A beloved music icon tragically died penniless at just 32 years old after she was pushed out of the legendary pop group she helped form. At the Brewster Projects, Florence Ballard grew up in Detroit's largely segregated neighbourhoods, met two young women and went on to form The Supremes with them: Mary Wilson and Diane (not yet Diana) Ross. Whilst still in high school, the musical trip formed the Primettes and began work as backup singers, providing vocals for Marvin Gaye and other Motown stars.

However, the group struggled to find a hit of their own, even after Motown's Berry Gordy signed them as The Supremes in 1961. At the beginning of their career, The Supremes were known at Motown for their string of flops. But the trio was determined to make it big, and their early failure just gave them the resilience to persist.

Their fate finally changed when Gordy put Ross as the lead singer. Paired with the legendary songwriter and producing team Holland-Dozier-Holland, The Supremes finally got their first big hit, Where Did Our Love Go?, which catapulted to No. 1 where it remained for 11 weeks.

They went on to release other successful hits, including Baby Love, Come See About Me, and You Keep Me Hangin' On. But the decision to make Ross the lead singer soon caused tension within the group. Balard sang on 10 No. 1 hit singles and helped develop the group's harmonies and stage performances throughout their reign.

From the beginning, Ballard and Ross fought to take the top spot as the group's lead singer. Otis Williams from The Temptations once revealed that Ballard's voice "had a real depth of feeling and strong churchy sound. When [she] opened her mouth to sing, you sat up in your chair." Meanwhile, he claimed Ross had a small, high-pitched voice.

However, Gordy believed Ross would have a greater appeal to white audiences than Ballard, which only spurred friction within the group to grow. Ballard struggled with the band's hectic schedule and the stress of being outshone. Eventually, she turned to drink as her relationship with Ross worsened.

Things took a turn for the worse for Ballard following a performance in Las Vegas, where Gordy replaced her with Cindy Birdsong, whom he'd been quietly gearing up for one of his groups. The group subsequently became known as Diana Ross and The Supremes as the hitmaker's career took off.

Following her quiet exit from the group, Ballard attempted to establish a solo career, singing with ABC Records. She went on to release two singles, but both failed to deliver, leaving her to miss out on the musical comeback she desperately needed. In 1968, the musician got married and went on to have three daughters.

Whilst she struggled to balance her music career and raise a family, her gigs started to dry up as her finances began to suffer. In 1975, she performed live for the first time in years at a benefit concert in the heart of Detroit, where the crowd went wild. However, this renewed interest did little to revive her music career.

For the rest of her life, Ballard was consumed by legal battles with Motown and various lawyers she hired to represent her. Ultimately, Ballard passed away at the age of 32 in Detroit back in 1976. Her official cause of death was coronary artery thrombosis. leaving her family with almost nothing financially.

Both Wilson and Ross attended her funeral, which attracted more than 5,000 fans according to AARP. However, when Ross arrived at the New Bethel Baptist Church, fans booed her. Once inside, seated with Ballard's family, Ross grabbed her former Supreme's youngest daughter, Lisa, and placed the child on her lap.

Photographers captured the quiet moment, and it was soon shared in newspapers around the world. It was the only image fans ever saw of Ballard's funeral.