Florence Ballard

Florence Glenda Ballard Chapman, nicknamed "Flo" or "Blondie", (June 30, 1943 – February 22, 1976) was an American singer, best known as the founder and original lead singer of Motown act The Supremes.

Referred to by music journalist Richie Unterberger as "one of rock's greatest tragedies"[1], Ballard was replaced as lead singer of the Supremes by her bandmate Diana Ross, who was felt to have more crossover appeal than Ballard. After a series of depressions and problems with performance, Ballard was dropped from the Supremes in mid-1967 and replaced with Cindy Birdsong. Ballard attempted a solo career, which was unsuccessful, and the singer spent much of the later parts of her life in poverty before dying in 1976 at the age of thirty-two.