FLOS 40th Anniversary Collection

From the desk of Steve Weaver:

40 years in the making... and here it is!
I'm incredibly proud to have been associated with my dear friends Scherrie Payne, Lynda Laurence and Joyce Vincent, and I'm delighted that July 2026 officially marks 40 years since the formation of Former Ladies of The Supremes (FLOS). For four decades, this remarkable trio has proudly and legitimately kept the music and legacy of The Supremes alive for audiences around the world.

A brief history...
Forty years ago, Scherrie Payne was approached to form a trio featuring former members of Motown's legendary Supremes. The demand for a touring version of the group was still enormous, just as it was for fellow Motown legends such as The Temptations and The Four Tops.

The original plan was for Scherrie Payne, Jean Terrell and Cindy Birdsong to reunite. Before that, Scherrie had first approached Mary Wilson, but Mary politely declined, choosing instead to concentrate on a solo career.
As rehearsals got underway, Cindy made the heartfelt decision to leave secular music because of her deep religious convictions. History then repeated itself when Lynda Laurence stepped into the spotlight—just as she had done in 1971 when she replaced Cindy during The Supremes' Motown years.

By 1986, Scherrie, Lynda and Jean were back in the recording studio and on the concert stage, sharing bills with an extraordinary list of legendary Motown artists including The Four Tops, The Temptations, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Syreeta, Gladys Horton's Marvelettes, Marv Johnson, Kim Weston, Brenda Holloway, Edwin Starr, Chris Clark, The Elgins and The Commodores.

In 1992, Jean decided to step away from touring, but the momentum was unstoppable. Scherrie and Lynda welcomed Sundray Tucker—Lynda's younger sister—into the group. It was this outstanding lineup that I first had the privilege of producing on the album Supremely Yours, released in 1995.

The success of that project led us to embark on an even more ambitious journey. Together, we re-recorded 24 of The Supremes' greatest hits, which ultimately formed the foundation for a further 15 compilation albums released worldwide over the following years.

When Sundray departed in July 1996, Freddi Poole joined the trio, ensuring the journey continued uninterrupted. For the next thirteen years, the ladies performed across the globe, appearing in concerts and television shows while introducing The Supremes' timeless catalogue to new generations of fans.

The current lineup of FLOS began in 2009, when Joyce Vincent—formerly of Tony Orlando & Dawn—joined Scherrie and Lynda. A Detroit native and long-time friend of Scherrie's, Joyce also shared musical history with the Payne family, having sung background vocals on numerous Invictus recordings, including Freda Payne's million-selling classic, "Band of Gold".

This special 40th Anniversary Collection celebrates the very best of the Former Ladies of The Supremes, combining superb studio recordings with a selection of rare live performances drawn from the group's own archive, lovingly preserved by their longtime manager, Eric Iversen.

For the cover photograph, I chose a beautiful image of Lynda, Jean and Scherrie, taken during a Japanese tour in 1990. It perfectly captures not only how stunning they looked, but also this was the first lineup established—with Motown's blessing—to legitimately continue performing the music of The Supremes with authenticity, respect and style.

Forty years is an extraordinary achievement. It is more than twice the length of time The Supremes themselves recorded for Motown, making Former Ladies of The Supremes one of the longest-running vocal groups ever to carry forward the legacy of a legendary recording act.

Congratulations to Scherrie, Lynda and Joyce on this remarkable milestone. It has been an honour to play a small part in the journey, and here's to many more years of keeping the incomparable music of The Supremes—and the unmistakable Motown Sound—alive for audiences across the world.
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-Steve Weaver
This collection is now available on all streaming platforms.