I've got some of the obvious ones:
Dreamgirls - The Supremes
Deena Jones - Diana Ross
Effie White - Florence Ballard
Campbell Connection - Jackson 5
Teddy Campbell - Michael Jackson
C.C. - Smokey Robinson
another obvious one Curtis - Berry Gordy
d1esel6.blogspot.com
You might make a case for CC being based on Holland-Dozier-Holland as well since they wrote a lot of Motown's big hits and left to start their own label. He jsut seemed to be a combination of a lot of Motown's staff writers.
James 'Thunder' Early seems to be based partly on Jackie Wilson in the beginning since Gordy got his start writing songs for Jackie Wilson. Jackie wasn't a part of Motown though. Later on he turns into Marvin Gaye. Marvin felt pigeonholed into the type of music that Gordy was making him do just like Early.
http://www.disconnexions.com
but Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy kind of built Motown together.
Holland Dozier Holland came in later on.
d1esel6.blogspot.com
True. But Smokey never left Motown either. I think that CC represented Smokey as well as a few of the other writers as well.. especially since they never had CC singing on his own (or with a group).
http://www.disconnexions.com
if Berry Gordy is Curtis it dosent make sense because Berry Gordy was with Deena aka Diana Ross and never with Effie aka Florence Ballard.
shareIt's true, they do confuse you a bit there, Curtis was Berry Gordy, I guess they had to give some drama to it and a real reason for Florence (Effie) to be jealous of Diana (Deena) and upset at Berry (Curtis).
Florence was the lead singer for the Supremes early on, the Supremes, before opening up their own act, was backing up Marvin Gaye. About 1965 Berry moved Diana as lead singer of the group, drawing tension between her and Florence. Berry loved Diana, and wanted to make her a star of stars, and so he spent so much attention on the Supremes than all his other artists at Motown. Even other artists/groups were upset at the treatment/attention the Supremes were getting, in his book, Berry Gordy quoted Smokey as saying that he understood why Berry Gordy gave her more attention "...As Fine As She Is..."
The movie switches it around, Berry had a child by Diana Ross, in the movie they have Berry (Curtis) having a child by Florence (Effie White). Florence did try and have a solo career, but Berry didn't allow it, so did Paul Williams of the Temptations, but wasn't allowed (he killed himself in 1973).
But you have to understand, this is LOOSELY Based on the Supremes and other Motown artists and other singers of/from that era, not exactly suppose to be a Memoir or confessions. Jimmy Early was a combination of James Brown Marvin Gaye Jackie Wilson, etc.
The plot line of Effie having a child by Curtis was also added in the film version. This was not included in the original play.
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Like the other poster said, CC is mostly based on Holland-Dozier-Holland, since they wrote, produced, & arranged 99% of the Supremes classic hit songs.
shareLorrell Robinson = Mary Wilson
shareI think James "Thunder" Early was also supposed to represent all the black singers who were huge stars within the African-American community and on what was then called the "race music" charts but who never managed to make it to true mainstream stardom because their style of performing was considered "too black."
In the movie, that was the trouble with James and to a certain extent, Effie. Their style was fine until Curtis decided he wanted to make inroads into mainstream pop music and also to appeal to a more upper class calibre of audience.
Funnily enough- while in America, the Motown/Stax/Chess/other black acts were on Soul Train and less on Bandstand - it's interesting to note how Top Of The Pops has used Soul Train footage more often than Bandstand...
So in-universe, the equivs of Radio Caroline and The Big L would be playing this stuff out enabling the chitlin circuit acts to springboard into mainstream via Britain.
And of course Radio 1 after 1967.
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Michelle Morris = Cindy Birdsong
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Diana never stole the lead singer position from Florence. From the beginning, they all shared that position. The Supremes came to Motown as a quartet, but eventually became the trio we remember. On their early Motown recordings from 1960-1962, Diana, Mary, and Florence all had a chance. Out of the several songs they recorded at this stage, Diana sang lead on most of them. Florence sang lead on a handful, and one was released as a single. Mary sang lead on two, and one of them surfaced on their first LP. During their quartet days, all four sang a verse on "After All".
"It is rare for people to be asked the question which puts them squarely in front of themselves."
That point is that Diana was made the official lead singer instead of their trading off, like they used to do. Flo and Mary were relegated to being basically background noise, which I'm sure is not what they signed up for.
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Yet the biggest misconception about The Supremes (largely due to this musical I bet) is that Florence was the original lead singer. We know Florence did start the group. I don't much about their early performances as The Primettes though. On their one pre-Motown single Diana sang lead on the A-side, and Mary took the B-side. As I said, Diana sang lead on most of their early recordings before the big hits. In 1963 or '64 she became the official lead singer. Even then The Supremes were still presented as a group. The all stood around one microphone on their early TV appearances and moved in unison. Florence used to sing lead on "People" (from Funny Girl) in concert. Florence's' banter was an important part of their act. It was 1966-1967 when things took a downturn and Diana was pushed into the spotlight.
"It is rare for people to be asked the question which puts them squarely in front of themselves."
Curtis = Berry Gordy, who was an entrepreneur from Detroit and the founder and head of Motown.
The Dreams = The Supremes, originally an all girl singing group consisting of childhood friends who grew up singing together in a Detroit housing project.
Effie = Florence Ballard, who was the original leader of The Supremes and the one with the most soulful voice. Berry Gordy pushed her to the back and chose Diana Ross to sing lead, most likely because of her look and sound being easier to cross over to white audiences. Eventually a fight with Berry Gory lead to her being fired from the group. She eventually became an alcoholic, single mother on welfare.
Deana = Diana Ross was originally one of the backup singers in The Supremes, until being chosen by Berry Gordy to sing lead because her voice and look was easily molded into a crossover artist. Just like Deana, she also became a an actress and a superstar. She and Berry Gordy also had a well known, longtime personal relationship. Even though they never married, they did have a child together.
Jimmy Early = part Marvin Gaye, who battled a drug problem and was dating a young teenage girl while he was still married to his wife. It's well known that he fought with Berry Gordy to record and release songs with a social message or "message songs". (e.g., What's going on; Mercy, Mercy Me; Inner City Blues). Towards the end of his life and career, he also took to stripping on stage during his performances. They both died at about the same age.
All typos and misspellings courtesy of a public educational system.