The Supremes are greeted by Berry Gordy and other celebrities on their opening night at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Just days later, Florence Ballard was fired from the group. At the time, Florence said the grueling schedule was too much for her to handle and she needed time off. Motown officials however, later said it was because of her “excessive weight gain” and poor work ethic that led them to the decision to replace her with Cindy Birdsong of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, who had been used as a substitute for Florence on occasions when she was unable to perform. Florence later admitted that she felt like Berry and Diana Ross had been kicking her out for months. In fact, Cindy had been attending shows and rehearsing with Mary Wilson prepping for the eventual replacement under the guise of being a Supreme understudy. (c. June, 28 1967)