Vocal Range: Florence Ballard: The REAL Effie White [C3-D6 | 3.1 Octaves]

[iraklitushishvili]

It isn't healthy notes!!!

[davidj1210]

Cindy Birdsong, though talented, did not do the group the same harmonic justice that Flo did because she was not naturally a contralto. Flo had superlative range, but her tessitura is definitely in the low dramatic contralto range. Cindy was naturally a mezzo-soprano. There harmonies would never be the same without Flo's husky, honking, horn-of-a-voice. The harmonies went to shit. Cindy would've been better off in the Bluebells with Patti.

[davidj1210]

Naturally, her range is incredible. However, I think she was definitely a low contralto, not soprano. She had the range to sing soprano, but her comfort range sits low in the voice, like Phyllis Hyman. Her glory tones were when she dug deep into the depths of true female-tenor lows. That's why the Supremes didn't have the same pitch-perfect, tight harmony after she was fired. They needed Flo to carry those low notes. Cindy Birdsong was more of a mezzo-soprano.

[pissedoff7771]

get you some help.its nothing to be ashamed of.you are sick.i was fortunate.i didnt lose my family or friends many of us do.i was a funny drunk but after the alcohol wore off it was no longer fun.i heard florence had straighten her life out.good for her! this disease i would sit for hours AND for hours trying to figure it out and i could not.since i could not i decided to beat it.iam proud that my grand kids never saw me drunk.i have met alcoholics as young as 10. get help!

[pissedoff7771]

once you really say to your self iam beat,this shit has beat me up and taken every thing.its time to let it go or die.which one you ask your self.jail,institution or death? you cannot sober up for any one but you.it was harder then child birth.i though that was rough.child birth is a breeze to alcoholism.this shit does have a spirit in that bottle and that spirit wants your life.i would say iam only going to drink one beer today.FOOL! a 40 isnot one beer.then it would be on.if you are hurting

[pissedoff7771]

i though they were going to throw me out of i laughed so hard.some days i would sit there counting the minutes to get me another beer.i didnot want to hear hear that shit! soon as i got out to 7 11 i would go and get me some beer.come back the next day and get another one day coin.i had so many one day coins i could open my own store.alcholism is baffling just as the material says.it takes everything,it takes over everything.it will make you suffer emotionally and physically.the thing is cont..

[pissedoff7771]

there are very funny moments on that ward.one morning i was coming down the hall.they had this woman strapped down.the nurse was sitting there so i stopped to say hi.the patient strapped down call me over she says baby go to the kitchen,get a knife and cut me lose.i laughed to myself.iam here on the crazy ward too,you think they are going to let me get a knife? in there eyes iam just as crazy as you.the only shameful thing about addiction is not getting help.the first meeting i went to i cont

[pissedoff7771]

there are ups and downs in every ones life. this is apart of being human.being alcoholic myself i can relate to some of florences problems.some times we must hit bottom before getting back up.the real sad part is not getting back up.ive been on the psychiatric ward many times.drying out suffering with depression.its a cycle.youre depress so you drink.you drink and get more depress wondering whats wrong with me? why cant i stop?this is crazy.you are ill and without help alcohol will kill you cont

[pissedoff7771]

thats what iam talking about the end of manhattan.it knocked my niece out not knowing florence could sign like that wonderful,just wonderful..

[MarvelettesDude2]

Florence's speaking voice always surprised me. Listening to her singing voice I didn't ever expect for her to have such a low voice. Then again, her voice sort of fits her.

I always like her voice on "Pretty Baby," and on "My Imagination". Of course, I liked her voice on almost everything she did.

Thanks for posting.

[supremes1964]

in 1975 Florence knew TOO much about Diana, Berry, and the Motown machine! Flo was ready for a comeback and Berry with Motown was not going to allow it. Reason, I believe Flo didn't DIE of natural causes! =(

[wonderboyjoy]

@supremes1964 oh for god's sake. florence had a great back up voice just like members of the andantes and the marvelettes and the vandellas. florence was a great backup and helped to get the supremes thoses hits. that's the sum toatal no matter what way people want to try to reinvent the woman. enjoy the music but there was something lacking.that's the reality. everything wonderful was a great cut. always enjoyed that song.

