Barbara Diane Martin Richardson is an African-American singer; better known for being one of the original founding members of Motown singing group The Supremes. After The Primettes dropped Betty McGlown from their lineup due to McGlown's upcoming nuptials, Martin replaced her in the group in 1960. She and her groupmates, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard, signed a recording contract with Motown founder Berry Gordy on January 15, 1961 as The Supremes, a name that Ballard had chosen from a list provided by Motown songwriter, Janie Bradford, and became part of the Motown stable of performers. In between recording a handful of early singles, none of which became hits, Martin, Wilson, Ross, and Ballard worked as studio singers and hand clappers for other leading groups. In October 1961, Martin became pregnant. Her husband supported her decision to stay in the group, but she left in the early spring of 1962 - leaving Ross, Wilson and Ballard a trio. Although Martin sang on many of the group's early singles, and most of the tracks on the group's first album, Meet The Supremes, she is not pictured on the album cover, and never received any royalties from Motown after 1962. 

June 1st, 1943 in Detroit  /  Died:   Mar 4th, 2020 - aged 76