Florence Ballard between 1964 and 1967. After many rehearsals with Cholly Atkins and Maurice King, the Supremes' live shows improved dramatically as well. During this time, Ballard sang lead on several songs on Supremes' albums, including a cover of Sam Cooke's "(Ain't That) Good News". During live shows, Ballard often performed the Barbra Streisand standard, "People". According to Mary Wilson, Ballard's vocals were so loud she was made to stand 17 feet away from her microphone during recording sessions. Marvin Gaye, for whom Ballard sang backing vocals on occasion, described her as "a hell of a singer, probably the strongest of the
Melinda Ballard damage. The award was later changed to $4 million. As a result of her case and the attention she received, Ballard founded Policyholders of America, a consumer advocate group and homeowner’s insurance information clearinghouse. In 2013, Ballard died at the age of 55. Melinda Ballard Melinda Ballard (1958 – 2013) was an activist for insurance policyholders in America. In 1999, she sued her insurer over mold damage in her 22-room Austin, Texas mansion. Their case started as a single claim for water damage and turned into a case about mold contamination in the entire house. They were one of the