Scherrie
Payne
    Born on November 14, 1944 in the hotbed of soul music, Detroit Michigan, it was only natural that Scherrie would find her way to a microphone. After graduation from Michigan State University with a Bachelor Of Science degree Scherrie recorded a couple of unreleased tracks for LeBaron Taylor's Revilot label while earning her living teaching at Grayling School Of Observation.
     In 1968, older sister Freda, already a veteran singer with several albums and tours with heavyweights like Ella Fitzgerald under her belt, was set to sign with a new label. Eddie and Brian Holland, longtime family friends, had left Motown to start Invictus Records and were eager to sign the "hit-less" Freda.
     "Freda was on the telephone with Eddie," laughed Scherrie. "She was just getting ready to sign with the company. She was on the phone in the kitchen and I was in the living room playing the piano. I knew she was talking to him so I was deliberately playing very loudly, singing a song I had made up. I knew he was gonna call me to the phone. Sure enough, Freda said "Oh Eddie wants to talk with you," So he asked what was that I was playing, I said "Oh it was just a song I made up," he said "Oh you write songs?" I said "Yeah," I guess he (already) knew I sang a little bit. He said "Would you be interested in auditioning for our company?" I said (very nonchalantly), "Sure I don't care," So he says "We'll send a car around for you and I'll take you over to Lamont Dozier's house."
     Scherrie played a number of her songs for the Hollands, partner Lamont Dozier and their right-hand man Ron Dunbar, a week later she was signed to the label (before Freda) as part of the embryonic group Glass House.
     Glass House consisted of Scherrie and partners Pearl Jones, Larry Mitchell and Ty Hunter. Payne and Hunter split most of the lead vocals. Jones can be heard in the forefront of her own composition "The Man I'll Never Have" and Sylvia Smith, who replaced Jones in 1972, takes the lead on the group's eighth and final single "Thanks I Needed That." Otherwise all female lead vocals are by Scherrie.
     Payne also contributed to the writing of a number of the groups recordings, including "Hotel," "The Fox," "Horse And Rider," "Heaven Is There To Guide Us," "Let It Flow" and "Crumbs Off The Table." Interestingly she didn't realize she was participating in the writing of the latter until the group was played the completed backing track and given a lyric sheet.
     "I had a songbook of lyrics and I would just write lyrics 'cause that's what I love to do even before melody. Eddie used to go through my songbook. For "Crumbs.." he had taken different parts of other songs and pieced them together. That's where he got the title as well" explains Scherrie.
     "Crumbs Off The Table" (1969) was the first disc issued by Invictus and as such got the label off to a winning start, coasting to number 7 R&B and number 59 pop. This was to be Glass House's finest hour. Their next single, "I Can't Be You, You Can't Be Me" stalled at 33 R&B and 90 pop while the group's third single, "If It Ain't Love, It Don't Matter" did even worse, settling in at 42 R&B and 121 pop. That was it as far as chart action for Glass House until the aforementioned eighth and final release "Thanks I Needed That," which crawled its way to number 47 on the R&B charts and didn't even hit the pop charts at all. H-D-H tried a number of approaches, issuing group tracks as solo singles by both Payne and Hunter, but to no avail.
     By late 1972, frustrated by their lack of greater success, the group began to disintegrate. As mentioned earlier Jones was the first to leave, being replaced by Sylvia Smith. Larry Mitchell and Ty Hunter left soon after, Hunter joined the Originals, Mitchelll leaving music for the insurance business. Scherrie finally gave it up in the summer of 1973, going on the road with Charo briefly before her big break came.
     When Jean Terrell left the Supremes in the fall of 1973, Mary Wilson called friend Lamont Dozier looking for a replacement. He recommended Scherrie Payne. Mary asked Scherrie to come to Los Angeles for an audition, and she did. At this point, Scherrie was considering taking a regular job.The timing was perfect. Although small, Scherrie had an extremely powerful voice. Her first appearance with the Supremes was during a live show, and she was called upon to do live vocals. She came through with flying colors and lived up to her title of the "Little Lady with the Big Voice."
     It was nearly two years before Mary could get Motown to record the new line-up of the Supremes. The first album featuring Scherrie was 1975's "The Supremes." It sparked the number one disco hit, "He's My Man" which featured Scherrie and Mary sharing lead vocals. However good the tracks are individually, the album didn't quite jell, perhaps six different producers gave it the uneven feel and lack of focus.
     In late 1975, unhappy with the management of the Supremes, Cindy Birdsong left the group. She was replaced by Susaye Greene. This was to be the final lineup of the Supremes.
     By 1976 H-D-H was back in the Motown fold and back to doing what they did best...writing and producing for the Supremes. The album, "High Energy," released that summer brought the Supremes back to the club charts once again. "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking" had instant classic written all over it. The song went to number one in the clubs and even went to number 40 on the pop charts, the best showing for a Supremes single since 1972's "Automatically Sunshine." The other stellar tracks included the title cut and "Only You (Can Love Me Like You Love Me)." Despite their popularity in the discos Motown failed to release either a promotional or commerical 12" single on the girls. Just further evidence of Motown's lack of support for the Diana-less Supremes. Actually Motown was probably quite surprised at the success of their album with little or no promotion. The success was directly attributed to Scherrie's soaring vocals.
