by S. Rotan Hale
As one of the greatest vocal groups of the 60s Diana Ross and the Supremes truly ruled “supreme.” With hit after hit on the R&B charts Ross and her two backup singers known as The Supremes are hailed as one of the most commercially successful singing groups of all time.
Saturday, Sept. 27 Roanoke’s Jefferson Center came alive as three singers performing as The Supreme Girls of Motown raised the roof of the packed hall taking the audience on a blast from the past singing some of the greatest hits of the Motown era.
The tribute group, Tanisha Garrett, Sonia Chin and Susan Spain hit the stage in elegant, glittering gold gowns. They were backed by a five-member band led by guitarist and musical director Melvin Miller, Jr. who actually toured with the original Supremes and many other groups throughout his incredible career that began in the 60s as a performer and session musician. Together the girls’ charming energy and the entire high spirited production itself totally proved there’s no substitute for real showmanship.
In addition to touring internationally with the group, each of the members is actually engaged in show business on several levels as actresses on both stage and screen.
The band perfectly crafted that genuine sound that made Motown one of the most iconic labels in R&B history. The group opened with a medley of classic chart-topping hits by the Supremes like You Can’t Hurry Love and Back In My Arms Again.
Stretching their range they performed songs by other prominent girl groups like The Marvelettes singing Mr. Postman, Don’t Mess with Bill and Two Many Fish in the Sea. They packed in Come and Get These Memories by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas who also made super hits like Heatwave and Nowhere to Run to Nowhere to Hide – tunes that were found on jukeboxes nationwide as they dominated the charts in the 60s.
These three elegant ladies of song sashayed magnificently about the stage effortlessly belting out hit after hit and even threw in Mary Wells classic My Guy.
One of the best-known duets performed by two super-soul vocal groups was a huge hit of the 60s for both the Supremes and The Temptations. The tune was I’m Gonna Make You Love Me – a soft sultry ballad that no show of this caliber would be complete without and the ladies did it with grace and pure style.
After a medley of other hits by the Supremes things really got hopping when the group broke into Dancing in the Streets another Vandellas’ tune that no red-blooded R&B fan can sit still on as many in the crowd thoroughly engaged and danced in the aisles.
With the strength, range and presence of the great Gladys Knight, Garrett took the show to another level singing lead on “If I were Your Woman” and then followed with I Heard it through the Grapevine two of Gladys Knight’s many hits that are etched in the annals of soul classics.
Everything was brought to a head as the audience was urged to join in on a well-choreographed rendition of the Supremes mega hit Stop in the Name of Love. It was a moment that perfectly closed the show as a well-satisfied audience stood on its feet applauding vigorously.
Adding to it all, the ladies gracefully met a horde of adoring fans outside the hall flooding the lobby with their adorable spirits signing autographs and taking selfies to the delight of many who attended, creating another great night at the Jefferson Center.
