Mary Wilson of the Supremes sees some of her life in "Dreamgirls"

Everyone knows that the plot for "Dreamgirls" was inspired by the story of The Supremes, the Detroit girl group founded by childhood friends Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard (pictured below). So it was great to read that Wilson was invited to the film's LA premiere this week and said seeing the film "was like my scrapbook."
She shared her thoughts with a reporter from USA Today: "I totally enjoyed it," said Wilson, 62. "But I saw it from three perspectives: The original Broadway play which I saw. The story that is supposedly loosely based on The Supremes. And the film itself. My mind was racing."
It wasn't as emotional though as when she first saw "Dreamgirls" on Broadway 25 years ago: "It took me right back to when we started as the Primettes, as three little black girls from the Brewster projects in the 50s. I began crying, it was so much like us."

And Wilson remains close to the three children of the late Flo Ballard, who the character of Effie (played by Jennifer Hudson in the film) is loosely based on. Ballard had the strongest voice of the three, like Effie, but was replaced as lead singer by Ross. In the movie, the character played by Beyonce replaces Effie as lead. Ballard was fired from The Supremes in 1967 and replaced by Cindy Birdsong. But while Effie is triumphant in the end and stages a comeback, Ballard was not. She was an alcoholic who died in poverty in 1976 at the age of 32.
"(Florence) was Etta James and Aretha Franklin in one great voice," said Wilson. "Effie got a chance to show her talent, Florence never did."

Wilson (pictured w/Ross and Birdsong) who still works over 100 dates a year, titled her best-selling 1986 memoir "Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme." The book exposed so much negative information about Ross that the diva never again had a top 10 record. There were negotiations for Ross, Wilson and Birdsong to reuinite and tour six years ago but money disputes killed the plan. It's too bad. Now Wilson says she can't even remember the last time she spoke to Ross.

While she enjoyed the film, she told the newspaper that she wishes The Supremes had been acknowledged in some way for inspiring the story: "Not giving you credit - that hurts. But I am the kind of person who can rise above that."