It has the Motown, Freda Payne, Holland, Dozier, Holland sound with a little extra something. Or should I say, someone and that someone is Scherrie Payne.

Many may remember the hit, "Crumbs Off the Table" recorded by singer, Laura Lee, of which was written by Scherrie. After Jean Terrell, who replaced Diana Ross, left the Supremes, Scherrie took the lead microphone and helped to create a new Supreme sound. The first hit from the first Supreme LP (1973-1977), was "He's My Man". 

I can recall seeing them on the "Tonight Show" with the great Johnny Carson. I was so excited. And there was Ms. Scherrie Payne, no longer known for just being Freda's younger sister or for being the lead singer for a group not as popularly known, "The Glass House", she was in the lead singer for the most successful girl group of all time, "The Supremes".

The hits that followed were "Where Do I Go From Here?" (my favorite), "Let Me Heart Do The Walking" (High Energy), "You're My Driving Wheel", "Let Yourself Go", "Love I Never Knew You Could Feel So Good" (which had four Supremes, Mary, Scherrie, Susaye and Cindy), and also fan favorites, "Don't Want To Be Tied Down", "Color My World Blue" and "Can't Stop A Girl In Love". 

Now the unique thing about adding Ms. Payne to the Supreme mix was that it with 

Scherrie singing lead, it allowed original member, Ms. Mary Wilson and new member, Susaye Green (original member from New Birth "Until It's Time for You to Go"), to do some real fierce strong singing.

When the original member, Ms. Mary Wilson decided to go solo, Ms. Scherrie Payne and Ms. Susaye Green recorded their last LP on Motown, called, "Partners". 

The material was excellent, where Scherrie was allowed to show some more of her writing talent, ("Another Life From Now"), but Motown didn't' give the album its exposure and push, but this didn't stop the diva from pursuing her quest, where she released the "Five Stairsteps" and later, Dee Dee Sharp classic, "I'm Not In Love". (Sister, Freda and former member, Mary sang background vocals.) This was a huge disco and club hit.

In later years, Scherrie and Lynda Lawrence (who replaced Cindy Birdsong for a moment) joined Ms. Diana Ross in the "Return to Love" tour that was thought by many to be the reunion of the Supremes.

Moving forward, Ms. Payne is still doing what she enjoys and does best and that's sing. I was able to land an interview with this most wonderful, beautiful, gifted lady.

John:. Where were you born?

Scherrie: I was born and raised in Detroit, that's what I'm talking about, the Big "D" and I don't mean Dallas, I mean Detroit, Michigan. (said with pride)

John: Do you play an instrument? And if yes, what?

Scherrie: The Piano, I haven't played in a while, I haven't played in the last few years. I guess I got into a mood, I don't why, I don't know if it was depression but I use to play every single day and I have not played in about 15 years. I keep telling myself that I'm going to go back. 

I moved from my house into the townhouse, I downsized because I didn't have room for the piano, I let Freda take my piano. Then when I got the piano back…………I wrote a lot of songs on that piano.

John: I can remember the first time I heard your voice, a high school friend wanted to surprise me, as we always introduced each other to new artist. He played on the stereo, "Stealing Moments", with the group "Glasshouse". I remember saying it sounds like Freda Payne but?" 

From that moment I've been a hooked fan of yours? Would you agree that you and your sister, Ms. Freda Payne, have a "family" tone, vocally?

Yes, we did sound quite a bit alike.

John: Now that I know your voice, since the 1970', I can now point it out on record, it's like,"That's Scherrie!" And what a voice, from what I've heard and read, "The Supremes (with Scherrie) when in Europe you're treated like Superstars, whereas here at home the public attention is a lot different. Is that a curse or a blessing?

Scherrie: Well its depends on how you look at it or where you are, in the United States its true, that you really don't get the accolades like you do in Europe or at the Asia countries like in Japan and I don't know why that is. I know that the jazz music, soul music, the Motown music is very much revered in Japan and the European countries. 

But for some reason or another, I guess we've spoiled, we just have such an abundance of wonderful music that sometimes it's taken for granted, unfortunately. But we do have wonderful fans here in the United States as well, diehard fans, that I'm grateful for.

John: What male entertainer would you like to perform with?

Scherrie: Wow, he's gone…….. Marvin Gaye, then Nat King Cole, and I love Tony Bennett and Michael Buble, that's it.

John: What female entertainer would you like to perform with?

Scherrie: Wow, that's a good question…now growing up, my idols were Billie Holliday and Gloria Lynn, a renowned jazz singer, I loved Gloria Lynn, other than that, I don't have any other female singer that I would want to sing with. It was a honor to sing with Diana, my only regret was that my mother was not alive to see me perform with Diana, but my father was, he was really my stepfather but I called him daddy, he passed away the following year, I was so happy that he was able to be there.

John: Before a performance, how do you prepare?

Scherrie: Sometimes I vocalize, sometimes I just sing a little song, I really don't think about it much. 

I really don't warm up. When I was with the Supremes, the first performance (on stage in front of an audience) would be my warm up, in preparation for the second show. I really should warm up.

John: Who were your idols as a child?

Scherrie: Billie Holliday and Gloria Lynn.

John: Ms. Scherrie, you have a strong, power, beautiful, soulful voice. Would you ever do Broadway?

