The Lost Supreme: The Life of Dreamgirl Florence Ballard (28 page)

“All I Know About You”

Motown 1107

03/20/1967

Diana Ross and the Supremes (1967–1970): Florence Ballard, Diana Ross,
Mary Wilson
(on the recorded versions of “Reflections,” “Going Down for the Third Time,” “I Guess I’ll Always Love You,” “Time Changes Things,” and

“Your Kiss of Fire”);
Cindy Birdsong, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson
(on all records in this period except those listed above)
Title

Label

Release Date

“Reflections” / “Going Down for the

Third Time”

Motown 1111

07/24/1967

“In and Out of Love” / “I Guess I’ll

Always Love You”

Motown 1116

10/25/1967

“Forever Came Today” / “Time Changes

Things”

Motown 1112

02/24/1968

“What the World Needs Now” / “Your

Kiss of Fire”

Motown 1125

03/1968

“Some Things You Never Get Used To” /

“You’ve Been So Wonderful to Me”

Motown 1126

05/21/1968

“Love Child”
(11th #1 Hit)
/ “Will This

Be the Day?”

Motown 1135

09/30/1968

“I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” / “A Place

in the Sun” (with the Temptations)

Motown 1137

11/21/1968

“I’m Livin’ in Shame” / “I’m So Glad I Got

Somebody Like You Around”

Motown 1139

01/06/1969

“I’ll Try Something New” / “The Way

You Do the Things You Do” (with the

Temptations)

Motown 1142

02/20/1969

“The Composer” / “The Beginning of

the End”

Motown 1146

03/27/1969

“No Matter What Sign You Are” /

“The Young Folks”

Motown 1148

05/09/1969

“Stubborn Kind of Fellow” / “Try It Baby”

(with the Temptations)

Motown 1150

08/1969

“The Weight” / “For Better or for Worse”

(with the Temptations)

Motown 1153

08/29/1969

“Someday We’ll Be Together”
(12th and

last #1 hit)
/ “He’s My Sunny Boy”

Motown 1156

10/14/69

184

b

F
lorence
B
allard,
P
rimettes, and
S
upremes
D
iscography
Florence Ballard (1968)

Title

Label

Release Date

“It Doesn’t Matter How I Say It (It’s What

I Say That Matters)” / “Goin’ out of

My Head”

ABC 11074

04/1968

“Love Ain’t Love”/ “Forever Faithful”

ABC 11144

09/1968

Albums

The Supremes

Title

Label

Release Date

Meet the Supremes

Motown 606

12/1963

Where Did Our Love Go?

Motown 621

01/1965

A Bit of Liverpool

Motown 623

10/1964

The Supremes Sing Country and Western

and Pop

Motown 625

02/1965

More Hits by the Supremes

Motown 627

07/1965

We Remember Sam Cooke

Motown 629

05/1965

Supremes at the Copa

Motown 636

11/1965

Merry Christmas

Motown 638

11/1965

I Hear a Symphony

Motown 643

02/1966

The Supremes a Go-Go

Motown 649

08/1966

The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland

Motown 650

01/1967

The Supremes Sing Rodgers & Hart

Motown 659

08/1967

Diana Ross and the Supremes

Title

Label

Release Date

Greatest Hits Volumes I and II

Motown 663

08/1967

Reflections

Motown 665

08/1968

Florence Ballard

Title

Label

Release Date

The Supreme Florence Ballard

Spectrum

09/18/01

A
ppendix 2

Excerpts from Florence Ballard’s

Legal Case Against Motown

Records et al.

From Complaint
filed by Florence Ballard Chapman, a/k/a Florence Ballard, Plaintiff vs. Diana Ross, individually, Mary Wilson, individually, Cindy Birdsong, individually, Jean Terrell, individually, Berry Gordy
,
Jr., individually and as President of International Management Company and Motown Record Corporation, Michael Roshkind, Ralph Seltzer, International Management Company, Motown Record Corporation, and [John or Jane] Does 1 through 10, inclusive, jointly and several. Filed by Attorney Gerald K. Dent of Patmon Young & Kirk Professional Corporation before Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Edward F. Bell, February 2, 1971, General Civil Act Case No. 173852.

1. The true names or capacities, whether individual, corporate, associate or otherwise, of defendants . . . 1 through 10, inclusive, are unknown to Plaintiff, who therefore sues said defendants by such fictitious names. Plaintiff is informed and believes and therefore alleges that each of [these] defendants is responsible in some manner for the events and happenings herein referred to, and caused damages . . . thereby to Plaintiff as herein alleged; by whose names are not now known to Plaintiff and she therefore sues said Defendants by such fictitious names and she will amend this Complaint to show the true names and capacities when the same has been ascertained.

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xcerpts from
F
lorence
B
allard’s
L
egal
C
ase
2. Plaintiff is and has been for many years a resident of the City of Detroit . . .

Plaintiff is a performing artist and entertainer, widely regarded as a highly skilled and outstanding performer and entertainer . . . in the entertainment and musical field. . . .

13. Commencing in the year 1960, Miss Ballard, who was then 17 years of age, became associated with Defendant Berry Gordy, Jr. in a business way as it related to Miss Ballard’s skills as a female vocalist and with Defendant Berry Gordy, Jr.

as President of the two Defendant corporations.

14. On or about January 15, 1961, in the City of Detroit, while still a minor, Miss Ballard entered into her first recording agreement with Defendant Motown; however, she was never given a copy of that agreement nor was she represented by an attorney of her own choice nor anyone else outside of Defendants Berry Gordy, Jr., Motown, and International. . . .

