“It has been an open secret among the Motown family, the tragedy of Cindy,” Herman said in an interview. Lander considered but did not agree to an interview, and stopped responding to inquiries. With her gentle manner and polished skills, she was well suited for a daunting role: keeping one of Motown’s premier acts on track. “Cindy had a strong voice and charisma,” Gerald Posner, a Motown historian, said in an interview. “She’s the one who had to make the change look seamless — and she did.”

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Persons: Motown, Cindy, ” Herman, Lander, Birdsong, ” Lander, ” Birdsong’s, Patti LaBelle, Ballard, Diana Ross, Ballard —, “ Cindy, ” Gerald Posner, “, ” Organizations: Soup, Motown Locations: Camden , N.J