Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown", she was the lead singer of the vocal groupthe Supremes, who becameMotown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world'sbest-selling girl groups of all time. They remain the best-charting female group in history,[2] with a total of 12 number-one pop singles on theU.S.Billboard Hot 100.
Ross has also achieved mainstream success and recognition as an actress. Her first role was herGolden Globe Award-winning andAcademy Award-nominated portrayal ofBillie Holiday in the filmLady Sings the Blues (1972), which made her the first African-American actress to receive an Academy Award nomination for a debut film performance. The film'ssoundtrack became her only solo album to reach number-one on theU.S.Billboard 200 chart. She also starred in two other feature films,Mahogany (1975) andThe Wiz (1978), and later appeared in the television filmsOut of Darkness (1994), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, andDouble Platinum (1999).
Ross was named the "Female Entertainer of the Century" byBillboard in 1976. Since her solo career began in 1970, Ross has sold over 100 million records worldwide.[3] Between 1964 and 1981, Ross sang on eighteen number one US singles. In 2021,Billboard ranked her the 30th greatest charting artist of all time on theBillboard Hot 100.[4][5] Her hits as a Supreme and a solo artist combined put Ross among the top-five artists on theBillboard Hot 100 singles chart from 1955 to 2018.[6] She has scored a top 75 U.K. hit single for a record 33 consecutive years (1964–1996). In 1988, Ross was inducted to theRock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Supremes, and is one of the rare performers to have two stars on theHollywood Walk of Fame. She is the recipient of aSpecial Tony Award in 1977, theKennedy Center Honors in 2007, theGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and 2023 (becoming the first woman to win the award twice, the latter as a member of the Supremes), and thePresidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross was born on March 26, 1944,[7][8] inDetroit, Michigan. She was the second of six children born to Ernestine (née Moten; January 27, 1916 – October 9, 1984) and Fred Ross Sr. (July 4, 1920 – November 21, 2007). Her mother named her Diane, but the birth certificate was mistakenly filled out with the name Diana. Her family and Detroit friends called her Diane all her life.[9] Ross grew up with two sisters (Barbara[10] and Rita) and three brothers:Arthur; Fred Jr.; and Wilbert, also known as Chico. Ross was raisedBaptist.[11]
Ross and her family originally resided at 635 Belmont St., in theNorth End section of Detroit, nearHighland Park, Michigan, where her neighbor wasSmokey Robinson. When Ross was seven, her mother contractedtuberculosis, causing her to become seriously ill. Ross's parents sent their children to live with Ernestine's parents, the Reverend (pastor of Bessemer Baptist Church) and Mrs. William Moten inBessemer, Alabama. After her mother recovered, she and her siblings returned to Detroit.
On her 14th birthday, in 1958, her family relocated to the working-classBrewster-Douglass Housing Projects, settling at St. Antoine Street. Ross attendedCass Technical High School,[12] a four-year college and preparatorymagnet school, indowntown Detroit, and, aspiring to become a fashion designer, she took classes in clothing design, millinery, pattern making, and tailoring. In the evenings and on weekends she also took modeling and cosmetology classes and participated in several of the school's extracurricular activities, including its swim team.[a] In 1960,Hudson's downtown Detroit store hired Ross as its first African-Americanbus girl.[13] For extra income, she also provided hairdressing services to her neighbors. Ross graduated from Cass Tech in January 1962.
Ross (far right) performing withthe Supremes, as lead singer in 1966
At fifteen, Ross joined the Primettes, the sister group to a male vocal group called the Primes,[14] after she had been brought to the attention of music manager Milton Jenkins by Primes memberPaul Williams. Among the other members of the Primettes wereFlorence Ballard,[b]Mary Wilson, andBetty McGlown, Williams' girlfriend. After the Primettes won a talent competition in 1960 inWindsor, Ontario, A&R executive and songwriter,Robert Bateman invited them to audition forTamla Records.[c]
Prior to the Bateman offer, Ross had approached her former neighbor Smokey Robinson about setting up the audition. In turn, Robinson agreed as long as they allow him and his group, the Miracles, to hire the Primettes' guitarist,Marv Tarplin, with whom Ross discovered, for an upcoming tour. Tarplin ended up playing in Robinson's band(s) for the next 30-plus years. In her autobiography,Secrets of a Sparrow, Ross wrote that she felt that this had been "a fair trade".
