Labelle year, Cindy Birdsong abruptly left the group to join The Supremes, replacing original member Florence Ballard. After completing a tour where Sundray Tucker briefly rejoined the group to fill in for Birdsong, the remaining members carried on as a trio. As grittier soul and heavy rock dominated much of Atlantic's time, the group was let go from their contract in 1970. Bernard Montague, who was managing groups such as The Delfonics, also left them, leaving them seeking new managers. After nearly signing a contract with Herb Hamlett and Frankie Crocker, they eventually picked Vicki Wickham to work with them. Wickham
Gary Birdsong Gary Birdsong Gary Eugene Birdsong, commonly known as Preacher Gary or The Pit Preacher, is a travelling fundamentalist Christian preacher who frequents college campuses across the United States, particularly in North Carolina. He is known for his unorthodox interpretation of the Bible and his theatrical, accusatory style of preaching. He will often argue vehemently with other, more moderate Christians, who often accuse him of misrepresenting the Christian faith and driving people away from it with his extremism. Birdsong, known to his audience as the Belk Tower Preacher (at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte), Pit Preacher (at the University