Florence Ballard Diana Ross, then going by "Diane". Betty McGlown completed the original lineup and Jenkins named them as "The Primettes". The group performed at talent showcases and at school parties before auditioning for Motown Records in 1960. Berry Gordy, head of Motown, advised the group to graduate from high school before auditioning again. Ballard eventually dropped out of high school though her groupmates graduated. In 1960, Ballard was raped at knifepoint by local high-school basketball player Reggie Harding after leaving a sock hop at Detroit's Graystone Ballroom (she had attended with her brother, but they accidentally lost track of each other).
Kathryn Ballard Shut also a member of ASCAP as a composer, author, and music publisher (popular music) (TIMKAT Entertainment), IPIs 6910514154 and 672818809. Recreationally, Ballard Shut is an avid traditional recurve bow archer as a member of both the Colorado State Archery Association (CFAA) and the National Field Archery Association (NFAA), as well as a former member of the Kansas City Swing Dance Club. She is a language enthusiast, a fluent speaker of English and Spanish, and has basic knowledge of Russian, French, Italian, German, and Hebrew. "CoffeeTalk Jazz Magazine" (2015–present) "Contributing Author, Associate Copy Editor " Kathryn Ballard Shut Kathryn Ballard Shut