The Supremes and Ed Sullivan The group — then a quartet of 15-year-olds from Detroit called The Primettes — was signed to Berry Gordy Jr.’s Motown Records in 1961, setting it on a path to superstardom. January was significant for The Supremes. It was on Jan. 21, 1961, that the group — then a quartet of 15-year-olds from Detroit called The Primettes — was signed to Berry Gordy Jr.'s Motown Records, setting it on a path to superstardom. And it was on Jan. 14, 1970, that the group — by then a trio billed as Diana Ross & the Supremes (minus Florence Ballard, who was replaced by Cindy ...