Troubled Times

The Supremes' schedule in 1966 was almost unbelievable. After a return engagement at the Copa in early March, the group recorded six new tracks and appeared on television on The Sammy Davis Show and The Dean Martin Show. They also did a weeklong appearance at a club in Boston and launched an ad campaign for a brand of white bread—all before April 1!

Later that year, the Supremes appeared on many television shows and specials, including The Ed Sullivan Show, The Today Show, The Mike Douglas Show, and The Tonight Show. They made regular concert appearances in Virginia Beach, Virginia; San Francisco, California; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Forest Hills, New York; Los Angeles, California; and Miami, Florida. They toured the Far East, visiting Manila, Tokyo, Okinawa, and Hong Kong. They gave interviews to dozens of magazines, hosted parades, and recorded new singles, live albums, and a tribute album to the composers Rodgers and Hart.

The schedule was frantic and proved very hard for the three women. For weeks at a time, Diana felt too nauseous to eat. Her weight dropped, and she looked skinny and sickly during television appearances. She recalled, “I was becoming skin and bones, and eating became repulsive. It was a very unhappy time for me. Although the Supremes were at the top, I often felt as if I were sitting at the bottom of a deep, dark pit.” Flo reacted to the stress by drinking heavily. As a result, her weight increased and she had difficulty fitting into some of the tighter costumes. The alcohol also fueled Flo's jealousy of Diana, which was increasing as the lead singer got more and more public attention.