#Movie4Flo: Ballad For Florence Ballard, By Her Grandson [EXCLUSIVE]
This piece is presented without bias on behalf of Don Diva Magazine. We just figured we’d let Dejuan Apple Chapman, grandson of Florence Ballard, air his grievances against the legendary Diana Ross and Motown Records founder, Berry Gordy. He is readying a movie bout his grandmother and wanted the people to know Ms. Ballard’s side of the story:
My grandmother, Florence Ballard, founded The Supremes. She’s the reason Diana Ross is who she is. Not saying she didn’t have talent. She didn’t have the heart. I feel like Berry [Gordy] wanted my grandmother to be some kind of puppet he could control. How you gone change the lead singer?! You wasn’t in the group, they was singing before the deal and Diana was wrong for agreeing to do it. In my grandmother’s YouTube interviews, she said she wanted to share the lead spot, not have it for herself… Says a lot about folks’ character, don’t it?
Tracee Ellis Ross (the actress and Diana’s daughter), even Diana’s son, Hell, Diana herself haven’t really reached out to my family to provide no kinda opportunity; you know like my grandmother did their mother. You see, there it go, again: Says a lot about folks’ character, don’t it? SMFH. My grandmother took a few drinks, had twins and was kicked out the group, but if they were “Berry’s twins,” she would have been lead singer, huh?
And to top it off, they all know my mom and aunt are still in the hood. They go make Dreamgirls and make Jennifer Hudson play her, with a different name. Soooo disrespectful, so fuck them! They took too much from my family. It ends now. Now, the tables turn. The people will know and see the truth…. The truth about Florence Ballard’s life and how she helped change music forever.
Contact Boss Twinz Films @ detroitapple08@gmail.com.
Read about how Billie Holiday was the first target of the “War On Drugs” here.
I don’t think the young man know exactly what happened with his grandmother and the Supremes and Berry Gordy first of all he shows lack of respect with his profanity and really who’s really listening to him I loved Florence also but a lot of the blame fall in her lap too alcoholism is a serious illness but unfortunately in that era it was looked upon as scornful especially with women,Motown paid Florence her settlement so she could get on with her life,what else is there for them to do Florence did not make Miss Ross ,Ross was destined for greatness due to her determination, hard work ethics and talent, as for putting up with Berry Gordys s##t well he was the boss who managed a major black owned company at the time that hoisted many black successful artists under his tutelage Perhaps it would have been wise to do what he suggested after all he made the Supremes Motowns premier act, Mary and Diana survived ijs