According toBerry Gordy in his autobiography,To Be Loved, he recalled that he had been heading to a business meeting when he happened to hear Ross singing "There Goes My Baby", and that Ross's voice "stopped me in my tracks". He approached the group and asked them to perform it again, but, after learning how young they were, Gordy advised them to finish high school before trying to get signed by Motown.[15][d]
With help from Richard Morris, the group recorded two tracks forLu Pine Records, with Ross singing lead on one of them. During this time, the group began coming to Gordy'sHitsville U.S.A. headquarters every day, offering to provide extra help for Motown's recordings, often including hand claps and background vocals. During the group's early years, Ross served as its hairstylist, make-up artist, seamstress, and costume designer.
In late 1960, having replaced McGlown withBarbara Martin, the Primettes were allowed to record their own songs at Hitsville, including the doo-wop ballads "After All", "I Want a Guy" and "Who's Loving You". In January 1961, Gordy agreed to sign the group on the condition they change their name. Songwriter and Motown secretaryJanie Bradford approached Florence Ballard, the only group member at the studio at the time, to pick out a new name for the group. Ballard chose "Supremes", reportedly, because it was the only name on the list that did not end with "ette". Upon hearing the new name, the other members weren't impressed, with Ross telling Ballard she feared the group would be mistaken for a male vocal group (a male vocal group was, indeed, named the Supremes). Gordy signed the group under their new name on the Motown imprint on January 15, 1961.
The group reduced to a trio in 1962 after Martin left the group. In late 1963, the group had their first hit with "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes", peaking at No. 23 on theBillboard Hot 100 pop chart. At the end of the year, Gordy made Ross the group's lead singer.
In June 1964, while on tour withDick Clark's Cavalcade of Stars, the group scored their first number-one hit with "Where Did Our Love Go", paving the way for unprecedented success. Between August 1964 and May 1967, Ross, Wilson, and Ballard sang on tennumber-one hit singles, all of which also made the UK Top 40.[15] The group became a hit with audiences domestically and abroad, going on to be Motown's most successful vocal act throughout the sixties.
Ross began to dominate interviews with the media, answering questions aimed at Ballard or Wilson. She pushed for more pay than her colleagues. In 1965, she began using the name Diana from the mistake on her birth certificate, surprising Ballard and Wilson who had only known her as Diane.[16] Following difficulties with comportment, weight, and alcoholism, Florence Ballard was fired from the Supremes by Gordy in July 1967, hiringCindy Birdsong fromPatti LaBelle and the Bluebelles as Ballard's replacement. Gordy renamed the groupDiana Ross & the Supremes, making it easier to charge a larger performance fee for a solo star and a backing group, as it did for other renamed Motown groups. Gordy initially considered having Ross leave the Supremes for a solo career in 1966, eventually changing his mind because he felt the group's success was still too significant for Ross to pursue solo obligations. Ross remained with the Supremes until early 1970.
As the lead voice of the Supremes, she was really only the soul—or perhapsélan vital—of a machine, ready to plug into whatever arrangement, lyric, or show dress Berry Gordy and the Motown organization provided. She sang of the pain of love without appearing to suffer, but, that doesn't mean that the catch-phrases—'You keep me hanging on,' 'Where did our love go?' 'Love is like an itching in my heart, and I can't scratch it'—were softened or somehow corrupted. Instead, they were transcended with the vivacity that is Diana Ross' great gift. No matter how she is stylized, no matter what phony truism she mouths, this woman always lets you know she is alive.
The group appeared as a trio of singing nuns in a 1968 episode of the popularNBC TV seriesTarzan. Between their early 1968 single "Forever Came Today" and their final single with Ross, "Someday We'll Be Together", Ross would be the only Supremes member to be featured on many of their recordings, often accompanied bysession singersthe Andantes or, as in the case of "Someday We'll Be Together", Julia and Maxine Waters and Johnny Bristol.[18] Still, Wilson and Birdsong continued to sing on recordings. Gordy drove Ross relentlessly throughout this period and Ross, due to anxiety arising from Gordy's demands, began suffering fromanorexia nervosa, according to her autobiography,Secrets of a Sparrow. During a 1967 performance in Boston, Massachusetts, Ross collapsed onstage and had to be hospitalized for exhaustion.
In 1968, Ross began to perform as a solo artist on television specials, including the Supremes' own specials such asTCB andG.I.T. on Broadway,The Dinah Shore Show, and aBob Hope special, among others. In mid-1969, Gordy decided that Ross would depart the group by the end of that year, and Ross began recording her initial solo work that July. One of the first plans for Ross to establish her own solo career was to publicly introduce a new Motown recording act.
