All Photos: Alan Mercer Make-Up: Rudy Calvo Hair: Leverne Tate
Dress: Angela Dean Art Direction: Carla Marlowe
Scherrie Payne is best known as a lead singer for ‘The Supremes’ from 1973 to 1977. Because of her powerful voice and petite stature of only five-foot-two, she is often referred to as "the little lady with the big voice." I met Scherrie when I first moved to Los Angeles twelve years ago and fell in love with her immediately. I had the chance to work with Scherrie once before when I photographed her as part of the group ‘Tour de 4Force’ for their CD project ‘Quiet Moon’ a couple years ago, but this was the first time I had the opportunity to shoot her by herself, thanks to Rick Gianatos, who needed some cover art for the 'Let Yourself Go’ release.
Prior to her tenure with The Supremes, Scherrie was the lead singer for a group known as ‘The Glass House.’ This was a group signed to the Invictus Label, formed by former Motown songwriters Eddie and Brian Holland, and Lamont Dozier. Signed to the label in 1969, they were among other popular acts of the early 1970s, including Freda Payne, Scherrie's older sister who saw a Number 1 hit in 1970 with ‘Band Of Gold.’ The group saw their biggest hit in 1969 with the Scherrie Payne-led track ‘Crumbs Off The Table’ which made it to the Billboard Top 10. ‘The Glass House’ released 2 albums and 9 singles, including Scherrie's solo track, ‘V.I.P.’
As a new Supreme in an era when their popularity was waning, Scherrie contributed powerful vocals and attitude to the group, with Cindy Birdsong and Mary Wilson backing her up very well. Scherrie gained recognition for her vocals. Scherrie's contributions did enable ‘The Supremes’ to enter the disco era, with such dance hits as ‘I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking’, and ‘Love I Never Knew You Could Feel So Good.’
In 1986, Scherrie joined former Supremes Jean Terrell and briefly, Cindy Birdsong, to form ‘The Former Ladies Of The Supremes’ or ‘FLOS’. When Cindy left to pursue an acting career, Lynda Laurence took her place and they renamed themselves ‘Jean, Scherrie, & Lynda of the Supremes.’ The ‘FLOS’ celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2006.
In 2000, Scherrie and Lynda backed Diana Ross on the ‘Return To Love’ Supremes reunion tour, in which Diana allowed each of them to lead one of the classic Supremes songs. Unfortunatly due to circumstances beyond their control that tour was cut short and only 12 performances were given. It was a very difficult time for the ladies.
Now in 2012 Scherrie has re-recorded ‘Let Yourself Go’ as a dance cut produced by Rick Gianatos. The song was released last week on July 3. Internet music retailer ‘CD Baby’ sold out of the all their copies on the first day! Scherrie is also looking forward to September when a play she wrote titled ‘It Always Rains On Sunday’ is produced for the stage by Donald Welch.
AM: Why don’t you tell me about your new song. Was that your idea?
SP: Actually it was Rick Gianatos who came up with the idea. I was surprised because it’s the title of the latest CD release of ‘Supremes’ music I recorded.
AM: That Supremes CD is one amazing release.
SP: I must confess I have never listened to the new CD. I keep saying I’m going to play it and I know everybody is waiting, especially George Solomon, who worked so hard on it, along with Andy Skurow.
AM: It has everything!
SP: I know. Maybe I haven’t played it because I’ll get nostalgic and melancholy.
AM: I understand that. You have to be in the right place mentally to re-visit the past.
SP: The past...yes.
AM: Your past is more prominent than the average person. I can’t go to Youtube and see myself in 1972, but you can!
SP: I never visit those sites. It’s very rare.
AM: Do you have a tendency to be hard on yourself when you look back?
SP: Yes, I always think, “I could have done that better or Ooh I sound sharp on that note!”
AM: Did you like the idea when Rick suggested you record ‘Let Yourself Go’ again?
SP: I said I would do it.
AM: Now that it’s done, what do you think of it?
SP: Well to be perfectly candid, at first I thought it was the same typical disco, bump, bump, bump. I didn’t feel like my voice was in the best shape and I already told Rick that. I’m working on my voice by taking vocal classes from my daughter. After we had finished and he added Laurnea, who added some wonderful licks in there, I said to myself, “Ooh! I’m liking it better now!”
AM: I find myself singing along to it. I find the song uplifting!
SP: It still sounds a little disco-ish for me but it’s been so long since I’ve been to a dance club, maybe that’s what they’re doing. I’m sure Rick did his research.
AM: Have you played the song for your friends?
SP: Yes, just yesterday I played the video for some friends and they loved it. They all got up and started dancing. They loved it and asked how they could get a copy. When they saw my grandson Sean in the video they lost it.
AM: That makes the video very special for you doesn’t it?
