Was Florence Ballard Murdered?

[Supercorsa]

I don't buy the Daily Mail, but picked one up that was left on a train today. Anyway I digress, inside was an article raising the question was Florence Ballard murdered? Apparently she did 8 hours of taped interview before her death, it would be interesting to hear what she had to say.

Anyway here's the link >>click here<<

[Bigsoulman]

Interesting to say the least, having hero worshipped Gordy for many years I have read on countless occasions that because he was so besotted with Ross many great talents at Motown were ignored including Flo, his ignorance at real talent was unbelievable, RIP Flo

Lenny

Edited May 22, 2008 by BIGSOULMAN

[mrs soul]

that was very interesting and also very believable to say the least, those days a lot of that kind of stuff went on, and so many artist of the time where robbed of so many things that went hand in hand with the music industry.

[Guest]

And could be a great script for a film I reckon

[pikeys dog]

strange bown stuff found in her stomache?

Heart attack?

I reckon she had explosive constipation and she was trying to shift it with a healthy helping of All Bran

[Rob Wigley]

Only the great die young ! Shows she's still not forgotten 30 odd years after her death RIP

[BrianB]

his ignorance at real talent was unbelievable, RIP Flo

Lenny

I am trying to stop making any comments on Soul Source and just be an observer, but this is one of the daftest comments I've seen for a while.

Berry Gordy, ignorant of real talent?

[Steve G]

Fascinating stuff. I had always believed (or had been led to believe) she died broke and an alcaholic. There are all sorts of shady stories around Motown - Little Willie John, Tammi Terrell etc etc. and this one looks interesting too. I wonder if the truth will ever out?

[mischief]

I wonder if the truth will ever out?

Doubt it, it would bring down to many people... and also as times go on we have less witnesses.

thanks Ian for posting that... I just bought Flo's book no point reading it now

[Simsy]

was Florence Ballard murdered?

Conspiracy? ...

[Paul McKay]

Thanks for the link Ian. Rather sketchy on facts that article though. Weren't there four Supremes/Primettes to start with. No mention of Betty Martin. Was Flo the founder? Mary Wilson, having been introduced as the founder of the Supremes was quick to deny that comment the other week at the V&A and made reference to all the other girls. When asked about money she said that that was the way the industry worked then and that she had no dispute with Berry Gordy.

Still you can't beat a good conspiracy story eh?

[Ian Dewhirst]

Thanks for the link Ian. Rather sketchy on facts that article though. Weren't there four Supremes/Primettes to start with. No mention of Betty Martin. Was Flo the founder? Mary Wilson, having been introduced as the founder of the Supremes was quick to deny that comment the other week at the V&A and made reference to all the other girls. When asked about money she said that that was the way the industry worked then and that she had no dispute with Berry Gordy.

Still you can't beat a good conspiracy story eh?

Well talking conspiracies, has anyone ever read the book "No 1 With A Bullet" by Elaine Jesmer?

https://www.amazon.com/Number-Bullet-Novel-...r/dp/0374223475

"A black popular singer whose brother-in-law owns the company he records for, comes to a crossroads in his life and career. His marriage to his boss' sister is crumbling and in the concept-album oriented 70's, this former singles seller is fast becoming archaic. He is unable to get out of either contract neatly. Connections between this fictional singer and the real troubles between Marvin Gaye and Berry Gordy of Motown Records are easily seen. Sprinkled into the mix are thinly disguised portraits of Tammi Terrell and other Motown stars and a music-and-the-mob theme in which the control of the company is taken out of one family's hands and into the other "family's" hands, making it possible for the hero to exit his contract and sail happily into the sunset of the new singer-singwriter music scene. This book was bought by the movies, but never made, while "Dreamgirls" and "Sparkle" went on to explore similar material. An interesting read by an author whose insight and apparent good connections into the rhythm and blues music scene of the time gives the book significant credibility".

"No 1 With A Bullet" was essentially removed from the shelves at the time apparently by Berry Gordy due to the fact that Elaine Jesmer was Marvin Gaye's west coast publicist and the story alluded to Tammi Terrell's death (or murder) and Berry Gordy considered it to be too contentious. He also apparently killed the film rights by doing a deal with Universal for "Lady Sings The Blues" and making sure that "No 1 With A Bullet" was shelved for good.

How's that for a conspiracy?

Ian D

Edited May 23, 2008 by Ian Dewhirst

[Soulsmith]

strange bown stuff found in her stomache?

Heart attack?

I reckon she had explosive constipation and she was trying to shift it with a healthy helping of All Bran

There is a Supremes exhib at The V & A in London.

I will ask the staff there, they are bound to know....

[Dewsburyborn]

Well talking conspiracies, has anyone ever read the book "No 1 With A Bullet" by Elaine Jesmer?

Ian D

Yes, Ian - I remember buying it at W H Smith's in Dewsbury - one week it was there, next week it had gone. It's still on my music book shelf today ... 90p !

[mrs soul]

these are not my words, but found this article, its a good read, but very sad indeed..

Florence Ballard of "The Supremes"

Check out an Excellent website about Flo

If anyone ever got the shaft, in my opinion it was poor Flo, the Supreme on the right. She should have been on top of the world, but at 32 she was dead from heart failure. Some might say a broken heart.

