Diana Ross and the (Almost) Supremes

By Stephen M. Silverman

10/07/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Diana Ross and the Supremes are getting back together, but without any original Supremes. The '60s Motown group, whose backstage travails are the stuff that legends are made of (as well as a Broadway show, "Dreamgirls"), consisted of lead singer Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard. In 1967, Ballard was replaced by Cindy Birdsong and in 1969 Ross left the act to go solo. Stories about a reunion heated up in recent months, though negotiations with Wilson and Birdsong apparently broke down over money. Now, reports USA Today, Ross is planning a press conference for Tuesday in which she will announce a Supremes concert tour this summer -- with Scherrie Payne and Lynda Laurence, who both briefly sang with the group after Ross had left it. Ross and these Supremes are scheduled to tape an Oprah show today, to be aired next Wednesday.