Effie white biography supremes

DETROIT - Like Effie, the "Dreamgirls" character which drew from her life, Florence Ballard had a triumphant return to the stage after her fall from grace from The Supremes.

Singing at Ford Auditorium in Detroit on June 25, 1975, Ballard shook off years of drinking and other troubles and put on a dynamic performance that drew wide acclaim and revived interest in her career.

"She was a wonderful singer," said Martha Reeves, Ballard's former Motown labelmate.

But unlike Effie, Florence Ballard's road to a comeback didn't go much further than that night.

In 1976, Ballard, one of the original Supremes, died of a heart attack at age 32, almost 10 years after she was kicked out of the legendary girl group.

While Diana Ross remains an international icon and Mary Wilson continues to perform nationwide, Ballard is known, if at all, as a tragic figure.

But with the release of the movie "Dreamgirls," and Jennifer Hudson's Oscar-nominated performance in t