Though she did not claim their discovery, Motown's publicity department credited Ross with having discoveredthe Jackson 5. Ross would introduce the group during several public events, includingThe Hollywood Palace.[19] In November, Ross confirmed a split from the Supremes inBillboard. Ross's presumed first solo recording, "Someday We'll Be Together", was eventually released as a Supremes recording and became the group's final number-one hit on the Hot 100. It was also the final number-oneBillboard Hot 100 single of the 1960s. Ross made her final appearance with the Supremes at theFrontier Hotel inLas Vegas,Nevada on January 14, 1970.[20]
Ross' chart success was much more impressive in theUK where she scored her first number one solo hit there with the soul ballad "I'm Still Waiting". In the first two years of her solo career, Ross recorded five top 20 UK singles and four top ten singles out of six releases. Later in 1971, Ross starred in her first solotelevision special,Diana!, which includedthe Jackson 5.
In 1972, Ross made her first film venture withLady Sings the Blues, a loosely based biography on singerBillie Holiday. Following its opening that October, Ross won critical acclaim for her performance in the film. Jazz criticLeonard Feather, a friend of Holiday's, praised Ross for "expertly capturing the essence of Lady Day". Ross's role in the film won herGolden Globe Award andAcademy Award nominations for Best Actress. Thesoundtrack toLady Sings the Blues became just as successful, reaching number one on theBillboard 200, staying there for two weeks, and selling two million units. In November 1972, Ross sung the song "When We Grow Up" for the children's album,Free to Be... You and Me.
During her first solo world tour that year, Ross became the first entertainer in Japan's history to receive an invitation to theImperial Palace for a private audience with theEmpress Nagako, wife of EmperorHirohito. In April 1974, Ross became the first African-American woman to co-host theAcademy Awards, withJohn Huston,Burt Reynolds, andDavid Niven.
Ross returned to the big screen with her second film,Mahogany, in 1975.[22] The film reunited her withBilly Dee Williams, her co-star inLady Sings the Blues and featured costumes designed by Ross herself.[23] The story of an aspiring fashion designer who becomes a runway model and the toast of the industry,Mahogany was a troubled production from its inception. The film's original director,Tony Richardson, was fired during production, and Berry Gordy took over as director.[24] Gordy and Ross clashed during filming, with Ross leaving the production before shooting was completed, forcing Gordy to use secretary Edna Anderson as a body double for Ross.
While a box-office success, the film was not well received by the critics:Time magazine's review of the film chastised Gordy for "squandering one of America's most natural resources: Diana Ross".[24] Nonetheless, Ross had her third number-one hit in the U.S. with the film's theme song "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" in January 1976.[25]
In May 1976, Ross scored her fourth solo number-one hit, "Love Hangover", a sensual, dramatic mid-tempo song that bursts into an uptempo disco tune.[26][27] Ross launched her "An Evening with Diana Ross" tour later that year.[28] The tour's success led to a two-week stint atBroadway'sPalace Theatre and a 90-minute,Emmy-nominated television special of the same name,[29] featuring special make-up effects byStan Winston, for a scene in which Ross portrayed legendary cabaret artistJosephine Baker and blues singersBessie Smith andEthel Waters.[30] Due to this success, Ross was honored with aSpecial Tony Award.[31]
Ross struggled with her next two albums,Baby It's Me (1977) andRoss (1978), which failed to produce a hit single.
Around this period, Motown had acquired the film rights to the Broadway playThe Wiz, an African-American reinterpretation ofL. Frank Baum'sThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The film initially was to include the stage actors who had performed on the play, but producerRob Cohen could not garner the interest of any major Hollywood film studios. It was not until Ross convinced Cohen to cast her[e] as Dorothy thatUniversal Pictures agreed to finance the production.
This casting decision led to a change in the film's script, in which Dorothy went from a schoolgirl to a schoolteacher. The role of the Scarecrow, also performed by someone else onstage, was eventually given to Ross's former Motown labelmate,Michael Jackson. The Ross-Jackson duet of "Ease on Down the Road" won the duo a Grammy nomination.
