Susaye Greene facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Susaye Greene
Greene, 2019.
Background information
Born	(1950-09-13) September 13, 1950 (age 74) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Origin	New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	R&B pop disco dance-pop
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	1966–present
Labels	Motown Motorcity

Susaye Greene, born on September 13, 1950, is an American singer and songwriter. She is well-known for being the last official member to join the famous Motown girl group, The Supremes. She was with the group during its final year, from 1976 to 1977. Susaye is also a very successful songwriter. She has written popular songs for artists like Michael Jackson and Deniece Williams.

Susaye Greene's Life and Music Journey

Early Life and Starting Her Career

Susaye Greene was born in Houston, Texas. She started her professional singing career when she was just 12 years old. As a teenager, she moved to New York City. There, she went to the Professional Children School and later the New York City High School of Performing Arts. She also appeared in different commercials.

Before joining The Supremes, Susaye sang with Ray Charles' group, the Raelettes. She also sang with Stevie Wonder's group, Wonderlove. In Wonderlove, she sang alongside Deniece Williams. In 1973, Susaye was a guest singer on New Birth's popular song "Until It's Time for You to Go". In 1975, she helped write "Free", which became a big hit for Deniece Williams.

Joining The Supremes

Susaye Greene became a member of The Supremes in February 1976. She replaced Cindy Birdsong in the group. Susaye sang on their last two albums, High Energy and Mary, Scherrie & Susaye. She worked with original member Mary Wilson and Scherrie Payne. Susaye quickly became a favorite with the group's many fans.

In their live shows, Susaye often sang the lead on "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". This song always received a standing ovation from the audience. She also recorded "High Energy", which was the title song from the High Energy album. The Supremes performed their final concert on June 12, 1977, in London, and then the group disbanded.

After The Supremes: Solo Work and Songwriting

After The Supremes disbanded, Susaye continued her music career. In 1979, she recorded an album called Partners with Scherrie Payne. They released it under the name "Scherrie & Susaye". Susaye also had her own TV show called Hollywood Hot. She kept writing songs for many different artists.

One of her most famous songs is "I Can't Help It". She wrote this song with Stevie Wonder for Michael Jackson's album Off the Wall in 1979.

In 1984, Susaye moved to London, England. In 1986, she sang lead on "Children of the Ghetto" for jazz saxophonist Courtney Pine. She later signed with the Motorcity label in the United Kingdom. She released two solo songs there: "Stop, I Need You Now" in 1990 and her own version of "Free" in 1991. She also recorded a duet called "It's Impossible" with Billy Eckstine.

On July 5, 2014, Susaye Greene and Scherrie Payne performed a concert in Los Angeles. The show was based on their "Partners" album. They were also featured in Daeida magazine, which talked about their careers with The Supremes and their "Partners" album being re-released on CD.

In October 2017, Susaye joined the group Former Ladies of the Supremes. She sang alongside Scherrie Payne and Joyce Vincent Wilson. In June 2024, it was announced that Susaye had left the group to focus on her own business projects.

Solo Albums

Around the year 2000, Susaye Greene moved back to the United States. In 2002, she released her first solo album, No Fear Here. Two songs from the album and a music video were released and received good reviews. Susaye wrote most of the songs on this album herself. She released her second solo album, Brave New Shoes, in 2005.

Albums Susaye Greene Appeared On

• High Energy – with The Supremes
• Mary, Scherrie & Susaye – with The Supremes
• At Their Best – with The Supremes
• Partners – a duet album with former Supreme Scherrie Payne
• Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder (background vocals)
• Hotter than July – Stevie Wonder (background vocals)
• Journey to the Urge Within – Courtney Pine (Lead vocals on "Children of The Ghetto", 1986)
• Vital Blue – Blue Mitchell (Mainstream, 1971)

Songs Susaye Greene Wrote

• "Free" – for Deniece Williams
• "Stop! I Need You Now"
• "No Fear Here"
• "Bewitched"
• "I Can't Help It" – included in Michael Jackson's 1979 album Off the Wall. This song was also recorded by Pebbles in 1995 and Davina in 1998.

Movies Susaye Greene Has Been In

Susaye Greene in the Online Art World

Susaye Greene is also part of a large online art community called DeviantArt. She joined DeviantArt in September 2004, using the name "supremextreme". In September 2005, Susaye was featured in a special chat event on DeviantArt. She talked with other members of the community and answered questions about her life, career, and inspirations.

Susaye continues to be active on DeviantArt. She is working on creating 3D images of her "Supremextreme" character for her first short animated film. She is also a key person in The one million masterpiece charity project. This is an online art event that aims to raise a lot of money for global causes. Susaye helps a lot with telling other artists about this project.

Susaye Greene's Family Life

Susaye Greene is married to Stephen Coton. They have one son named Daniel.