[MuscleMikal]

Very informative.  Thanks!!!

[mAnNyElLaTiNo33]

Great video! :) Love her!

[wonderboyjoy]

this is not the voice of a superstar. no crossover appeal as lead. even when she failed in 1968 with abc they blamed everyone else except for florence herself. still that ugly bugger from scotland made it recently so maybe florence may have eventually have had a hit or two...her version of walk on by was just awful. florence was a great member of a great group. voice okay, personality up and down like a yoyo..that was the real effing effie.

[Slaychelle]

@wonderboyjoy What has that got to fo with her VOCAL RANGE?

No one is calling her a star. Your comment was irrelevent and unnecessary. What's done is done, let her fans enjoy her music and voice.

[wonderboyjoy]

@Slaychelle see the counslor, gerlsus and others who make judgements before you judge me and say my comment was irrelevant. we are constantly reminded of how mary and florence were better than diana...history has proved otherwise. the fans, of course, have the right to enjoy their star but judge diana without really knowing florence or mary or diana for that matter. peace to you and i do aplogise for my little outburst yesterday.

[babyboi1002]

@wonderboyjoy

1)what does cross-over appeal has to do with singing lead????

2)How can you talk about her voice, when truthfully we have never heard what she can do.....when she was singing lead(pre-Diana) her voice was under-developed and when she made her solo records, she had lost her voice(singing "oohs" and "awhs" for years will kill any voice).

3)Lets not forget, Flo was the FIRST Supreme member to get outside deals, so all that "she wasn't a star" is bull

[wonderboyjoy]

@babyboi1002

1. cross over allowed them to have 12 number ones.

2.these reasons you give all sound like excuses re her behaviour and inability to make it.

3.she got a deal and the producers soon found out who was the real singer in that group.

4. get real

[babyboi1002]

@wonderboyjoy

1)What does having 12number ones have to do with SINGING!!! Madonna has a lot of number ones....but I wouldn't say she got them because of her singing chops

2)The reasons I gave are facts and can happen to anyone....a voice has to be used in order to say in good shape....Flo wasn't allowed to use hers, thus,her voice was never developed

3)I wasn't talking about her deal.Im talking about the tv shows and broadway plays..Flo is what they wanted, Gordy gave them Diana

[wonderboyjoy]

@babyboi1002 you enjoy florence and she is great to you. i am glad you are a fan of florence's. enjoy the music but it is not right to make something out of something that was not there. who knows what coulod have been and what jealousies came from florence and diana and mary, who still seems to have jealousies to this day. i hope you get many more hours of pleasure from florence. i do not hate her. she was good at what she did.

[babyboi1002]

@babyboi1002 I suggest you do your research....the offers came in for "out-side" work for Flo NOT Diana early on.....Gordy turned them all down because he was pushing for Diana to be "the" star.

Producers even requested for Flo and even Mary to do leads...Gordy wasn't having it...

Stars are made...not BORN....and neither Gordy nor Motown was interested in making Flo a star....Diana was the one they chose.....it had nothing do with who was "better"

[TheReturnOfBigBear]

Guess what gerlsus, as Good as Florence sounds to you, Motown was out to make Money, In 1964, The Market for Flo's Type of Singing Style was Limited, Diana Ross was The Cross Over Queen, Her Appeal was enourmous, Mary Wilson (as has been stated numerous times) was Merely a buffer between 2 Real Vocalists

[TheCounslor]

@TheReturnOfBigBear Diana was a bitch.

[gerlsus]

Now I see what everyone was talking about in Mary Wison's book about the Suipremes about Flo had the voice. I can hear it abundantly clear and why the REAL reason Forence and Mary Wilson were held back.