Florence, Diana Ross and Mary Wilson grew up in the now demolished Brewster Projects of Detroit. See them then and now. To make a very long story short, after begging Motown Records founder Berry Gordy for work, they were hired to sing. They recorded a string of hits at the Motown Studios, which still stand as a museum on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit. They recorded most of their hits including "Where Did Our Love Go," and "Baby Love," in Studio A. They toured, often being the first blacks to perform in certain clubs. One club they played was the Roostertail on the river in Detroit. When they were doing the research for the film Dreamgirls, some location people went to the Roostertail to take photographs. The Rainbow Theater in the film is a tribute to the Roostertail, including the distinctive R in the logo.

When the big money started rolling in, all 3 girls bought houses on Buena Vista, in Detroit, this was Flo's.

I love "Back in my Arms Again" because the song references both Mary and Flo on background vocals - but if you check out this performance, it seems they didn't even turn on the background microphones. Sad.

The popular story is that Flo (who coined the name Supremes) had the better singing voice but was less aesthetically pleasing that Diane Ross, for whom he had romantic interest. Eventually the name of the group was changed to to "Diana Ross and the Supremes." Flo was a proud girl, and resented the attention heaped on Diana and (literally) being shoved to the background. She started drinking (I know I would, but it wouldn't take much to send me there anyway), and showed up to gigs drunk and late. Motown fired her and replaced her with Cindy Birdsong.

Flo signed away all her rights to "The Supremes" for $139.804.94 in 1968, in a hush hush meeting in the now demolished Northland Inn. She married Motown chauffeur Tommy Chapman. See Flo and Tommy in front of the Buena Vista house. In 1971, Flo sued Motown for $8.7 million for what she claimed were back royalties, and because Gordy, "secretly, subversively and maliciously plotted and planned" to oust her from the group. She thought the initial settlement was "meager and grossly inadequate." The judge thought otherwise, and it was thrown out of court.

Tommy Chapman was going to manage her career from then on, but he was inexperienced. The money from the settlement was gone, and she and Tommy separated. Flo lost her house on Buena Vista, and she and their 3 children ended up on welfare.

In the fall of 1975, she came in to some money from some sort of "legal settlement," (supposedly a "slip and fall") and bought a house on Shaftsbury Street. in Detroit. She got back together with Tommy, and things were starting to look up.

Findadeath friend Christopher Richards states:

The settlement from a "slip and fall" you'd mentioned was actually a second settlement from Motown / Berry Gordy as stated in "Call Her Miss Ross", an unauthorized biography of her. She entered Mt. Carmel Mercy Hospital (now a division of Grace Hospital) on Saturday, February 21, 1976, complaining of numbness in her extremities. A police report said she had "ingested an unknown amount of pills and consumed alcohol." A doctor confirmed that "they were medication for overweight and high blood pressure." She died at 10:05 the next morning, the result of a blood clot in her coronary artery.

Flo was laid out in the Stinson Funeral Home on West Grand Boulevard. She was put in a light blue steel coffin, and wore a light blue choir robe. Gladys Knight and Diana Ross sent flowers. She had the florist sign the sentiment, "I love you Blondie - Diana." psh.

On Friday, Feb 27^th, almost 5000 people lined the street in front of the New Bethel Baptist Church to say goodbye to her. Diana Ross arrived, and was booed by the crowd. The Reverend C.L. Franklin (Aretha's dad) presided over the service. Members of the Four Tops, Marvin Johnson and Thearon Hill served as pallbearers. Stevie Wonder was an honorary (insert obvious joke here) one. Diana made her grand entrance, and sat in the front row with the immediate family. No one had the nerve to tell her to piss off.

My pal Lisa Burks sends this clipping

To quote the Detroit Free Press, "Ms. Ross's eyes filled with tears, and the photographers snapped her picture." Then she embarrassed Mary Wilson, the other Supreme, by announcing they wanted a quiet moment with Flo, in front of all the mourners. When they took the casket out, the organist played "Someday, We'll Be Together." A nice touch, but neither Flo nor Mary sang on that particular record - it was recorded by Diana and two session singers. That. Just. Sucks.

When they left the church, the crowd went nuts, grabbing for the flowers off the casket. 32 Detroit Policemen barely had the crowd under control. "A funeral home attendant used the base of one of the arrangements as a spear, thrusting at persons in an attempt to keep them from grabbing the flowers. Finally, in frustration, he and the other attendants gave up and the whole arrangements were passed into the crowd, where people madly grabbed for bits and pieces.

At Detroit Memorial Park, there were no cameras, no reporters, and no Diana Ross. The only ones that went the whole 9 yards were Flo's family, Mary Wilson, and the pallbearers. They said a quiet goodbye, Flo was lowered into the ground, and they left.

We liked Flo. Bless her.

Update: Even now, Motown continues to whore the original "Supremes," with a new group of gals.

Karma's a bitch.

[Guest Netspeaky]

According to Mary Wilson's book Flo Ballard was never the same girl after she was rapped, prior to this terrible instance she was the driving force behind the Supremes.

[Pete S]

Yes, Ian - I remember buying it at W H Smith's in Dewsbury - one week it was there, next week it had gone. It's still on my music book shelf today ... 90p !

My Mum got me this out from our local library when I was in my early teens - can't remember anything about it though but I knew it rang a bell