Freda Payne: The Voice Behind Holland-Dozier-Holland’s Final Hit
Freda Payne was never signed to Motown, but the connection is unmistakable.
Holland-Dozier-Holland—the powerhouse songwriting trio behind countless Motown hits—had left Berry Gordy’s empire to start their own label, Invictus, in 1969. Due to legal restrictions, they couldn’t use their own names and were forced to write under the pseudonym Edyth Wayne or credit songs to producers.
On Invictus, they scored one major hit: Band of Gold, sung by Freda Payne.
If the surname sounds familiar, that’s because Freda’s sister, Scherrie Payne, later joined The Supremes following Diana Ross’s departure, singing with the group from 1973 to 1977.
But Freda was more than a one-hit wonder—she also worked on Broadway, appeared in films and television, and even hosted her own talk show, Today’s Black Women.
After Band of Gold, and with Invictus eventually folding, Freda continued to release music with other labels, though she never recaptured the same level of success. The same can be said for the legendary songwriting trio—Band of Gold was their final major hit.
With early influences like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, Freda’s musical roots were in jazz, a sensibility she carried into the world of radio-friendly pop and soul.
She may have had only one global hit, but Band of Gold was enough to make her name last.
Freda Payne Tunes | Related Pages
Band Of Gold | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn how to play Band Of Gold by Freda Payne using chords, chord analysis, lyrics, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| G | G | D/F# |
Now that you’re gone, all that’s left is a band of gold…
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