Florence Glenda Ballard Chapman, nicknamed "Flo" or "Blondie", (June 30, 1943 – February 22, 1976) was one of the original members of The Supremes. is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Detroit redirects here. ... is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Detroit redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... This article is about the genre of popular music. ... For other uses, see Soul (disambiguation). ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making music. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... ABC Records started in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records, the recording arm of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres. ... For other uses, see Supremes (disambiguation). ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Supremes (disambiguation). ...

By mid 1967, Ballard's and her band mate Mary Wilson's importance lessened as Supremes as Diana Ross was spotlighted. Ballard suffered from chronic depression and alcoholism, leading to her dismissal from the Supremes in July 1967 and replacement by Cindy Birdsong. After an unsuccessful attempt at a solo career in the late 1960s, Ballard spent much of the last five years of her life in relative poverty before dying in 1976 at the age of thirty-two. Ballard has been referred to by music journalist Richie Unterberger as "one of rock's greatest tragedies".^[1] Mary Wilson (born March 6, 1944 in Greenville, Mississippi) is an American singer best known for her work as a member of the Motown soul and pop group The Supremes. ... For the author-illustrator, see Diana Ross (author). ... On the Threshold of Eternity. ... Cindy Birdsong (center) with The Supremes in 1970, on the cover of the Right On LP. Cindy Birdsong (born Cynthia Ann Birdsong on December 15, 1939 in Camden, New Jersey) is an African-American singer. ...

Biography

Early life

Ballard was born in Detroit, Michigan, of mixed African-American, Native American and European American heritage to parents from Mississippi. The Ballard family had moved to Detroit in hopes of a better life and to take place in the booming job market. Ballard, nicknamed " Blondie" because of her auburn hair and light complexion, was a founding member of The Primettes, an all-girl singing group spinoff from The Primes (later known as The Temptations), in 1959. Ballard's groupmates included her classmate Mary Wilson, Wilson's friend Diana Ross, and Betty McGlown, girlfriend of the Primes' Paul Williams. McGlown was later replaced by Barbara Martin. Detroit redirects here. ... Languages Predominantly American English Religions Protestantism (chiefly Baptist and Methodist); Roman Catholicism; Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... European American is a term for an American of European descent, who are usually referred as White or Caucasian. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Hair color is the result of pigmentation due to the presence of the chemicals of melanin and phaeomelanin. ... “Temptations” redirects here. ... See also: 1958 in music, other events of 1959, 1960 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // Events 1959 (date unknown) Jimi Hendrix buys first electric guitar: a White Single pickup Supro Ozark 1560 S. January 5 The first sessions for Ella Fitzgeralds George... Mary Wilson (born March 6, 1944 in Greenville, Mississippi) is an American singer best known for her work as a member of the Motown soul and pop group The Supremes. ... For the author-illustrator, see Diana Ross (author). ... Betty McGlown was an African American singer, one of the founding members of THe Primettes, later known as The Supremes. ... Paul Williams (July 2, 1939 – August 17, 1973) was an American second tenor/baritone singer. ... Barbara Martin was a short lived Primette and Supreme who joined the group after the departure of Betty Mc Glown in 1960. ...

Revealed in Peter Benjaminson's The Lost Supreme: The Life of Dreamgirl Florence Ballard, Ballard was raped by basketball player Reggie Harding, in 1960. ^[2] At the time, Harding was a friend of one of Ballard's brothers, and Ballard accepted Harding's offer of a ride home after she attended a local sock hop at Detroit's Graystone Ballroom. Instead, he drove her north to an empty parking lot off of Woodward Avenue in Detroit and raped her at knife point. Her rape was never again mentioned, either in clinical therapy nor social conversation. ^[3] Reginald Harding (May 4, 1942–September 2, 1972) was an American professional basketball player. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Supremes

Main article: The Supremes

Ballard, Ross, and Wilson shared leads on the Primettes' songs, and performed in local venues around the Detroit area. The Primettes would eventually sign to the Motown label as The Supremes, a name chosen by Ballard, on January 15, 1961. For other uses, see Supremes (disambiguation). ... Reissue album cover showing The Supremes in 1966. ... is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the early days of The Supremes, all three girls took turns singing lead vocals. Florence sang lead on the second Supremes single, "Buttered Popcorn." According to fellow Supreme Mary Wilson, Ballard's voice was so loud that she was made to stand up to seventeen feet away from her microphone during recording sessions, while the other two Supremes stood directly in front of their microphones.^[4] During this period, Ballard also briefly toured with The Marvelettes as a replacement for Wanda Young, who was out on maternity leave. Mary Wilson (born March 6, 1944 in Greenville, Mississippi) is an American singer best known for her work as a member of the Motown soul and pop group The Supremes. ... The Marvelettes was an American singing girl group on the Motown label. ...

