The Supremes receive Randolph well. In April 1967, Gordy then contacted Cindy Birdsong, a member of Patti LaBelle & the Blue Belles who superficially resembled Ballard, with plans to bring her in as Ballard's replacement. He made his plans clear to Ballard and her group mates at a mid-April meeting, and Birdsong was brought in to begin rehearsals. Gordy did not fire Ballard outright at that time, asking Ballard instead to quit on her own. Birdsong first appeared with the Supremes in Ballard's place at a benefit concert at the Hollywood Bowl on April 29, 1967. Following the performance, Gordy quickly learned
Mia Birdsong Mia Birdsong Mia Birdsong is a family activist who advocates for the strengthening of communities and the self-determination of low-income people. She has been published in Slate, the Stanford Innovation Review, Salon, the Huffington Post, On Being, the Good Men Project and also recognized as one of the Colorlines‘ “15 Remarkable Women of Color Who Rocked 2015. Her 2015 TED talk, “The Story We Tell About Poverty Isn’t True,” has been viewed over 1.5 million times. Birdsong is co-director of Family Story, alongside Nicole Rodgers. Birdsong was vice president of Family Independence Initiative (FII). Mia Birdsong was raised in a