Remembering The Unsung Supreme

Barbara Diane Martin Richardson, born on June 16, 1943, in Detroit, Michigan, was an American singer best known as one of the original members of the iconic Motown girl group, The Supremes. Her journey with the group began in 1960 when she replaced Betty McGlown in the then-called Primettes. Alongside Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard, Martin helped shape the early sound of the group that would later become a global sensation.

In January 1961, the Primettes signed a recording contract with Motown founder Berry Gordy and were renamed The Supremes. During her time with the group, Martin contributed to several early singles and most of the tracks on their debut album, “Meet the Supremes”. Despite her significant contributions, she is not pictured on the album’s cover.

Martin’s tenure with The Supremes was relatively short-lived. In October 1961, she became pregnant and decided to leave the group in early 1962 to focus on her family. Her departure left Ross, Wilson, and Ballard as a trio, which would go on to achieve monumental success in the music industry.

After leaving The Supremes, Martin pursued a degree in psychology and worked in the field of mental health. She remained largely out of the public eye, respecting the legacy of her former bandmates and rarely speaking about her time with the group. In 2009, she gave a rare interview for the 2010 release of “Meet the Supremes: Expanded Edition”.

Barbara Martin passed away on March 4, 2020, at the age of 76. Her contributions to The Supremes, though often overshadowed by the later success of the trio, remain an integral part of the group’s history. As Mary Wilson once said, “Once a Supreme, always a Supreme”.