Diane Ross was made lead singer of the Supremes in late 1963, as Motown CEO Berry Gordy believed that Ross' voice, with its high, nasal quality, would help the group cross over to white audiences. Assigned to work with songwriting/production team Holland-Dozier-Holland, Ross, Ballard, and Mary Wilson subsequently released ten number-one US pop hits between 1964 and 1967, all of which featured Ross as lead. Holland-Dozier-Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr. ... Mary Wilson (born March 6, 1944 in Greenville, Mississippi) is an American singer best known for her work as a member of the Motown soul and pop group The Supremes. ...

Ballard never again sang lead on another released 45 or on any released album for Motown. Wilson, however, was given the lead on "Come and Get These Memories", on the A'Go Go album and a partial lead with Ross on "Falling in Love with Love" on the Supremes Sing Rogers and Hart album, while Ballard and Ross traded leads on "Manhattan" on the same album. Initially Ballard continued to sing a spotlight solo number, "People" from the Broadway musical Funny Girl, for the Supremes' stage show. In 1966, just prior to opening at the Copacabana supper club in New York City, Ballard complained of a sore throat and asked that she not rehearse "People" to save her voice for the performance. Gordy assigned "People" to Ross. Thus began a marked decline between Gordy and Ballard. For the film of the same name, see Funny Girl (film). ... Copacabana is a famous New York City nightclub. ... A supper club is an American dining establishment which provides a supper menu of steaks or surf and turf served in a semi-formal setting, which may require a jacket and tie. ...

Over the next two years, Ballard and Gordy argued frequently, particularly as Ross became the group's centerpiece.

In early 1967, it was announced that Gordy would be changing the groups name to "Diana Ross & the Supremes". As the year progressed, Ballard frequently missed public appearances; and sometimes missed recording sessions as well. Gordy hired Cindy Birdsong, a singer with Patti LaBelle & the Blue Belles, as a stand-in for Ballard in April 1967. By May, it was agreed that Birdsong would become Ballard's permanent replacement. Ballard's final performance with the group was their first appearance at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. She was sent home following the first show, after having stuck out her stomach from between the jacket and pants of her outfit. This behavior outraged Gordy who ordered her not to go onstage for the next show. She was ordered to take the next plane home to Detroit. Cindy Birdsong (center) with The Supremes in 1970, on the cover of the Right On LP. Cindy Birdsong (born Cynthia Ann Birdsong on December 15, 1939 in Camden, New Jersey) is an African-American singer. ... Labelle was an American R&B group, who successfully melded dance music with funk and glam rock, resulting in such memorable songs as Lady Marmalade. The group was led by Patti LaBelle, who later had a successful solo career. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... For further information, see Las Vegas metropolitan area and Las Vegas Strip. ...

Solo career

Ballard married Thomas Chapman, a former chauffeur for Motown, on February 29, 1968, and signed with ABC Records in March 1968, two weeks after having negotiated her release from Motown on February 22, 1968. Ballard received a one-time payment of $139,804.94 in royalties and earnings from Motown for her six-year tenure with the label.^[5] A chauffeur in Japan A driver in Kerala A chauffeur is one who drives an automobile as a job. ... February 29 is a day added into a leap year of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... // January 4 - Guitarist Jimi Hendrix is jailed by Stockholm police, after trashing a hotel room during a drunken fist fight with bassist Noel Redding. ... is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Billed as "Florence 'Flo' Ballard" and with her husband serving as her manager, Ballard released the singles "It Doesn't Matter How I Say It (It's What I Say That Matters)" and "Love Ain't Love" on ABC Records. The singles failed to chart, and Ballard's album for ABC was shelved. Her musical career thus went into a rapid decline, and the $139,000 was systematically depleted by the Chapmans' management agency. Stipulations in her contract with Motown prohibited Ballard from mentioning, in any promotional materials or noting on the back of her album liner, that she had ever been in the Supremes or recorded for Motown. he is the best in the world, some call him the junior jose, special 1 version 2 ... ABC Records started in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records, the recording arm of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres. ...

