The Supremes were an act.
The Supremes were an American female singing group and the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s . Founded as the Primettes in Detroit , Michigan , in 1959 , the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown 's acts and are , to date , America 's most successful vocal group with 12 number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 . Founding members Florence Ballard , Mary Wilson , Diana Ross , and Betty McGlown , all from the Brewster-Douglass public housing project in Detroit , formed the Primettes as the sister act to the Primes ( with Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks , who went on to form the Temptations ) . Martin left the act in early 1962 , and Ross , Ballard , and Wilson carried on as a trio .