The Supremes Singer Barbara Martin Dies At 76

Barbara Martin, a former member of the 1960s Detroit girl group The Supremes, has passed away at 76-years-old. Barbara joined the female pop quartet in 1960 when they were still going by the name, The Primettes, replacing member Betty McGlown. In 1961, Barbara and fellow members Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Chapman (née Ballard), now known as The Supremes, signed their deal to Motown Records. Barbara sang on most of their first album, Meet the Supremes, and shared lead vocals on many tracks including “(He’s) Seventeen.”

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However, she left the group when she became pregnant in 1962, before The Supremes were launched into stardom, and was never replaced. Diana, Mary, and Florence continued on as a trio and went on to have chart-topping hits like “Baby Love,” “Stop! in the Name of Love,” and “You Can’t Hurry Love.” Florence herself passed away in 1976 at the age of 32.

The official Facebook page for The Supremes confirmed the news of Barbara’s death. “Our hearts go out to Barbara’s family and friends,” they wrote. “Once a Supreme, always a Supreme.” Mary Wilson reacted to Barbara’s death on social media, tweeting, “Barbara Martin passed” with a broken heart emoji and a tearful emoji.