Florence Ballard her suit. Angered, Gordy ordered her to return to Detroit, and Birdsong officially replaced her, abruptly ending her tenure with the Supremes. It had been decided as early as May that Birdsong would be Ballard's official replacement once Birdsong's contract with the Bluebelles was bought out. In August 1967, the "Detroit Free Press" reported that Ballard had taken a temporary leave of absence from the group due to "exhaustion". Ballard eventually married her boyfriend, Thomas Chapman, on February 29, 1968. A week earlier, on February 22, Ballard and Motown negotiated to have Ballard released from the label. Her attorney in
Howard Ballard Howard Ballard Howard Louis Ballard (born November 3, 1963) is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. Nicknamed "House" for his sturdy build, he played in four Super Bowls and was selected to two Pro Bowls while a member of the Bills. He played college football at Alabama A&M University. After breaking his leg in a game, which ended his career, Ballard worked as a sheriff's deputy in Clay County, Alabama. He eventually went back to school to finish his degree, and started coaching high school football in Pike