Thefilm adaptation ofThe Wiz had been a $24 million production, but upon its October 1978 release, it earned only $21,049,053 at the box office.[32][33][34] Though pre-release television broadcast rights had been sold toCBS for over $10 million, the film produced a net loss of $10.4 million for Motown and Universal.[33][34] At the time, it was the most expensive film musical ever made.[35] The film's failure ended Ross's short career in the big screen and contributed to the Hollywood studios' reluctance to produce the all-black film projects which had become popular during theblaxploitation era of the early to mid-1970s for several years.[36][37][38]
Ross released her tenth studio album,The Boss, in 1979. The Ashford & Simpson-produced album was her biggest success in three years and resulted in her very first gold-certified album.[f]The title song was her first top 20 pop hit since "Love Hangover" and also topped the dance charts. On July 16, 1979, Ross guest-hosted an episode of Johnny Carson'sThe Tonight Show, featuringLynda Carter,George Carlin, andMuhammad Ali as guests.[39] Later that year, Ross hosted theHBO special,Standing Room Only, filmed atCaesars Palace's Circus Maximus Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada, during her "Tour '79" concert tour.[40] This concert special is noted for its opening, during which Ross literally makes her entrance through a movie screen. In November of that year, Ross performed "The Boss" as a featured artist during theMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, inNew York City.[41]
In 1980, Ross released her most successful album to date,Diana. Composed byChic's guitaristNile Rodgers and bassistBernard Edwards, the album included the hits "I'm Coming Out" and "Upside Down", the latter becoming her fifth chart-topping single in the U.S. Ross scored a Top 10 hit in late 1980 with the theme song to the filmIt's My Turn. Continuing her connections with Hollywood, Ross recorded the duet ballad "Endless Love", withLionel Richie. The song would become her sixth and final single to reach number one on theBillboard Hot 100.
Ross began negotiations to leave Motown at the end of 1980. After over 20 years with the label, Ross received only US$250,000 as severance.RCA Records offered Ross a $20 million, seven-year recording contract, which gave her complete production control of her albums. Before signing onto the label, Ross allegedly asked Berry Gordy if he could match RCA's offer. Gordy stated that doing so was "impossible". Ross then signed with RCA on May 20, 1981. At the time, the contract was music history's most expensive recording deal.
In October 1981, Ross released her first RCA album,Why Do Fools Fall in Love. The album sold over a million copies and featured hit singles such as her remake of theclassic hit of the same name and "Mirror Mirror". Shortly thereafter, Ross established her production company, named Anaid Productions ("Diana" spelled backwards), and also began investing in real estate and touring extensively in the United States and abroad.
On May 6, 1982, Ross was honored with a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.[46] She followed up the success ofWhy Do Fools Fall in Love withSilk Electric, which featured the Michael Jackson-written and -produced "Muscles", resulting in another Top 10 Grammy nominated success for Ross. The album eventually went gold on the strength of that song. In 1983, Ross ventured further out of her earlier soul-based sound for a morepop rock-oriented sound following the release of theRoss album. Though the album featured the Top 40 hit single, "Pieces of Ice", theRoss album did not generate any more hits or achieve gold status.
On July 21, 1983, Ross performed a free concert onCentral Park'sGreat Lawn, aired live worldwide byShowtime. Proceeds of the concert would be donated to build a playground in the singer's name. Midway through the beginning of the show, a torrential downpour began. Ross tried to continue performing, but the severe weather forced the show to be stopped after 45 minutes. Ross urged the large crowd to exit the venue safely, promising to perform the next day.
The next day's concert suffered no rain, but the memorabilia that was supposed to be sold to raise money for the playground had already been destroyed by the storm. When journalists discovered the exorbitant costs of the two concerts, Ross faced criticism from MayorEd Koch and the Parks Department commissioner. During a subsequent mayoral press conference, Ross handed Koch a check for US$250,000 for the project.[47] TheDiana Ross Playground was built three years later.[48]
Her 1985 albumEaten Alive, produced byBarry Gibb of theBee Gees, garnered a number-one single overseas and a Top 20 spot on the album charts. The song "Chain Reaction" reached number one in the U.K., Australia, South Africa, Israel and Ireland, andthe title track, a collaboration with Michael Jackson and Gibb, also performed well. Both songs had strong music videos that propelled the tracks to success. The "Eaten Alive" video was patterned after the 1970s horror filmThe Island of Dr. Moreau, while the one for "Chain Reaction" saluted the 1960sAmerican Bandstand-style TV shows. The video for "Experience", the third single from the album, reignited the "Eaten Alive" romantic storyline with Ross and actorJoseph Gian.
