Diana led them, in part, because nobody else wanted to - this is according to Mary Wilson. So not only did she lead their first hit songs, she had the instincts to know which songs would suit them and chose those ones for herself while the other ladies were looking at material that wasn’t pulling an audience.The simple fact is that she was supposed to be the lead singer of that group. There is so much evidence to suggest a Diana Ross would’ve been Diana Ross no matter what. I don’t know why people can’t just give up this nonsense and accept that.
That meme was teaching miss tangle I not sure if I spell that right.
Florence and Barry weren't in a relationship
tony turner in his book implied that they did
Excellent analysis 👌👌. I must add, you are beautiful dude.
Actually, Florence was nicknamed blondie bc of her light skin complexion.
I thought that Mary Wilson chose the name Supremes. She said in an old interview that it was the only name without the ettes suffix
I was sad due to Mary Wilson's passing when you suddenly had to crack a joke with Patti LaBelle's iconic performance when her background singers went M.I.A.
I still watch that every once in a while.
I was always told with both groups you had the diva the problematic and the one who went above meaning Supremes and marvelettes What will say is why is it still being dragged over n over it is what it is Diana was smart she knew what she wanted n went for it sadly people got hurt n fired in the mix of it ..It is what it is! Dream girls was a nice movie i really do not care which group it's about And i really do not care who bedded the man for whatever reason in life you make a choice is up to you how that choice turn out and if its not your way not nobody fault but yours ..
great video, but the quacks are very distracting..
It sounds like a Mac computer from the 90s.
Diana was the BEST for Lead Vocals. She had the "IT" Factor. Diana Ross ended up Being A GREAT Actress as well 💓
First off many of the other woman of the time would def say yes Diana was a home wrecker and got around
well i use to ask about it n a grandmother told me she said that women was smart n got her way to where she wanted to be i cant knock her for that but she was a mighty fine actress in it all I was like what u mean now i see but it is what it is
I guess that Diana Ross was the only one w/female parts, & Mary & Florence had male parts? HELLO!
tony turner was on the mike douglas show pushing his book with Denis Edward and and tony said that Diana became a star with a mattress on her back. rosie grier the football player asked tony How would he know that. did he ever slept with her, tony shot back," ASK ME IF I EVER SLEPT WITH BERY GORDY" Dennis's eyes popped out!! ah shtttttttt! ,its some stuff in them Motown dayz .some serious stuff
Mary Wilson may not have had an affair with Marvin Gaye (The inspiration behind Jimmy Early), but she was involved with another singer who wouldn't leave his wife - Tom Jones.
No one has been able to explain just exactly what was Cindy Birdsong doing in Las Vegas when Florence Ballard was put out of the group after a performance at the Flamingo Hotel, Las Vegas. Florence Ballard was fired via a phone call to her hotel room in Las Vegas and Cindy Birdsong merely walked across the street from another Las Vegas hotel where she was staying to get into Flo's gowns for the next performance. It's like it was all planned beforehand. And add to the fact that Gordy had to buy out Birdsong's contract with Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles in order to get Birdsong to Vegas.
One of the biggest similarities is the romantic relationship between Berry Gordy and Diana Ross
Im quite distracted by your handsomeness sir. 😍 you🔥🔥🔥
Yes, Dream Girls is based on the Supremes.
RIP Mary
U thought Jimmy Early is similar to James Brown
He is a composite several singers from that era.
Jimmy is supposed to be Tom Jones.
This so good..great job!
1:07 Hell was Diana about to get ran the hell over🤦🏿🤔
Yep, that was their very first music video. They were literally walking in the middle of moving traffic out in Paris. Go look it up. The song is called where did our love go. It was their first hit song.
just enough tweaking to get the story out, without spilling the tea...
Was Jimmy early based off wilson pickett? Just curious
Oh I believe the Supremes. I have doubts about dream girls.
The girls didn't take turns on lead , Diana Ross sang lead 99 percent of the time. Occasionally Florence would sing lead ( Buttered popcorn). When they finally became successful , it was Ross who sang lead on Where did Our Love Go , Gordy then proclaimed Ross to sing lead. No one complained when she delivered hit after hit. It's the history revisionists who constantly maintain that Flo had the stronger voice and was relegated to background because Ross was screwing the boss. When you are as successful as Diana Ross , you will have a certain group if people try to knock you down. I was there during this time and I can tell you I never bought one of their many records because Diana Ross was banging Gordy. I bought them because she sang her butt off. Flo could have just waited until she left the group and started singing lead. The fact is she couldn't sing. Listen to her solo record. She sounds like an old broad. It's unfortunate that Flo was so messed up , but ultimately we all make our own mistakes. She missed concerts and rehearsals. She would drink too much and start public fights with the other members of the group. She gained weight and couldn't fit in her costumes. How many jobs gave you had where you could miss work , come in drunk , start fights with coworkers and the boss , and gain so much weight you can't fit in your uniform. Thank you, none . Poor Flo. But not because everyone else ruined her life , because she developed problems from some trauma in her past. Diana Ross is one of the greatest vocalists of our time. She toured with the 3 tenors for years. Get real!
Idk about one of the great vocalist lol she's ok her voice is pretty but it's her charisma and personality that people fell for not her vocals. She's good at seducing the audience and people around her that's it, so in that sense he made the right choice.
But diana ross is also rumored to be the jealous type and possessive type.. I can believe she sabotaged some things and manipulated her way to gain more spotlight from gordy like how she convinced him to give her the part of dorothy even tho she was to old and no it wasn't a good performance. So you can argue her voice was a good fit for the group but you can't deny she pulled favors to get the lead in things she had no business doing her voice wasn't meant for broadway.
@@lelelew2735 she has sold more records than any other female artist. You have to have hits before people can decide if you have charisma.
I thought cici was more based on Smokey Robinson
I believe Tiny Joe Dixon was the film's Smokey Robinson equivalent...
CC was either a representation of Smokey or Holland Dozier Holland … probably both
I read somewhere it was a story about Nell Carter (Effie character )when she was doing Broadway.
She was involved with it when it was in workshop stages, but she decided to do TV instead.
The movie was definitely not based on the book
What was the book called?
@@adriannadd1983 Dreamgirl: My lfe as a supreme
Dreamgirl is a one-sided account of the story of the real life Supremes by one of the original founding members, Mary Wilson. It didn’t have anything to do with “Dreamgirls” … two different stories. Dreamgirls is an amalgamation of what happened during the successful years of the Supremes career from the victimized perspective of Florence Ballard (the member who was forced out of the group and dropped from Motown in 1967).