Photo credits: Frank Beacham
Florence Ballard (pictured) was a vocalist and a founding member of the Supremes, a singing ensemble for women on Motown Records. Ballard was born on June 30, 1943, in Detroit, Michigan.
With the trio, she performed on 16 top 40 tracks, including 10 hits at number one. Ballard launched a failed solo endeavor with ABC Records after leaving the Supremes in 1967. However, prior to the close of a 10-year period, she had been fired from the record company.
Ballard spent a few years battling a number of demons after that. When she had a heart attack and passed away at the age of 32 in February 1976, she was attempting a musical return. One music critic referred to Ballard’s passing as “one of rock’s biggest tragedies.”
As a part of the Supremes, Ballard was enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on a posthumous basis in 1988.
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