Earlier in 1985, Ross appeared as part of USA for Africa's "We Are the World" charity single, which sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Ross's 1987 follow-up toEaten Alive,Red Hot Rhythm & Blues found less success; it reached No. 39 on theBillboardTop R&B Albums chart and No. 12 in Sweden. However, the album's accompanying television special was nominated for three Emmy Awards and won two: Outstanding Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program (Ray Aghayan andRet Turner) and Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Miniseries or a Special (Greg Brunton).[49] On January 27, 1986, Ross hosted the13th annualAmerican Music Awards.[50] Ross returned the next year to host the14th annual telecast.[51]
In 1988, Ross chose to not renew her RCA contract and had been in talks with her former mentor Berry Gordy to return to Motown. When she learned of Gordy's plans to sell Motown, Ross tried advising him against the decision, though he ended up selling it toMCA Records in June of that year. Following the sale of the company, Ross was asked to return to the Motown label with the condition that she have shares in the company as a part-owner; Ross accepted the offer.
That same year, Ross was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Supremes alongside her former singing partners Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard. She also recorded the theme song to animated adventure drama filmThe Land Before Time (1988). "If We Hold on Together" became an international hit, reaching number one in Japan.
Ross's next album, 1989'sWorkin' Overtime, was not a commercial success, despite the title track reaching the top three of theBillboard'sHot Black Singles chart.[52] The album peaked at No. 34 on theBillboard Hot R&B Albums chart, and achieved top 25 chart placings in Japan and the UK. Subsequent releases,The Force Behind the Power (1991),Take Me Higher (1995), andEvery Day Is a New Day (1999) all failed to achieve major success in America, selling around 100,000 copies each.
The Force Behind the Power sparked a comeback when the album wentplatinum in the UK.[54] led by the No. 2 UK hit single "When You Tell Me That You Love Me". The album produced 9 singles across international territories, including another Top 10 UK hit "One Shining Moment". In 1993, Ross returned to acting with a dramatic role in the television film,Out of Darkness. Ross won acclaim for her role in the TV movie and earned her thirdGolden Globe nomination.
In 1994,One Woman: The Ultimate Collection, a career retrospective compilation, became a number one hit in the UK, selling quadruple platinum. The retrospective was EMI's alternative to Motown's box setForever Diana: Musical Memoirs. Ross performed during the opening ceremony of the1994 FIFA World Cup held inChicago, and during the pre-match entertainment of the1995 Rugby League World Cup final atWembley Stadium. The World Cup ceremony had her take apenalty kick that was staged for her to score, and the goalposts were intended to fall down from the power of her shot. She infamously missed the penalty instead.[55]
On January 28, 1996, Ross performed at theSuper Bowl XXX halftime show, held at theSun Devil Stadium inTempe, Arizona.[56] Earlier that month, Ross's Tokyo concert,Diana Ross: Live in Japan, filmed live at the city's Nippon Budokan Stadium, was released.[57] In May 1996, Ross received theWorld Music Awards' Lifelong Contribution to the Music Industry Award.[58] On November 29,EMI released the compilation album,Voice of Love, featuring the singles "In the Ones You Love", "You Are Not Alone" and "I Hear (The Voice of Love)".[59] On February 8, 1997, EMI released the Japanese edition of Ross's album,A Gift of Love, featuring the single, "Promise Me You'll Try".[60] In May, she performed with operatic tenorsPlácido Domingo andJosé Carreras again at the Superconcert of the Century concert, held inTaipei, Taiwan.[61] She later inductedthe Jackson 5 into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on May 6.[62]
On February 19, 1998, Ross hosted the Motown 40 telecast on ABC.[63] In 1999, Ross was named the most successful female singer in the history of the United Kingdom charts, based upon a tally of her career hits.Madonna would soon succeed Ross as the most successful female artist in the UK. Later that year, Ross presented at the1999 MTV Video Music Awards in September of the year and shocked the audience by touching rapperLil' Kim's exposed breast and pasty-covered nipple, amazed at the young rapper's brashness.[64] In 1999, she andBrandy Norwood co-starred in the television movie,Double Platinum, which was aired prior to the release of Ross's album,Every Day Is a New Day. From that album, Ross scored a Top 10 hit in the UK in November that year with "Not Over You Yet".
Ross reunited withMary Wilson first in 1976 to attend the funeral service ofFlorence Ballard, who had died in February of that year. In March 1983, Ross agreed to reunite with Wilson andCindy Birdsong for the television specialMotown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. The Supremes did not rehearse their performance for that evening, due to time constraints. A scheduled medley of hits was cancelled.
