Florence Ballard

Florence Glenda Ballard was born June 30, 1943, in Rosetta, MS, but before the age of ten, her family moved to Detroit to take advantage of Detroit's booming job market. Florence built a reputation as a singer by taking music classes and singing in her school choir. By 14, she befriended the group The Primes (later to become The Temptations) and performed gigs with the trio at various Detroit venues. The Primes' manager, Milton Jenkins, encouraged Ballard to form a sister group to The Primes, so she recruited Mary Wilson, Betty Mcglown (soon to be replaced with Barbara Martin), and Diane Earle (better known as Diana Ross).



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