[jaazdadiva]

Between 5:40 & 6:40

[JonathanGardnerTV]

@jaazdadiva I have pretty much most of the Supremes discography covering all lineups (I am MeetTheSupremes by the way LOL).

[jaazdadiva]

There are recordings in this I never knew existed. What are the names of these rare songs?

[adryan108]

@jaazdadiva i was thinking the same thing

[CIAJISABEAST]

Flo had a very sexy voice.

[terrybigteekemp]

Thank you so much for this video. I don't know much about the technical aspects of music, but I love to listen to music, and I really love Flo's voice. I knew she had great range, but this video puts it in perspective. I do believe she was very close if not on the brink of the whistle register. Florence was a phenomenal singer and she left her mark on the music industry. Also I find her speaking voice very sexy and sensual ;)

[MeetTheSupremes]

@suportable LOL, she did have quite an old speaking voice which completely juxtaposes with her soaring soprano

[chewerboy]

UNDERRATED TTM! :(

[MeetTheSupremes]

@chewerboy I agree!

[lilmissy691]

Happy Birthday Flo!!:) miss youu. Gone but never forgotten. R.I.P



[supremesfan2]

Happy Birthday Flo!



[FlorenceBallardTV]

I love the video hun you did a great Job!

[MeetTheSupremes]

@FlorenceBallardTV Thanks :)

[FlorenceBallardTV]

@MeetTheSupremes You're welcomed:)

[gta1221]

Happy Birthday, Flo! Gone but never forgotten. Flo and Lena Horne both born June 30th. Phyllis Hyman died June 30th. Hope y'all all get up tonight and do a couple of numbers in heaven!

[AaliyahDawnTEAM]

AMAZING!!!!

[BAREBACKER]

i love flo's voice, however she was a soul singer and her voice was not the best for the light poppy supremes material which suited dianas voice much better. it has to be said that the combination of all 3 original supremes voices is unbeatable

[MeetTheSupremes]

@BAREBACKER I agree!

[buddymatic]

Where's the range?

[MeetTheSupremes]

@buddymatic What do you mean, where is the range...most people barely have a vocal range of over 2 octaves...3 is a very broad range for any voice type...4 octave range and you're in Mariah territory...

[IloveArethaFranklin]

Flo is actually a mezzo.

This video is amazing though !

Did you know that Flo was actually offered a solo contract with Motown after she was fired but wouldn't accept it for some reason ?

[HeartToYours]

@IloveArethaFranklin I don't think Flo is a mezzo, the clarity and control of her upper chest range and head voice leads me to believe she was far more comfortable as a Soprano.

I don't know about the whole Motown contract thing...where did you read it? I've heard about that before...then again, Motown did not like to let artists go - almost like a MAFIA thing - so that is possible...but Flo didn't want anything to do with Gordy after 1967...

[HeartToYours]

...she was on bad terms with Gordy and she grabbed her freedom the moment it popped up, agreeing - under poor advice from a lawyer who only went and stole her money anyway - to recieve a settlement if she agreed to never mention her "Supreme" past to promote herself as a solo artist and also to never recieve royalties on any of The Supremes discography - which at the time included 10 #1 hits!

[IloveArethaFranklin]

@HeartToYours

In Diana Ross' 2007 biography, a very very very very very very very good read.

[terrybigteekemp]

@IloveArethaFranklin In the book "The Lost Supreme" Flo told Peter Benjaminson that Gwen Gordy said Berry couldn't fire her because she was under contract. The Supremes extended their contracts with Motown in 1965, so I'm sure she had 6 years left under Motown. Her dislike for Gordy got the best of her. She didn't want to deal with BG anymore. I wonder how it would have been if she remained with Motown, or signed with Stax, or Atlantic, and had a manager other than Tommy.