Instead of following producerSuzanne de Passe's instructions to recreate their choreography from their finalEd Sullivan Show appearance, Wilson (according to her autobiography) planned with Birdsong to take a step forward every time Ross did the same, then began to sing lead on the group's final number-one hit song, "Someday We'll Be Together", on which Wilson did not perform.
Later, Wilson introduced Berry Gordy from the stage (unaware that the program's script called for Ross to introduce Gordy), at which point Ross subtly pushed down Wilson's hand-held microphone, stating, "It's been taken care of." Ross then re-introduced Gordy.[65][66] These moments were excised from the final edit of the taped special, but still made their way into the news media;People magazine reported that "Ross [did] some elbowing to get Wilson out of the spotlight."[67]
In 1999, Ross and mega-tour promoter SFX Entertainment (which later becameLive Nation) began negotiations regarding a Diana Ross tour which would include a Supremes segment. During negotiations with Ross, the promoters considered the creation of a Supremes tour, instead. Ross agreed. As the tour's co-producer, Ross invited all living former Supremes to participate. NeitherJean Terrell nor late 1970s memberSusaye Greene chose to participate. 70s SupremesLynda Laurence andScherrie Payne were then touring asFormer Ladies of the Supremes.
Ross contacted Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong, who then began negotiations with SFX. Negotiations with Wilson and Birdsong (who allowed Wilson to negotiate on her behalf) failed when Wilson refused SFX's and Ross's offer of $4 million for 30 performances. Following the passage of SFX's final deadline for Wilson to accept their offer, Payne and Laurence, already negotiating with SFX, signed on to perform with Ross on the tour.
On December 5, 2000, Ross received a Heroes Award from theNational Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS). The Heroes Award is the highest distinction bestowed by the New York Chapter.[68] Ross's first public post-RTL appearance was at a fundraiser for former presidentBill Clinton. In January 2001,Love & Life: The Very Best of Diana Ross was released in the United Kingdom, becoming Ross's 17th gold album in that country. In June, Ross presented costume designerBob Mackie with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the American Fashion Awards.
Two days before theSeptember 11 attacks, Ross performed "God Bless America" at theUS Open before the tournament's women's final, betweenVenus andSerena Williams. Immediately following the attacks, Ross performed the song again atShea Stadium, before theNew York Mets first game, after driving cross-country to be with her children (in the wake of the attacks, flying in the U.S. was temporarily restricted.).[69] Ross teamed with legendary singersPatti LaBelle andEartha Kitt, among others, for a Nile Rodgers-produced recording ofSister Sledge's classic disco hit, "We Are Family", recorded to benefit the families of 9/11 victims.
In May 2002, Ross and all five of her children appeared onBarbara Walters'Mother's Day television special. Shortly thereafter, Ross admitted herself into the 30-day substance abuse program at the Promises Institute inMalibu, California, after friends and family began to notice a burgeoningalcohol problem. Ross left the program three weeks later and began to fulfill previously scheduled concert dates, beginning with a performance before a 60,000-strong crowd at London'sHyde Park, forPrince Charles'Prince's Trust charity.[citation needed]
U.S. ticket sales for the new tour were brisk, from coast to coast. Venues, such asLong Island'sWestbury Music Fair, California'sCerritos Center for the Performing Arts and Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay, attempted to add extra shows, due to public demand. Sold-out performances inBoston followed. In August, shortly after the tour began, however, Ross re-entered the Promises Institute's substance abuse rehabilitation program. That December, during her stay at Arizona's Canyon Ranch Health Resort, Ross was pulled over by Tucson police for driving the wrong way on a one-way street. She failed abreathalizer test and was arrested for aDUI. Ross was sentenced in 2004 to 48 hours in jail, which she served near her home inGreenwich, Connecticut.[70]
In January 2003, Ross was honored as Humanitarian of the Year by Nile Rodgers'We Are Family Foundation. Shortly thereafter, Ross was feted as an honored guest at the National Association of Black-Owned Broadcasters Awards. Later that year, Ross was the guest performer at that year'sMetropolitan Museum of Art'sCostume Institute's annual gala, in an ensemble custom-designed by fashion designerTom Ford, followed by an appearance as the surprise celebrity model for American couturier Dennis Basso's runway show. In February 2003, the Supremes were honored by theRhythm and Blues Foundation with its Pioneer Award.[71]
Ross launched her M.A.C. Icon makeup collection, as part of the beauty corporation's Icon Series that same month.[74] Ross was honored that year byOprah Winfrey as one of 25 black American women in art, entertainment and civil rights to be honored at her "Legends Ball", which later aired in May 2006 onABC.[75]
In March 2006, Ross received theTV Land Awards' Viewer's Choice for Television's Greatest Music Moment for herFor One & For All 1983 Central Park concerts.[77]
In June 2006,Universal released Ross's shelved 1972Blue album. It peaked at No. 2 onBillboard'sTop Jazz Albums chart.[78] That year, having signed withEMI/Manhattan Records, Ross released the album,I Love You, her first studio album sinceEvery Day Is A New Day seven years earlier, where it reached number 32 on theBillboard 200 and number 16 on theTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[79][80] Ross promoted the album with aworld tour throughout that year.
