I received my copy of "SUPREME EXIT," the new book about Florence Ballard, last week. While I was disappointed at the brevity of the book and an overall lack of new information, I did find the book intriguing. [[All things Supreme intrigue me!)

Among the thing I found most interesting in the book are the comments about how kind and good Berry Gordy and Diana Ross were to Flo's kids. Nicole, Flo's daughter, states that Flo's girls always called Diana "Auntie Boss," and that Diana never missed sending them gifts for their birthdays and at Christmas. It is stated that the Ballard family loved Diana and welcomed her to Flo's funeral, though other reports thru the years have made it appear Diana just showed up uninvited. This account refutes that and makes me think the media has spun the stories over the years just to get a rise and keep the feud going. It's actually kind of sick, but fans have sucked it up and kept the nastiness alive for decades... Maybe it is all a matter of perception, as opposed to fact?

I know Ms. Wilson stated in her writing that Diana kind of made a scene at Flo's funeral, but that too is very briefly refuted in the new book. It is kind of understood by Nicole, Flo's daughter, that because of Diana's huge celebrity status, she drew a lot of attention by attending. She does not fault Diana for being Diana.

According to the "SUPREME EXIT" book, Berry Gordy was also very good to the Ballard girls, extremely generous and kind to them, and they loved him and referred to him as "Poppa." Again, the media through the years has painted a picture of Gordy as Satan, totally uncaring and uninvolved with Flo and her family after her exit from the Supremes. This book does not support that at all.

I know this new book is not the gospel, not at all, but as a fan of ALL of the Supremes, it actually makes me feel better to read - for the first time - that Diana and Berry were generous and kind to the Ballard girls, and the Ballard girls cared deeply for them. It makes me think that a lot of the crapp we have read through the years has been exaggerated and fabricated for the sake of stirring the pot and feeding gossipy media interest.

I have always HATED the Diana vs. Mary vs. Flo garbage anyway. It's kind of ridiculous. The women who made up The Supremes were all special to me. They were human. They had their own personalities. The agreed and they disagreed. They hurt each other. Then they loved each other. Shades of gray all over the place....

The "SUPREME EXIT" book is worth reading, Supremes fans.... a far from perfect book, but worth reading.