Lynda Laurence the departure of Florence Ballard in 1967 and lead singer Diana Ross in 1970, was about to lose another member of the group, Cindy Birdsong, who was expecting a baby. Birdsong originally replaced Tucker in the group The Ordettes, later to be named Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles, so it was ironic that Tucker's sister, Laurence took Birdsong's place as a backing vocalist. At this time, Jean Terrell was the lead singer of The Supremes. Laurence joined the group around the time the group issued their "Floy Joy" album, and appeared on the cover with Terrell and Wilson, though Birdsong
Cindy Birdsong to talk to her for years. Later, after the group changed their name to Labelle and embraced funk and rock music, they recorded member Nona Hendryx's composition, "(Can I Speak To You Before You Go To) Hollywood", which was allegedly based on Birdsong. Birdsong and lead singer Patti LaBelle repaired their friendship in the early 1980s after Birdsong appeared at one of LaBelle's sold-out, standing-room concerts. In 1999, Birdsong and the other Blue Belles received a Pioneer Award from the R&B Foundation and were honored by Lauryn Hill. For her first two and a half years as a Supreme, listeners