In June 2007, Ross received the Lifetime Achievement Award at theBET Awards. Later that December, she received theKennedy Center Honors medal. In August 2008, Ross performed at the opening of theUS Open tennis tournament, as part of a tribute toBillie Jean King.[81][82] Later in October that year, she headlined the 2008Nobel Peace Prize Concert inOslo, Norway.[83][84] Ross was the featured performer at the annualSymphonica in Rosso concert series, held at theGelreDome Stadium inArnhem, Netherlands in October 2009.[85]
In 2010, Ross embarked on her first headlining tour in three years titled theMore Today Than Yesterday: The Greatest Hits Tour. Dedicated to the memory of her late friendMichael Jackson, the concert tour garnered positive reviews nationwide.[86] In 2011, Ross was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.[87]
In February 2012, Ross received her firstGrammy Award, forLifetime Achievement, and announced the nominees for theAlbum of the Year.[88] In May, a DVD of her Central Park concert performances,For One & For All, was released. She performed as the marquee and headlining performer at theWhite House-hostedChristmas in Washington concert on December 9, where she performed before former PresidentBarack Obama, which was broadcast as an annual special onTNT.
On July 3, 2014, Ross was awarded the Ella Fitzgerald Award for "her extraordinary contribution to contemporary jazz vocals", at theMontreal International Jazz Festival.
In December 2017, Ross appeared on theHome Shopping Network to promote her first fragrance, Diamond Diana.[97] Ross released a CD retrospective collection of her music titledDiamond Diana that was released as a tie-in with the fragrance, which sold out within hours. In January 2018,Diamond Diana returned Ross to theBillboard 200, peaking at number 30 and stayed for a week and remains her latest album to chart there. The album also peaked at number six on the publication's R&B Albums chart[98] and No. 5 on its Top Album Sales chart.[99] The album featured the song "Ain't No Mountain High Enough 2017", remixed byEric Kupper. The remix returned Ross to number one on theBillboardDance Club Songs chart.[100]
In February 2018, Ross began a new mini-residency atWynn Las Vegas.[101] That same year in August, a two-song remix of her 1980 hits "I'm Coming Out" and "Upside Down", also by Eric Kupper, titled "I'm Coming Out/Upside Down 2018" topped the Dance Club Songs chart.[102] As a result of her successes on the dance chart that year, Ross ranked third place among the top dance club artists of the year onBillboard.[103] In November 2018, she participated in theMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 22, 2018.[104]
In February 2019, Ross returned to theGrammy Awards where she performed at the venue for the first time ever at the61st annual telecast. She performed two songs—her 1993 ballad "The Best Years of My Life" and her 1970 hit "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)".[105] That April, she returned to number one on theBillboard Dance Club Songs chart with another Eric Kupper remix of her 1979 hit "The Boss" titled "The Boss 2019".[106]
In May 2020, Ross releasedSupertonic: Mixes, a collection of nine of her greatest hits remixed byEric Kupper and featuring her four consecutive number one hits onBillboard Dance Club Songs chart: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough 2017", "I'm Coming Out/Upside Down 2018", "The Boss 2019", and "Love Hangover 2020". In July, "Supertonic: Mixes" was also released on CD and crystal-clear vinyl LP.
Ross released her twenty-fifth studio albumThank You in November 2021. It was written and recorded during theCOVID-19 pandemic lockdown and contains her first original material since 1999'sEvery Day Is a New Day.[107] The album returned Ross to theUK albums chart where it debuted and peaked at number seven, producing her best chart performance there sinceTake Me Higher peaked at number ten in 1995.
