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
Roberta A. Ballard Roberta A. Ballard Roberta A. Ballard is recognized for her contributions to neonatal medicine. In 1965, she graduated from the University of Chicago's medical school and has dedicated much of her life to research on newborn prenatal health. Specifically, Dr. Ballard studies ways to treat and prevent chronic lung disease in premature infants. Some of her research includes the collection of data regarding how inhaled Nitric Oxide can help premature infants who are suffering from lung disease and are undergoing medical ventilation. From her studies she was able to find that Nitric Oxide reduced the risk of death and shortened