Florence ballard funeral supremes

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The fact that the act had now been renamed Diana Ross and the Supremes only served to illustrate an unhappy situation.

Ballard signed a solo deal with ABC in 1968, the year that she married. She was given a bad financial deal by Motown on her way out the door, cheated out of a larger settlement by a crooked lawyer, and fell into alcoholism and poverty before her tragic early death at age 32.

Born and raised in Detroit, Florence Glenda Ballard was one of more than a dozen siblings.

A violent crime pushed her to leave school and emotionally scarred her for life. Gordy was impressed with the group, but wanted the teens to finish high school before getting into the music industry, so he waited to sign them to the label in 1961. He claimed in his autobiography Ross’ voice “stopped me in my tracks” when he first heard the group auditioning, and that it was more suited to the crossover white audience he hoped the Supremes would appeal to.

But Gordy thought the group needed a new name, and after lots of brainstorming, they settled on Ballard’s suggestion – The Supremes.

Looking for a Lead

With their Motown deal inked, the group struggled to find a hit. But it wasn’t.

They compromised by agreeing to issue it as a double-A side.

It was a regional hit in Detroit and other Midwest cities, but a number of developments prevented it from charting nationally. Considered by many including Marvin Gaye and her fellow original member Mary Wilson to have had the best voice in the group, she was their original lead vocalist during live performances.

He changed the group’s name to “The Supremes with Diana Ross” that June. But it was actually Sarah Dash who had the first soprano so they wound up with what sounds like two altos behind Diane.”

See our earlier post on Cindy Birdsong for more on the secret preparations Gordy made for her to take Ballard's place. “I knew I was well put together because the guys’ reactions in the audience were something else.”

“I Don’t Dance to Anyone’s Tune…Unless I Want To”

As time went on, Ballard said Gordy knew exactly how to get under her skin, trying to control her by threatening her if she didn’t do things the way he wanted.

They were signed by Motown in 1961, when Gordy’s chief condition was that they change their name to the Supremes. She was replaced by Barbara Martin in 1960, the year of the group’s first audition for Motown, when Berry Gordy told them to come back when they had finished high school.

The Primettes recorded briefly for Lu Pine Records, with many observers of their early shows agreed that Ballard was the strongest vocalist in the line-up.

Gordy was outraged by her behavior and sent her home after the show. He was soon to become Brian Holland’s early writing and production partner, a partnership that would strike gold when they co-wrote and co-produced “Please Mr. Postman” for the Marvelettes in 1961, Motown’s first #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Primettes eventually auditioned for several Motown execs including Berry Gordy, who told them to finish high school and then try again.

But many chalk it up to Gordy’s romantic attraction to Ross, who he entered into a relationship with from 1965-70. “She was a good mother, she was talented, she had a lot of class, she carried herself very well,” she said, “but there was something inside of her that was just pulling, that she wasn’t able to handle.”

Nonetheless, Florence Ballard’s legacy is renewed every hour of every day as the Supremes’ golden hits continue to play around the world.

Buy the music of The Supremes on vinyl and CD now.