15. That on or about January 15, 1961 in the City of Detroit, while still a minor, Miss Ballard entered into a management agreement with Defendant International [Management], then known as Berry Gordy Jr. Enterprises, Inc.; however, she was never given a copy of that agreement nor was she represented by an attorney of her own choice nor anyone else outside of Defendants Berry Gordy, Jr., Motown, and International.

16. At no time before nor after Miss Ballard entered into the said recording agreement and the management agreement did she ever read the said agreements or know or understand the contents and terms of either of them nor the terms of years that the agreements were to last.

17. At the time Miss Ballard signed the agreements . . . Defendant Berry Gordy, Jr. represented to Miss Ballard that she need not worry or be concerned about her agreements and the contents, terms and conditions of them and that he, Berry Gordy, Jr., would take care of her, her financial, professional, business and personal affairs and her singing and performing career.

18. In reliance upon Defendant Berry Gordy, Jr.’s representations . . ., Miss Ballard did not demand copies of said agreements and placed complete faith and trust in Defendant Berry Gordy, Jr.’s representatives and allowed him to handle and manage her financial, business, professional affairs and her personal affairs and her singing and professional career. . . .

20. At no time before signing nor during the term of existence of said recording agreements with Defendant Motown and the management agreement with Defendants International . . . did Miss Ballard know the nature and the exact amount and extent of the compensation and monies that she was lawfully entitled to receive from . . . her recording agreement . . . as an internationally per-187

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lorence
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allard’s
L
egal
C
ase
c forming female vocal artist and entertainer. . . . none of the Defendants ever counseled, advised, informed nor gave her any details regarding the compensation that she was rightfully and lawfully entitled to receive from the various and many services that she performed as an internationally renowned entertainer and female vocalist; she relied upon the good faith of all of the Defendants to see that all of her affairs were taken care of by them and properly managed by them for her benefit; she justifiably at the time relied upon them to see that she received all of the monies and compensation that she was and would be entitled to; and the Defendants knew that they had her complete reliance and trust. . . .

25. . . . By the terms of such agreement . . . Defendant International was to nego-tiate the terms of any and all contracts on behalf of Miss Ballard; and to exert itself to the best of its endeavors and efforts and to the utmost of its skill, power, and ability to represent her in all branches of the entertainment field.

26. . . . [By] the terms of such agreement . . . Defendant International was to use its best efforts to advise Miss Ballard in connection with all phases of her career and to counsel her in connection with all selection of engagements, and choice of material, public relations, financial affairs and in the negotiations of all agreements affecting Miss Ballard’s career.

27. That from the beginning of her association with Defendants . . . Miss Ballard devoted herself to the performing acts and received widespread popularity and international acclaim.

28. That during the time that Miss Ballard was a member of the Supremes, she performed numerous engagements at the most exclusive nightclubs, supper clubs, television programs and public facilities through the United States and in foreign countries earning substantial amounts of monies.

29. That during the times that Miss Ballard was performing as a member of the Supremes, Defendant Berry Gordy, Jr. was functioning in the role of personal manager, representative and advisor for the group; Defendant Berry Gordy, Jr.

was to take care of all financial affairs for Miss Ballard.

30. That during all times that Miss Ballard was performing and associated with the Supremes up to and including February, 1968, Defendant Berry Gordy, Jr., in his own individual capacity and as personal manager, representative and advisor to the Supremes and as President of the corporate defendants International and Motown, represented to Miss Ballard that he was her trusted friend and that he would manage, promote, develop and protect her professional career; and that he would make sure that she received her rightful and due compensation earned by herself from the various personal and television appearances; 188

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allard’s
L
egal
C
ase
that he would take it upon himself to make sure that she received all of the royalties and monies earned by herself from merchandising rights and the sale of phonograph records; that he represented to her that all the monies earned by her were being set aside for her benefit in a separate account and trust; and that he would make wise and prudent investments on her behalf; further Defendant Berry Gordy, Jr. represented to Miss Ballard that he would diligently take all steps necessary to protect, enhance and preserve the numerous rights of Miss Ballard.

31. Miss Ballard relied upon the representations made by Defendant Berry Gordy, Jr. in his individual capacity and in his capacity as President of corporate Defendants International and Motown and placed complete and full trust in him as a friend and in his abilities as a personal manager. . . .

32. That at no time from 1960 up to February, 1968 had Miss Ballard been informed by any of the Defendants or their agents of the exact amount of compensation and monies she was entitled to receive. . . .

34. . . . In the year 1966, the Supremes as a group earned in excess of One Million Dollars for personal appearances at public entertainment facilities; the monies earned from these personal appearances were handled, collected and held in trust by Defendant International and Defendant Berry Gordy, Jr., in his individual capacity, in his capacity as President of Defendant International and in his capacity as personal manager, advisor and representative of the Supremes and as personal and individual manager, advisor and representative of Miss Ballard.

35. . . . In the year 1967, the Supremes . . . obtained booking in engagements for 1967 with guaranteed sums in excess of $1,666,633.94 to be earned from personal appearances. . . .

36. . . . Sometime during the year of 1967, the Supremes obtained advanced booking engagements for personal appearances at public entertainment facilities for the year 1968 in excess of 3/4 Million Dollars. . . .

37. During the years 1966, 1967, and 1968 Defendants International entered into contractual agreements with the public on behalf of the Supremes and Miss Ballard . . .; however, Miss Ballard never received copies of said contractual arrangements but Defendant International obtained copies of them.

38. At the time that Miss Ballard entered into the music business, she was without knowledge in all areas of the music and entertainment business and particularly the record industry, as is evidenced by the facts that: a) Miss Ballard had not finished high school and had not acquired any formal or actual training in business dealings;

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