Scherrie: Well it's sort of late now, but I remember years ago when we were (the Supremes) at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, George Faison (known for the choreograph for the Broadway hit, "the Wiz" and the personality and voice for the "Coke", cola commercial) told me after the show, he brought Broadway actress and singer, Rita Moreno with him and after the show, she told him, "That girl belongs on Broadway". 

Well unfortunately, I never made it to Broadway. (But Ms. Payne is open to that possibility).

John: Will you ever write your life-story?

Scherrie: I would love to write my life story but like my mother use to say, if you can't say anything good don't say anything at all. 

I would probably have some negative things to say about some people, so I would prefer to not say anything at all. Maybe one day I will. (Sounds like one day she just might, I can only imagine the stories and experiences that we would find exciting and interesting.)

John: With your group, "Tourde4force", how is it different than working with the Supremes?

Scherrie: Well it's a totally different concept, The Supremes, The Former Ladies of the Supremes, Scherrie & Lynda of the Supremes, we are mainly doing "Supremes" music. With "Tourde4force" is a completely different concept, 5 people from different genre's, we are all friends who knew each other before, we sing different types of music, its non-Supreme and its more contemporary, original songs, it's a completely different flavor.

John: You are a prolific writer, I love the stories that you sing and write about, out of all the songs you've written, which is your favorite?

Scherrie: Wow, that's a tough one…….. I love "Another Life From Now," that's a true story, there are other songs that I've written that you've never heard, that have never been recorded that I love, "Penetrating Eyes", is another favorite of mine, that I've only performed one time, I don't have a copy of it, I performed it at "Sunset Junction" in L.A. I have other songs that I've recorded myself, personally. (She also has some favorites from the two musicals that she's written. Perhaps one day we will be blessed to hear them.)

John: "Another Life From On", is one of my top 10 favorites, I never get tired of listening to it. It's a song that needs to be played on the radio, its perfect. 

Your voice, you do so much with it. I can't imagine any other person singing that song. That's your signature song for me. You feel the pain, the regret, the love, the experience allures you. Where did that kind of lyric and emotion come from?

Scherrie: True story from a relationship I had back in the 1970's for 7 ½ years, my experience with Lamont Dozier of Holland, Dozier, Holland, out of that experience came that song.

John: What's your favorite color?

Scherrie: Purple! (laughing) The color purple!

John: What's your favorite word?

Scherrie: Love, everyone states that, but my favorite word is "blessed".

John: What's your favorite country to travel to?

Scherrie: I love Japan, the next country is Italy.

John: What entertainer would you like to meet (That you haven't met)?

Scherrie: mmm, wow, that's another tough one. I don't think there's any entertainer that I haven't met that I want to meet. I've met Oprah who's fantastic. I would like to meet our President, Barack Obama. I would love to meet him.

John: Are you spiritual?

Scherrie: Yes, I am. I'm a born again Christian, I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, He is my Savior. I am a child of God. At the end when we leave this earth, we will find out who was right and who was wrong, So everyone must follow his/her own path and I'm following mine and that's the path of Jesus Christ, that's the way I feel.

John: For up and coming entertainers, what advice would you give them?

Scherrie: To keep your passion alive. If I had known that I was going into music, I would have studied it instead of medicine. Learn about your craft and to also have a plan "B", just in case. Not everyone makes it to the top. Believe in yourself.

John: What's your favorite sound?

Scherrie: I love the sound of the violin, the love to hear birds singing in the morning, but not too early in the morning, because I don't like to get up too early. I love the sound of birds singing.

John: Will there ever been a Supreme reunion, the "Mary, Scherrie and Susaye" years?

Scherrie: Well, "Mary, Scherrie and Susaye" maybe so, that's possibly, but for the entire group, that's a definite no but "Mary, Scherrie and Susaye", who knows. Susaye does her own thing and does it beautifully, Susaye is so talented and still has that gorgeous voice of hers and Mary's sounding and singing better than ever, I'm really proud of her. So who knows, maybe for the fun of it, we might get together.

John: You've recorded with "Glasshouse", with "the Supremes", you did the partners LP with Susaye Greene, will you ever recorded a solo CD?

Scherrie: I would love to do that. I started doing that two years ago, but my voice wasn't ready at the time, I was having a lot of problems with my voice.

That's how Tourde4force came into play, my friends, they were sounding so good singing background for me, that we decided to make it a group effort., but I would love to do a solo project in the future.

John: Do you have a huge gay followings? And if so, why?

Scherrie: The Supremes always had a huge gay following, Some of my best friends are gay. (laughing)

John: What would your fans be surprised to learn about you?

Scherrie: Sometimes I get very moody, I like being alone, being a loner, like going to the movie's in the afternoon by myself. I like working on my screenplays, it's very relaxing. 

I do things in periods, there was a time when I use to draw and paint, I haven't done that in a while. Then there was another period when I was writing songs and musicals. I like being creative.

John: If you were not a performer, what career choice do you think you would have entered?

Scherrie: I graduated from Michigan State, got a degree in Medical Technology in 1966 but I didn't want to do my internship in a hospital. Sometimes I wonder if I had not gone into music, what career choice would I have made. 

I started teaching because my mother said, "You can't sit around here, you have to get a job". So I started teaching in Detroit, which I did for 3 years.

I would have loved to have been more serious about the medical field, would have loved working with children, being a public servant.

John: Do you have a message for your fans?

Scherrie: Don't give up on me, I'm not through yet, there's more to come from me. There's more to come! 

For all bookings and enquiries, contact, Jim Saphin at tourde4force@aol.com