Freddi Poole, born September 12th, is an African-American singer, known best for her work with the Former Ladies of the Supremes

Former Ladies of the Supremes

The Former Ladies of the Supremes, or FLOS, is a singing group that was formed by former Supremes members Jean Terrell, Lynda Laurence and Scherrie Payne, in 1986...

 and The Three Degrees

The Three Degrees

The Three Degrees are an American female vocal group. Formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,, the group has always been a trio though there have been a number of personnel changes and a total of fourteen women have represented the group so far. The original members were Fayette Pinkney,...

.

Biography

Raised in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, she started her singing career in the church at the age of four, and got her first recording contract at the age of fourteen with the girl group "The Delicates". The quartet recorded several singles for the Challenge, Soultown, and Pulsar Record labels. Poole went on to become a founding member of the female trio: Wild Honey. R&B star Vesta Williams

Vesta Williams

Mary Vesta Williams was an American R&B singer. Originally credited as Vesta Williams, she was sometimes simply billed as Vesta beginning in the 1990s. She was known for her four-octave vocal range...

, and Mary Flowers were her groupmates. Ron Townson

Ron Townson

Ronald "Ron" Townson was an American vocalist. He was an original member of The 5th Dimension, a popular vocal group of the late '60s and early '70s....

 (of The 5th Dimension) was their mentor. The group disbanded in the early '80s. Freddi's impressive list of musical associations include performances with Lola Falana

Lola Falana

Lola Falana is an American singer, dancer, and actress of Cuban and African American descent. Falana's father left Cuba to become a welder in the United States, where he met his wife...

, former Supreme Jean Terrell

Jean Terrell

Jean Terrell is an American R&B and jazz singer. She replaced Diana Ross as the lead singer of The Supremes in January 1970.-Early life and career:...

, Lisa Stansfield

Lisa Stansfield

Lisa Stansfield is an English singer and songwriter.-Early years:Stansfield was born to Marion and Keith Stansfield in Heywood, Lancashire, in England, where she attended Redbrook School, Rochdale. Her first television appearance was on a talent programme in the Granada TV area in 1982...

, Phyllis Hyman

Phyllis Hyman

Phyllis Linda Hyman was an American soul singer and actress.-Early years:Phyllis Hyman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the St. Clair Village, the South Hills section of Pittsburgh...

, Patti LaBelle

Patti LaBelle

Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...

, Ron Townson, and Sammy Davis, Jr.

Sammy Davis, Jr.

Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....

. Her television appearances include the Tonight Show

The Tonight Show

The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...

, Merv Griffin

Merv Griffin

Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. was an American television host, musician, actor, and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in movies and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show on Group W Broadcasting...

, and the Arsenio Hall Show

The Arsenio Hall Show

The Arsenio Hall Show is an American variety/talk show that aired late weeknights in syndication from January 3, 1989 to May 27, 1994. The show was created and hosted by comedian/actor Arsenio Hall.- Background :...

. Freddi has also recorded and performed with Liza Minnelli

Liza Minnelli

Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....

, Lou Rawls

Lou Rawls

Louis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...

 and Jermaine Jackson

Jermaine Jackson

Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5, older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and occasional film director...

. She managed her own 12 piece band "The Motorcity Angels" and prior to joining Scherrie Payne

Scherrie Payne

Scherrie Payne is an American singer. The younger sister of singer/actress Freda Payne, Scherrie Payne was the co-lead singer of The Supremes from 1973 to 1977, after Jean Terrell left the group in the fall of 1973...

 and Lynda Laurence

Lynda Laurence

Lynda Laurence is an American singer. She is best known for being a part of two Motown acts: Stevie Wonder's backup group Wonderlove, and one of the post-Diana Ross versions of The Supremes...

's group, Freddi was touring extensively with the legendary Motown songstress Gladys Knight

Gladys Knight

Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...

.

Name Change

Freddi Poole is Freddie's stage name, her birth name being Freddie Pool. For most of her career, Freddi dropped the "e" on her first name and added it to her last name, however in the late 2000's, Freddi reverted back to her birth name. She is now billed "Freddie Pool".

Former Ladies of the Supremes

In July 1996, Freddi replaced Sundray Tucker

Sundray Tucker

Sundray Tucker is an American singer. She is the eldest daughter of the late Ira Tucker and Louise Tucker...

 in the Former Ladies of the Supremes. In September 2009, it was reported via Scherrie Payne and Lynda Laurence's website that Freddi would be no longer a part of "The Ladies", instead, Joyce Vincent, formerly of Tony Orlando and Dawn

Tony Orlando and Dawn

Tony Orlando and Dawn was a pop music group that was popular in the 1970s. Their signature hits include "Candida", "Knock Three Times", "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree", and "He Don't Love You ".-History:...

, had taken her place. No explanation was given for this change.

The Three Degrees

In January 2011, Freddi replaced Cynthia Garrison in The Three Degrees, as Garrison has been suffering Piriformis Syndrome and the Degrees had touring commitments to fulfill.

External links

• Freddie Pool FanSite (official fansite)
• The Three Degrees (official website)