This is the first comprehensive biography of the most successful female vocal group of all time. The Supremes were the biggest American act of the 1960s, scoring more No. 1 hits than anyone but Elvis Presley and the Beatles. Mark Ribowsky, author of the acclaimed biography of Phil Spector, ''He's a Rebel'', tells a sprawling tale of ambition, scheming, money, sex, and betrayal in ''The Supremes'', making it the definitive story of the most successful female group of all time. He shares first-hand, intimate recollections from knowledgable sources like Florence Ballard's cousin and prime confidante, the Temptations' Otis Williams, and other Motown contemporaries-many never before interviewed-to uncover the truth behind the tangled and telling personal dynamics that drove the Supremes. ''The Supremes'' takes the reader behind the closed doors of Motown to discover how timeless Holland-Dozier-Holland classics like ''Where Did Our Love Go'' were conceived and recorded on an 'assembly line' that produced hit after smash hit.Motown's success can be attributed to label president Berry Gordy, and Ribowsky examines Gordy's controversial,, psychodramatic relationship with Diana Ross, his focus on the Motown 'brand', and his revolutionary concept of 'blacks singing white', which was essential to the modern evolution of soul and pop music. Ribowsky spares no detail in revealing the astounding saga of both Ross' successful rise to the top and Ballard's tragic fall, exposing the real story behind her firing and her sudden death at age thirty-two after a battle with depression, alcohol, and drugs. For fans of the Supremes, Motown, and the culture of the '60s, ''The Supremes'' is the complete, sometimes heartbreaking account of three girls from the Detroit projects, their meteoric rise and bitter disintegration, and their place in the music pantheon.