     The final Supremes album, "Mary, Scherrie & Susaye" was released in late 1976. Listening back to this album makes me wonder what the Supremes and H-D-H could have done during the height of the disco era (1977-1979) if they could have stayed together. This album is an essential for any serious disco collector. It boasts several club smashes, "Let Yourself Go," "You're My Driving Wheel," "Love I Never Knew You Could Feel So Good" and "I Don't Want To Be Tied Down." Once again H-D-H wrote and produced this magnificent collection of synthesized dance tracks. Scherrie's soaring voice commands the listener to get up and dance and Mary & Susaye seem to get lost in her powerful presence. Sadly these three Supremes albums have yet to see a release on compact disc.
     On June 12, 1977, at the Drury Lane Theatre in London, England, The Supremes did their final performance ever.  Unfortunately, it did not receive the same attention as Diana Ross' last performance with the group, seven years earlier at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas.
     After the groups break up Mary went on to record a solo album for Motown as did Susaye & Scherrie. 1979's "Partners" focused on the writing and singing talents of both Scherrie & Susaye. The album, a departure from dance music, did feature one uptempo number that received minor club play. "Leaving Me Was The Best Thing You've Ever Done" would have been a major success with a 12" single remix. The album's classic track is the Scherrie Payne ballad "Another Life From Now" which was a standard of her's in her live shows. Having fulfilled her obligation to Motown Scherrie was now flying solo.
     As the musical landscape was changing in the dawn of the 1980's Scherrie took on sessions as a background vocalist. She has backed such legendary artists as James Ingram, Jose Feliciano, Thelma Houston, The Brothers Johnson, Noel Pointer, Deborah Cox, Giorge Pettus, Hiroko, Hiroshima, Luther Vandross and of course, Freda Payne.
     In 1982 she released her first solo 12" single. Produced by Rick Gianatos, a one-time Chicago D.J. turned remixer/producer, her take on the 10 CC hit "I'm Not In Love" has long been considered a classic. The Altair Records recording featured a "Stars-On Background" line-up that featured big sister Freda, fellow Supreme Mary Wilson and Edmund Sylvers ("Boogie Fever" fame and producer extraordinaire) all wrapped in two gorgeous D.J.-friendly mixes that brought it to the top of the club charts. During the height of this record I had the priviledge of booking and working with Scherrie. She was not only a dynamic performer but a down-to-earth person with a sweet and funny personality. She was a real classy lady and it was easy to see how she fit into being a Supreme.
     The success of "I'm Not In Love" led to a recording contract with the west coast dance label Megatone Records in 1983. Her 1984 12" single of "One Night Only" (from 'Dreamgirls') was yet another certified club smash. And once again, thanks to the tremendous response from her first Chicago club engagement, I was lucky enough to book her again. During this performance I was able to record her show as well as dub her instrumental tracks. Of course these were for my own personal collection and have never been shared with anyone else. The treasure of these recordings are her live versions of her hits and the unreleased (presumably her next Megatone 12") "Hope." I have both a live-vocal and instrumental version. I can only tell you her version of this former Weathergirls performed, Paul Jabara written, gospelish tune is one of the most incredible performances she has ever given!
     Next came an affiliation with Superstar International Records. Her first 12" release for this new label was the 1986 duet with Phillip Ingram (writer/background vocalist) of "On & On." Followed by a solo 12" release of "The Right Stuff." In 1987 she teamed back up with Ingram for the 12" "Incredible." In 1986, she had formed the "Former Ladies Of The Supremes" or "FLOS" along with Lynda Laurence and at various points it included, Jean Terrell, Cindy Birdsong, Sundray Tucker and most recently Freddie Poole. The first recording of FLOS was the 1987 Superstar International Records double-sided hit "Get Away/We're Back." Of her releases on Superstar International this one had the most success, yet the label still folded shortly after this release.
     The "reunion" of sorts was not lost on the craving public. John Kydd, a longtime Motown/Supremes fan brought Scherrie, Cindy Birdsong, Lynda Laurence and Jayne Edwards together help him with the 1987 Night Wave Records 12" single "Up The Ladder To The Roof." Although Kydd was a virtual unknown he had his 10 minutes of fame thanks to the voices of the ultimate diva quartet.
     From 1986 on Scherrie toured the world with the various incarnations of FLOS. Her next appearance on vinyl was the 1989 duet with Chuck Jackson of "Relight My Fire" for Ian Levine's Motorcity label and then a stirring rendition of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" followed on the same label. Later that same year she released "Pure Energy" another Ian Levine  production for his Nightmare label. Although she was an incredible singer and Ian's talents are world reknowned the collaboration never produced the results either had hoped for.
     During the 1990's Scherrie seemed to abandon her solo career. She recorded two live and one Christmas albums with big sister Freda. And as the popularity of "retro" surfaced, her and the fellow FLOS became popular draws in Europe and Japan. With the various other Supreme ladies, the FLOS have recorded and released, to date, five compact discs: "Reflections," "Supreme Voices," "Supremely Yours," "Where Did Our Love Go?" and most recently a 20-track "Simply Supreme" retrospective. And somewhere along the way she wrote two musicals and several original screenplays.
     In 2000, along with Lynda Lawrence, she became a part of the "Diana Ross' Return To Love" tour which was canceled shortly into it's run. High ticket sales (I paid $300.00 for two seats!) and the fact that Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong were not present were factors contributing to the tour's demise. The show was a real gem to see though, and believe it or not Diana actually "shared" the show with Lynda and Scherrie, allowing each to do solo spots. The most publicity the show received was from the back and forth bickering of Mary and Diana as to why her and Cindy weren't included in the line-up.
     Never fear for I'm sure Scherrie will appear on vinyl again as a solo artist and you can always look for her and FLOS on tour. You just can't keep a good talent down!
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