Why They Were Great, 1st draft paper 4

Why They Were Great
The sound and feel of Motown music is woven into the cultural fabric of American culture. Its unique sound and influence can be heard in the songs of artists like the Temptations, the Miracles, the Four Tops, and the Jackson Five. Under the leadership of its founder Berry Gordy, Motown flourished in the sixties and seventies as Hitsville turned out one chart topping record after another.
There was one group however, that seemed to transcend them all; the all girl trio known as the Supremes. With their dynamic lead singer Diana Ross, the Supremes became musical superstars. Their hits are among the greatest recordings in music history. From Stop in the Name of Love to Someday We’ll be Together the Supremes had what seemed like unstoppable success. Then in 1970 Diana Ross left the group to begin her own successful solo career.
The Supremes were so influential that they inspired a Tony winning play know as Dreamgirls. That same play was later turned into a highly successful Oscar winning movie. Dreamgirls is loosely based on the Supremes and life at Motown. In researching the "Dreamgirls" movie and comparing what happened in the group relationships of "the Supremes" a question arises; was the tension in the "Supremes'' group because of greed, fight for the lead part ,the fame, or was it the producers fault? The Dreamgirls movie plot was slightly different than what happened in the "Supremes'', but the group suffered with tensions for years. This paper will make some comparisons between the Supremes and the fictional Dreamgirls. However the main focus will be on what made them great.
Diana Ross was compared to Deena Jones played by Byonce Knowles in the movie. Florence Ballard was compared to Effie White played by Jennifer Hudson and Mary Wilson was compared to Lorrell Robinson played by Anika Noni Rose.
The part of Berry Gordy was compared to Curtis Taylor Jr. Played by Jamie Foxx. The movie has a romance that occurs between Deena and Curtis. However, there was no such real life entanglement between Berry Gordy and Diana Ross.