[RedRoosterRoad]

This was simply fantastic. Her head voice is unbelievable. An easy rival for Julie Andrews! Would love to see one done for Mary and Diana. (Cindy and jean would be interesting to!) :D

[MeetTheSupremes]

@RedRoosterRoad Yes they will be coming eventually... :D I agree, her head voice is sublime, a very pretty soprano.

[RedRoosterRoad]

@MeetTheSupremes

Oh good! i look forward to it.

It's really her head voice that grabbed my attention.It's really something. However, and you know i'm a huge fan of Florence. @TruthSerum101 has a valid point. She could have done with some work on her lower range i think. Could be quite rough.

[Individuell83]

Happy birthday flo :)

I really enjoyed this "show off" video jon

thanks for posting :D

[TruthSerum101]

Wait a minute you're counting talking too? LMAO!!!!

Well, at least you get the pitches correct unlike a few others on here. SMH!

...can't say I've ever been a fan of this woman's tone and pitch though. She reminds me of Mary Blige - raw and careless. When I first read Mary's book, I was like, "She can't be talking about the same person." Dreamgirls took that myth and ran with it.

[Individuell83]

@TruthSerum101 well if she can talk that note she can sind it too...

[MeetTheSupremes]

@TruthSerum101 I only counted it because she had sung a note that was very close...LOL. I don't like to make a habit of doing it. I agree about the carelessness, the moments where she is more precise - "People" - you can really hear the potential. She just lacked polish. Too many years in the back and by time it came for her solo recordings she hadn't really improved....shame....

[TruthSerum101]

@MeetTheSupremes You are so sophisticated for your age. It always amazes me.

[MeetTheSupremes]

@TruthSerum101 Lol thanks :D As much as I love Flo, I will not be deluded into thinking she was the greatest vocalist of all The Supremes...did she have a certain Soul and presence in her voice that many do, I believe so, but I personally feel that Scherrie Payne is the best vocalist of all The Supremes.

[TruthSerum101]

@MeetTheSupremes Of the post-1970 Supremes, I LOVE Scherrie (her sister Freda is great too) and Susaye Greene. Also, I was really impressed with Linda Lawrence on the Return To Love tour.

[eugenemusictv]

@TruthSerum101 I thought I was the only one she had a great voice but she wasn't lead singer material but Flo could of went far other than singing she could of did movies etc and built a good foundation after Motown in 67 to bad she had the wrong ppl around her abusing her and using her til she became a nobody to the world than the victim of the supremes than dead

[TruthSerum101]

@eugenemusictv Actually, Florence had more success than 99% of other singers. Being a Supreme was a HUGE DEAL. People get fired everyday. Ballard had issues beyond Motown. Her voice was shot years before her death.

As far as her doing movies is concerned, I have no idea if she was even an actress . Besides, the only black movie star in those days was Sidney Potier. Show Biz has never been "fair". There are far fewer jobs than there are applicants.

[MeetTheSupremes]

@TruthSerum101 It was a huge deal, problem is, the platform it provided wasn't utilised properly...I don't entirely agree with her voice being "shot" years before her death. Did she sing with the same charisma and energy as she did starting out at Motown, most certainly not, but there was a decent voice still left there. The best cuts from the ABC sessions were worthy singles...very poor management by her husband and with kids on the way her solo career was destined to fail

[terrybigteekemp]

@MeetTheSupremes Don't forget that she was also a hit at the "Joan Little Defense League" benefit concert in 1975. She received a standing ovation and performed an encore. She didn't even know the song until she and The Deadly Nightshade practiced just before the concert. She still had it.

[eugenemusictv]

@TruthSerum101 umm...Flo could of been a great actress is what I was saying I read somewhere that movie deal were offer to her while she was w/ the supremes and I know she was popular all of the original supremes were it wasn't just about diana but im not even gonna go there but her success after the supremes was nothing until ppl found out she was on welfare broke and than her short lived comeback than her death than dreamgirls than the movie of it now there making a bio pick of her

[TruthSerum101]

@eugenemusictv I was alive so I will go there. The other girls (Mary and Flo) were popular in the way that Kelly and MIchelle are.

