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).
Nathan Ballard Nathan Ballard Nathan Ballard is an American strategist and attorney. He was the communications director for the governor-elect of California, Gavin Newsom, when Newsom was the 42nd mayor of San Francisco. He is a longtime friend and advisor to Newsom. He is a member of the board of directors of The Representation Project, Jennifer Siebel Newsom's nonprofit organization. Ballard worked with the 43rd mayor of San Francisco, Ed Lee. He was an advisor to Mark Farrell, the 44th mayor of San Francisco. Ballard has worked as a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, the California Labor Federation, AFL–CIO, Secretary of