Ballard continued her efforts at a solo career. In September of 1968, she performed alongside Bill Cosby at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. That same year, Ballard rode on a float in that city's Bud Billiken Parade with comedian Godfrey Cambridge. On October 20, 1968, she was the featured personality of Detroit's magazine, Detroit and that same month, she gave birth to twin girls, Michelle Chapman and Nicole Chapman, the first two of her three children. She began the new year by performing at one of Richard Nixon's inaugural balls in Washington, DC on January 20, 1969. In 1971, Ballard unsuccessfully sued Motown for additional royalty payments she believed were due to her. William Henry Bill Cosby, Jr. ... Barack Obama float at 2004 parade. ... Godfrey MacArthur Cambridge (February 26, 1933 - November 29, 1976) was an American comedian and actor, who was especially popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a regular guest on The Merv Griffin Show and other talk shows. ... is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Nixon redirects here. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ...

Decline

In 1973, Ballard gave birth to her third child, Lisa Chapman. Soon after, Thomas Chapman left Ballard and her house was seized by foreclosure, effectively ending her career. Diana Ross heard of Ballard's struggle to save her house from foreclosure and offered financial help, but legal issues surrounding the matter prevented this from going through.^{[citation needed]} Foreclosure is the equitable proceeding in which a bank or other secured creditor sells or repossesses a parcel of real property (immovable property) due to the owners failure to comply with an agreement between the lender and borrower called a mortgage or deed of trust. ...

Over the next few years, Ballard laid low from all publicity. In 1974, Mary Wilson, who had maintained a rapport with Ballard over the years, invited Ballard to fly out to California to visit. The Supremes, with lead singer Scherrie Payne, were performing at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Wilson invited Ballard onstage to sing with the group. Ballard joined them on stage, but did not sing: instead, she played the tambourine. Although her onstage appearance brought loud cheers from the crowd, Ballard told Wilson that she had no interest to continue a career in music. // January - The Ramones form. ... Scherrie Payne (born November 4, 1944 in Detroit, Michigan} is an African-American singer. ... Six Flags Magic Mountain is an amusement park located just west of the Valencia neighborhood of Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles. ...

Upon her return to Detroit, Ballard's financial situation declined further. Uninterested in returning to showbusiness, and with three children to support, she applied for welfare. This news and the story of her downward spiral hit the national newspapers. This article is about financial assistance paid by government organizations. ...

Comeback and sudden death

The cover of the UK release The Supreme Florence Ballard. Despite most of the songs on the album originally being recorded for ABC Records in 1968, the cover photo is actually a Motown publicity photo from 1965.

In 1975, Ballard received a settlement from a slip-and-fall incident in which she had broken her leg after slipping on a patch of ice in Detroit. With the accident settlement money, Ballard purchased a small house on Shaftsbury Avenue in Detroit for herself and her children and made a decision to return to singing. Around this same time, Ballard also reconciled with her estranged husband. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (922x934, 802 KB) From the CD cover This image is of a cover of an audio recording, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the album or the artist(s) which produced the recording... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (922x934, 802 KB) From the CD cover This image is of a cover of an audio recording, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the album or the artist(s) which produced the recording...

Backed by the female rock group "The Deadly Nightshade," Ballard performed as a part of the Joan Little Defense League at a concert held at Detroit's Henry and Edsel Ford Auditorium on June 25, 1975. Following the success of this performance, Ballard received requests for newspaper and television interviews, including an appearance on the local Detroit talk show The David Diles Show. Joan or Jo Ann Little (born 1953) was an African American woman whose trial for the 1974 murder of a white prison guard at Beaufort County Jail in Washington, North Carolina, became a cause célèbre of the civil rights, feminist, and anti-death penalty movements. ... is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On February 21, 1976, Ballard entered Mt. Carmel Mercy Hospital, complaining of numbness in her extremities. The next day, she died at 10:05 a.m. of coronary thrombosis, a blood clot in one of her coronary arteries. She was thirty-two years old. is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A limb (from the Old English lim) is a jointed, or prehensile (as octopus tentacles or new world monkey tails), appendage of the human or animal body; a large or main branch of a tree; a representative, branch or member of a group or organization. ... Thrombosis is the formation of a clot or thrombus inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. ...

Ballard is buried in Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery located in Warren, Michigan. In the years following Florence Ballard's death, Diana Ross established trust funds in the names of each of Ballard's three children. Coordinates: , Country State County Macomb Incorporated 1957 Government  - Type Council-Strong Mayor  - Mayor Mark A. Steenbergh Area  - City  34. ...

