Florence Ballard (January 30, 1943 – February 22, 1976) passed away on February 22, 1976. She was an American singer and a founding member of the Motown vocal female group The Supremes. Ballard earned three number-one singles and a total of twelve Top Forty singles with The Supremes. She also released her solo album named as "Florence Ballard" in 1975. The singer was raised in Detroit and started singing with the local gospel group, the Primettes. Ballard met the other Supremes' members, Diana Ross and Mary Wilson each at the same age of twelve. Together, the three of them formed the Supremes and attained an unparalleled level of success. Ballard was active in the music industry from 1959-1976. Her career was wide reaching and included recordings with The Supremes, live performances on television shows such as “The Ed Sullivan Show”, solo compositions and recordings, and a spot as showgirl in Las Vegas. This is an encyclopedic obituary of Florence Ballard who is recognized for being a pioneering female singer and founding member of The Supremes. Ballard is remembered as an icon and her influence continues to resonate throughout the music industry.