[MeetTheSupremes]

@TruthSerum101 That's interesting...so really, there was the foundation there for a successful solo career even without mentioning her history...her husband must have really f*****d up with management to mess that up LOL

[eugenemusictv]

@TruthSerum101 LMAO OK no disrespect but I don;t take this serious they all were wonderful vocalist and etc...and if you go thru my comments I said nothing wrong and disrespectful on flo behalf but thanks for the chat good day

[RedRoosterRoad]

@TruthSerum101 So, what you're saying is that Florence was the equivalent of Kelly? Well known and a star in her own right just not quite as big as Diana?

[TruthSerum101]

@RedRoosterRoad No, not at all. Flo & Mary were only as popular as LaTavia, LoToya, Kelly, Farrah & MIchelle were during the Destiny's Child years - before Kelly and LaToya's solo success.

[RedRoosterRoad]

@TruthSerum101 Right, i think i'm with you. so, Florence was famous while she was with the supremes BUT when she left, so did the fame?

[TruthSerum101]

@RedRoosterRoad The one exception was a Jet cover story. This was a about a year or so before her death. Other than that, her name was rarely mentioned.

[RedRoosterRoad]

@TruthSerum101 Right ok. Well that does make sense.

[Individuell83]

@TruthSerum101 most people didn't know "Florence Ballard" till she mentioned that she was one of the supremes

but she wasn't allowed to use the name "supremes" in any way, so she couldn't advertise with it...

[terrybigteekemp]

@TruthSerum101 She had movie producers wanting to work with her. There was a time when producers spoke with Gordy about doing movies, but Gordy rejected them. Gordy had absolute control over the lady's career. Pointier wasn't the only black star then; Cicely Tyson, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Diahann Carroll, Eartha Kitt, Brock Peters, Harry Belafonte, Sammy Davis Jr., and many others were stars throughout the 1960's. There just weren't as many black actors then as there are now.

[TruthSerum101]

@terrybigteekemp I said that Potier was the only MOVIE STAR at the time. The others were working actors. There were not enough roles going around for any black woman to be qualified as a movie star. Diana Ross became a movie star later on in the seventies and Cicely Tyson enjoyed major success in one film called Sounder.

Let's be clear, Florence Ballard was a very successful background singer. She did very well as a member one of the most successful groups in history.

[terrybigteekemp]

@TruthSerum101 LOL...calm down, I never said that Flo would have been a star. In the book "Lost Supreme" Flo stated that Gordy was approached by a few producers (names were not given) wanting to work with her. Gordy in turn told the producers no because she was "deadpan". I do agree with you that Flo was a very successful background singer. There is no denying that.

[terrybigteekemp]

@TruthSerum101 Why wouldn't you consider Harry Belafonte or Sammy Davis Jr. a movie star? There was also Dorothy Dandridge though she mainly did her thing in the 50s.

[TruthSerum101]

@terrybigteekemp Some are getting "one famous role" confused with "movie stardom".

Harry and Sammy made the bulk of their money in nightclubs, TV and recordings. Sam Jackson, Will Smith and Denzel are movie stars.

Name the sixties films that gave top billing to either Harry or Sammy. One person even told me Eartha Kitt was a movie star in the sixties. On what planet? Back then, it was still a big deal to see a black person on TV. You made sure you watched cuz you couldn't tape it.

[terrybigteekemp]

@TruthSerum101 OK, I see where you are coming from. I am thinking that way because they were so famous. I see that Harry didn't even do any movies in the 60s, but those that he did in the 50s I enjoy especially "The World, the Flesh and the Devil". 

[TruthSerum101]

@terrybigteekemp Name the movie producers and/or studios who had all this work for Flo. This keeps getting repeated but I never hear the details. Who made these offers?

[TheKeeya22]

Yes i love florence ballard this is my girl im happy that ou did a new video i was waiting