Florence Ballard: Forever Faithful!, a biography of Ballard written by Randall Wilson, was printed in 1999. In 2002, The Supreme Florence Ballard, which included all the tracks from the album she recorded for ABC Records in 1968, was released on compact disc by Spectrum, a London-based company. CD redirects here. ...

Another biography was published by Ballard's sister Maxine Ballard in 2007, "The True Story of Florence Ballard." The book comes with a CD containing Flo's last interview, in which she shares her story behind her painful split from the group. The CD also contains a tribute from her sister, Maxine "Precious" Ballard.

A new book, The Lost Supreme: The Life of Dreamgirl Florence Ballard by Peter Benjaminson about Flo was released on April 1, 2008. is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

References in other media

The 1980 hit "Romeo's Tune", from fellow Mississippian Steve Forbert's album Jackrabbit Slim is "dedicated to the memory of Florence Ballard". She is also mentioned in the Billy Bragg song "King James Version" on his William Bloke album. On his 2006 album Hip Hop is Dead, hip-hop artist Nas mentions the Ballard/Ross rivalry in his song "Blunt Ashes": "When Flo from the Supremes died/Diana Ross cried/Many people said that she was laughing inside." // January 1 - The year starts off with a strong disco backlash, which causes the majority of musicians to abandon the use of real instruments in an attempt to distant themselves from anything associated with disco. ... Steve Forbert (born 1954, Meridian, Mississippi) is an American popular singer. ... Stephen William Bragg (born December 20, 1957 in Essex, England), better known as Billy Bragg, is an English musician who blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs. ... Fifth album by alternative folk artist Billy Bragg, released in 1996. ... Hip Hop Is Dead is a 2006 album by American hip-hop artist Nas that was released on December 19, 2006. ... For other uses, see Nas (disambiguation). ...

Dreamgirls, a 1981 Broadway musical, was inspired by the Supremes, and the central character of Effie White, originated by Jennifer Holliday, is said to be modeled after Ballard. That character was played by Jennifer Hudson in the film version of Dreamgirls released in 2006, which featured more overt references to Ballard's life and the Supremes' story than the stage musical. Both Holliday and Hudson's portrayals of Effie have received significant notice: Holliday won the 1982 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance, while Hudson has been awarded a number of critics' awards, including a 2007 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. At the conclusion of her Golden Globe Award acceptance speech, Hudson dedicated her win to Ballard. Hudson later went on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture at the Academy Awards. Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, which opened on December 20, 1981 at the Imperial Theatre. ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... Jennifer Holliday (born Jennifer-Yvette Holliday on October 19, 1960 in Riverside, Texas) is an American singer and actress. ... Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981) is an Academy Award-winning American actress and singer. ... Dreamgirls is a 2006 American musical film jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ...

Discography

Album

• 2002: The Supreme Florence Ballard (originally shelved by ABC Records in 1968 under the proposed title, "...You Don't Have To")

The following songs are songs Florence Ballard recorded suring her solo career. ...

Singles

• 1968: "It Doesn't Matter How I Say It (It's What I Say That Matters)" b/w "Goin' Out Of My Head" (ABC Records #45-11074A/B)
• 1968: "Love Ain't Love" b/w "Forever Faithful" (ABC Records #45-11144A/B)
• 1968: "Yesterday" b/w "Like you babe" (ABC Records #45-11255A/B)
• 1968: "My Heart" b/w "Stay in love" (ABC Records #45-1222221A/B)
• 1969: "The Impossible Dream" (ABC Records)
• 1969: "Everything Wonderful" (ABC Records)
• 1969: "Your Until Tomorrow" (ABC Records)
• 1970: "Don't Go Baby You Gotta Stay" (ABC Records)

References

Sources

• Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986, 1990, 2000). Dreamgirl & Supreme Faith: My Life as a Supreme. New York: Cooper Square Publishers. ISBN 0-8154-1000-X.
• Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2007) Diana: A Biography

Mary Wilson (born March 6, 1944 in Greenville, Mississippi) is an American singer best known for her work as a member of the Motown soul and pop group The Supremes. ... J. Randy Taraborrelli is a journalist and biographer. ...

External links

• Maxine Ballard: Home. - Sister and author of Florence Ballard's official biography.
• Florence Ballard at the Internet Movie Database
• Florence Ballard at TV.com
• Florence Ballard at Find A Grave
• Reflections Of The Supremes