Jean Terrell facts for kids

Jean Terrell, whose full name is Velma Jean Terrell, was born on November 26, 1945. She is an American singer known for her R&B and jazz music. In 1970, she became the lead singer of the famous group The Supremes, taking over from Diana Ross.

Jean Terrell's Life Story

Early Years and Music Beginnings

Jean Terrell was born in Belzoni, Mississippi, on November 26, 1945. She grew up in a large family with ten children. Her father was a sharecropper in Mississippi. Later, her family moved north to Chicago when he found work in factories.

Jean is the sister of Ernie Terrell, a former heavyweight boxing champion. Ernie Terrell famously fought Muhammad Ali. Before joining The Supremes, Jean sang with her brother Ernie. Their group was called Ernie Terrell and the Knockouts. Sometimes they were also known as the Heavyweights.

Joining The Supremes (1970–1973)

In 1969, Motown president Berry Gordy discovered Jean Terrell. She was performing with her brother in a club in Miami. Gordy was looking for a new lead singer for The Supremes. Diana Ross was leaving the group to start her solo career.

Gordy first signed Jean Terrell as a solo artist. However, he soon decided she should join The Supremes. She would sing alongside Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong. This big news was announced in 1969.

After Diana Ross's last show with the group, Jean joined them on stage. This happened on January 14, 1970, in Las Vegas. She was introduced to the public and the press. But after this, Berry Gordy had second thoughts. He thought about replacing Jean with another singer, Syreeta Wright. Mary Wilson, however, wanted Jean to stay with the group.

The Supremes had more hit songs in the early 1970s. They were popular in the United Kingdom and the United States. ..... They also had success with "River Deep – Mountain High" with the Four Tops. Other popular songs were "Nathan Jones" and "Floy Joy".

After the song "Floy Joy" became a hit, Cindy Birdsong left the group. She was expecting a baby. Lynda Laurence took her place. Even though they were successful, Jean Terrell and Lynda Laurence wanted to leave Motown. They hoped to find a different record label. However, Motown owned the name "Supremes." Mary Wilson did not want to leave Motown. So, Jean and Lynda left the group in 1973. They felt Motown was not promoting their lineup enough. Also, Lynda was expecting a child at that time. Scherrie Payne replaced Jean Terrell. Cindy Birdsong also returned to replace Lynda Laurence in 1973.

Jean Terrell's Solo Career

After leaving The Supremes, Jean Terrell signed with A&M Records. In 1978, A&M released her solo album, I Had to Fall in Love. This album did not become a big hit. However, she did perform the main song from the album on a TV show in July 1978. She had a small hit song called "Don't Stop Reaching for the Top." It reached number 72 on the R&B music charts.

A&M Records had big plans to promote Jean. They wanted to boost their R&B music section. But Jean did not want to travel a lot and leave her family. She also felt some of A&M's plans went against her beliefs as a Jehovah's Witness. Because of this, the album did not do well, and she was dropped from the label.

In the early 1980s, Jean Terrell created her own one-woman show. She toured a bit across the United States. Her show included songs from The Supremes, songs from her solo album, and covers of other artists' songs. Lynda Laurence often sang backup for Jean during these shows. Another backup singer was Freddi Poole, who later joined a group with Scherrie Payne and Lynda Laurence.

Former Ladies of the Supremes

In 1985, eight years after The Supremes officially ended, Scherrie Payne wanted to reform the group. She asked Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong to join. Mary Wilson chose to continue her solo career. Cindy Birdsong agreed and convinced Jean Terrell to join the new group.

Jean Terrell, Scherrie Payne, and Cindy Birdsong formed a new group. They wanted to be a spinoff of The Supremes. But because of legal issues over the name, they created a new name. They called themselves the "Former Ladies of the Supremes," often shortened to "FLOS." Before the group officially started, Cindy Birdsong left for a solo career. Lynda Laurence then joined Jean and Scherrie, just as she had in 1972.

The group released a song called "We're Back." However, the record label did not have wide distribution, so the song did not become a hit. The group started touring and performing shows. They recorded several songs for a UK-based label called Motorcity Records in 1989 and 1990. After these songs did not become popular, Jean Terrell became unhappy and left the group.

Recent Years

In December 1992, Jean Terrell left the group. Sundray Tucker replaced her. In 1996, Sundray Tucker left, and Jean briefly returned to the group. She reunited with Scherrie Payne and Lynda Laurence for two special concerts in Los Angeles. This reunion ended when Freddi Poole joined the group in July 1996.

In 2004, Jean Terrell released a biographical DVD called "Through the Eyes of a Supreme." She has continued to sing on stage with different jazz musicians. A planned jazz music CD did not happen after her DVD release. She has made occasional appearances on stage, singing Supremes hits with other singers.

Personal Life

Jean married Juan Thompson in 1973, shortly after leaving The Supremes. They had two sons, Jason and Jonathan. They divorced in the mid-1980s. Jean stopped performing after 2008. She now lives a quiet life in Los Angeles. She is an active Jehovah's Witness and has chosen to step away from show business.

Music Releases

Jean Terrell was part of many successful albums and singles with The Supremes. Here are some of the albums released during her time with the group:

Albums with The Supremes

• Right On (1970)
• The Magnificent 7 (with the Four Tops) (1970)
• New Ways but Love Stays (1970)
• The Return of the Magnificent Seven (with the Four Tops) (1971)
• Touch (1971)
• Dynamite (with the Four Tops) (1971)
• Floy Joy (1972)
• The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb (1972)

Hit Singles with The Supremes

Jean Terrell sang lead on many popular songs. Here are some of the singles that charted well:

• "Up the Ladder to the Roof" (1970)
• "Everybody's Got the Right to Love" (1970)
• "River Deep, Mountain High" (with the Four Tops) (1970)
• "Nathan Jones" (1971)
• "You Gotta Have Love in Your Heart" (with the Four Tops) (1971)
• "Floy Joy" (1971)
• "Automatically Sunshine" (1972)
• "Your Wonderful, Sweet Sweet Love" (1972)
• "Bad Weather" (1973)