SP: Absolutely, isn’t he a cutie pie?
AM: He’s movie star handsome! Did you and Freda start singing around the same time? I know you have said you were singing in the crib.
SP: I was singing before I started talking.
AM: So you were singing first!
SP: I was singing first. Freda was the shy one. Later we exchanged roles and I became the introvert and she became the extravert, but as little kids I would sing for my mother and her friends. If mother asked Freda to sing for friends, Freda wouldn’t do it. If it was just us alone at home, Freda would make my mother go in another room or she would hide behind the curtain and sing. She was so bashful, even in front of our own mother. I was a precocious child. My Godmother told me I would sing a song and then ask if they wanted to hear it again. No one would say anything so I started singing it again. (laughter)
AM: Do you prefer being in a group or being a solo artist better?
SP: It doesn’t really matter. I started off in ‘The Glass House’ and segued into the Supremes so I was never really a solo artist other than when I used to perform with a little jazz quartet at Michigan State. I’d like to do more solo work and I have done some solo work.
AM: Are you still working with Tour De 4Force?
SP: We did the CD but we’ve never done a live show together other than the one we did at Internet Cafe for broadcasting.
AM: Is touring around the world still exciting to you?
SP: I’m over it. It doesn’t excite me anymore. I’m just glad to have a job! It’s always nice to go to another country but the hassle of flying now is really too much.
AM: I saw a clip of you and Cliff Richard singing together on his tour. Did you have a good time on that tour?
SP: I had an excellent time. Pam and Joyce and I had a fabulous time. The other background singers that were part of the tour were from England and they were wonderful. We still keep in touch via email. We had a fantastic time!
AM: Do you enjoy performing in the large stadiums or the smaller theaters more?
SP: I like the intimacy because I like to perform one on one.
AM: Do you have any idea how many records you have recorded?
SP: I have no idea. Sometimes someone will mention a recording and I don’t even remember it.
AM: Were you pretty much in the recording studio from 1969 on?
SP: Yes, from 1969 on and a lot of it has never seen the light of day.
AM: You’re quite the songwriter and some of it that I’ve heard is beautiful. Do you still write music?
SP: Thank you! I stopped writing quite a few years ago. There’s a story behind that I regret to say. My cousin borrowed my recording equipment that I had in my house. I told him he could keep it for a year. I came to find out his roommate pawned all the equipment for crack cocaine. It was about ten thousand dollars worth of equipment so I lost the motivation to write. Consequently I started writing screen plays.
AM: Which brings me to your new play, ‘It Always Rains On Sunday.’ Tell me a little about that.
SP: It premieres on September 14, 15 and 16th, 2012 at Stage 52 in Los Angeles. Donald Welch is producing.
AM: Will you be at all the rehearsals?
SP: I’ll be at every rehearsal and performance. This play is adapted from the screen play version. I have seventeen screen plays.
AM: What is the theme of the play?
SP: The central theme is forgiveness. A whole lot of us need forgiving. It’s not only about forgiving others but forgiving yourself too. Some of us carry such a burden because we have not forgiven ourselves. It’s a deep story. A son has been gone for 27 years and he returns to his family in Charlotte, North Carolina and all hell breaks loose!
AM: In 2000 you were invited to join the Supremes Return to Love touring experience with Diana Ross. What happened with that tour to end it so soon?
SP: We did 12 of the 32 dates. We were in New York and we had just done Madison Square Garden and the next day we were supposed to go to Jones Beach. The promoter told us there was a problem and we weren’t going. What happened was Diana was presented with this demand to sign an exclusive contract with them and she didn’t want to do it. She told us she didn’t know how much longer she could stand up to them. Afterwards we went back into her dressing room and we all joined hands in a circle and we prayed and then we hugged her. When the last person had hugged her she just broke down and cried. She was under so much pressure. The promoters pulled the tour. It had nothing to do with Mary Wilson or anything else like that. After we all got home, Diana was trying to get them to acquiesces and told them she would work for free if they would just pay everyone else for the last 5 shows ending in Las Vegas. They said no and that was it.
AM: Well at least you made some history, even though it wasn’t enough.
SP: When they told me it was over I gasped.When it sank in I broke down and cried. I was so hurt.
AM: It must really help to have a strong faith in God at times like that.
SP: Absolutely...if I hadn’t had a strong faith in God I don’t know how I would have handled it....and it’s gotten stronger through the years as I’ve faced more challenges like my breast cancer surgery last year. It was my faith in God that brought me this far. There were some lean years financially or struggling with emotional issues like the death of my daughter’s father. I have wondered how did I make it this far? It’s only because of Jehovah God Almighty and my Saviour Jesus Christ. That’s how I made it this far!
You can order the CD or download the new music at CD Baby, amazon and I-tunes
Learn more about Scherrie at her web site www.scherriepayne.com
