Nestled along the banks of Cazenovia Creek; East Aurora is a cultural center of western New York State that has flourished because of the diverse talents of its people. Native Americans lived in East Aurora for thousands of years before the first settlers came to the area in 1804. One of the first pioneers; Martha Richardson Adams; carried her infant child on horseback all the way from Massachusetts. East Aurora grew rapidly after the War of 1812; evolving into an important business center south of Buffalo. By the 1880s; the village had become a horse-racing capital; where thousands came to Cicero Hamlin�s farm to get a glimpse of his legendary horse; Mambrino King. As the century came to a close; hundreds of creative types were drawn to the Roycroft Campus; where Elbert Hubbard had established an arts and crafts colony. Despite modern developments; East Aurora remains a small village at heart; where the owners of the barbershop; bookstore; pharmacy; coffee shop; theater; and old-fashioned 5 10 still greet you at the door.
#1558831 in eBooks 2014-11-01 2014-11-01File Name: B00PBL65S4
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Not "Nothin But Heartaches;" but too many of them.By Peter GrantWhen you look at the books cover photo; you know why Supremes fans loved Flo. A talented composer could turn her short; tumultuous life into a tragic opera; since it was a life of music and she made a fast trip from the bottom to the top and back down. It is truly sad that Florence Ballard never got even a sentence of good advice in her life. Mary Wilson was in the same back row with Flo and survived because she made better choices. Flos story is tragic in the classical sense of the word.My only reservation is that Peter Benjaminson doesnt give Diana Ross any credit for the Supremes phenomenal success. Whatever her personal failings might be; she was the one who sang lead and her "thin; nasal voice" has been popular with millions for over fifty years. All of the Supremes were talented; and well never know how they would have played if theyd shared lead vocals.Lets hope that Mary Wells and Florence Ballard are up in heaven singing with the many other late Motown singers and getting a better deal than they got on earth. The book is an enjoyable read and all Supremes fans will enjoy learning about beautiful; talented Florence Ballard.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Lesson learned the hard way.By SylviaExcellent and well written. Sad too. I understand Barry Gordy would have a piece of the pie from his successful talent that he employed under Motown; but he was a greedy; sonfabitch that took advantage of them too. He knew exactly what he was doing in their contracts and knowing that almost most of the individuals underneath him would do and sign any contract to take them out of poverty. Either through ignorance and the inability to hire their own lawyers to help them understand what they were getting themselves into. What happened to Flo and her family should never have happened but it did. Her story reflects what can happen to anyone that is taken advantage of. It would be great if there was some kind of organization in Hollywood and New York that could assist celebrities to prevent the same demise as Flo.11 of 12 people found the following review helpful. Interesting Book; But....By Alex HI enjoyed reading Perter Benjaminsons book THE LOST SUPREME: THE LIFE OF DREAMGIRL FLORENCE BALLARD. Its an intriguing book that gives the reader a glimpse at the behind the scenes of one the worlds most famous singing group and arguably the one that put Motown on the map.The book covers; briefly; the formation of the Supremes and the rise up the chart. It also covers the break up and downward spiral of ex-Supreme Flo Ballard. And although I found the book an interesting read; most of the information seems to be put together in piecemeal format. It jumps around a lot; and I understand that Benjaminson was using a tape recorded interview that he had conducted with Ballard back in 1975-76; when he worked for the "Detroit Free Press;" as well as public records to put this book together.I was expecting more details; especially of Ballards life after the Supremes; along the lines of Mary Wilsons book Dreamgirl Supreme Faith; Updated Edition: My Life as a Supreme but this book falls short. It does give some account of the sad life and struggle that Ballard had after Motown and The Supremes; so at least it sheds some light.There were a couple of errors in the book that makes me say read everything with a grain of salt. One problem; that Supreme fans would catch; is the author implying that when the Supremes became "Diana Ross and the Supremes" they no longer cared about their appearance and performed "Love Child" on the Ed Sullivan show in their street clothes. Well; thats not true. The group was changing their image to a more urban look to fit in with the turbulent 60s and the changing times; hence the song.Another small problem; the author makes the comparison between the Supremes and "Dreamgirls." He lists the show stopping number sung by the character "Effie;" which is patterned after Ballard; as "I Tell You Im Not Going." Anyone who knows anything about musical theater or has listened to this song; either from the Broadway musical or recent movie; knows the title is "And I Am Telling You Im Not Going." Yes; this is nitpicking but you dont paraphrase a proper title. My guess is: Benjaminson ran to the theater and saw the movie once and mistakenly thought the title was as he wrote it.Other than that; I found it a fun read. There are pictures in the book but nothing that I havent seen before.