Thank You received a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category, her first competitive Grammy nomination since "Muscles" was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1983.[114]
In 2023, Ross returned to London'sRoyal Albert Hall for performances on October 14 and 15,[115] and again in April 2024.[116] Ross was among the musicians to participate in anEminem-produced concert celebrating the grand reopening of the Michigan Central Station on June 6. The event was streamed live on Peacock. Additionally, a one-hour primetime re-broadcast was shown on NBC on June 9 at 7:00 p.m.
On May 5, 2025, Ross appeared at the 2025 Met Gala. Ross announced during her appearance that she was on tour and that her son, Evan had persuaded her to attend. Ross made headlines around the world for her appearance and 18 foot train which was specially designed to include the embroidered names of her children and grandchildren. Earlier in the year, Ross appeared at the 67th Grammy Awards and the 2025 BRIT Awards.
Ross has been married twice and has five children. Ross became romantically involved with Motown CEOBerry Gordy in 1965. The relationship lasted several years, resulting in the birth of Ross's eldest child,Rhonda Suzanne Silberstein, in August 1971. Two months into her pregnancy with Rhonda, in January 1971, Ross married music executiveRobert Ellis Silberstein,[117] who raised Rhonda as his own daughter, despite knowing her true paternity. Ross told Rhonda that Gordy was her biological father when Rhonda was 13 years old. Beforehand, Rhonda referred to Gordy as "Uncle B.B."
Ross has two daughters with Silberstein,Tracee Joy Silberstein (Tracee Ellis Ross) and Chudney Lane Silberstein, born in 1972 and 1975, respectively.[118] Ross and Silberstein divorced in 1977.[119] In 2023,Smokey Robinson said in an interview that he and Ross had an affair lasting approximately one year while Robinson was married to his first wife, Claudette. According to Robinson, Ross ended the affair as Robinson admitted to still being in love with Claudette, a friend of Ross's. When asked about Robinson's story, Ross's representative had no comment.[120][121]
Ross datedGene Simmons, bassist and co-lead singer for the bandKiss, from 1980 to 1983.[122]
Ross met her second husband, Norwegian shipping magnateArne Næss Jr., in 1985, and married him the following year. She became stepmother to his three elder children; Katinka, Christoffer, and folk singerLeona Naess. They have two sons together: Ross Arne (born 1987) andEvan Olav (born 1988).[123][124] Ross and Næss divorced in 2000, after press reports revealed that Næss had fathered a child with another woman in Norway.[125] Ross considers Næss the love of her life.[126] Næss fell to his death in a South African mountain climbing accident in 2004.[127] Ross remains close with her three ex-stepchildren.
Ross was raised in theBaptist church. According to her 1993 autobiography,Secrets of a Sparrow,[11] her initial performances were in the Bessemer Baptist Church ofBessemer, Alabama, led by her maternal grandfather, Pastor William Moten, who (with his wife) raised her and her siblings there during their mother's bouts withtuberculosis.
Ross was arrested forDUI on December 30, 2002, inTucson, Arizona, while undergoing substance abuse treatment at a local rehabilitation facility.[132] She later served a two-day sentence near her Connecticut estate.[133]
In 1982, Diana Ross received her first star on theHollywood Walk of Fame. Apart from this star, Ross also received a second for her work with the Supremes.
Various works have been inspired by Ross's career and life. The character of Deena Jones in both the play and film versions ofDreamgirls was inspired by Ross.[140]Motown: The Musical is a Broadway musical that launched on April 14, 2013. It is the story of Berry Gordy's creation of Motown Records and his romance with Diana Ross. She was portrayed byValisia LeKae in 2013 andLucy St. Louis in 2016. Ross was also portrayed by Candice Marie Woods (from 2017 to 2019) and Deri'Andra Tucker (2021) in the stage playAin't Too Proud. There have been many other portrayals of Ross in films, television and other media includingHolly Robinson Peete inThe Jacksons: An American Dream (1992),Michelle Williams inAmerican Soul (2019) andKat Graham in theMichael Jackson biopicMichael (2025).
As a member of the Supremes, her songs "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "You Can't Hurry Love" are among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.[141] They were inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in 1994, and entered into theVocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2004,Rolling Stone placed the group at number 96 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".[142]
As lead singer of the Supremes and as a solo artist, Ross has earned 18 number-one singles (12 as lead singer of the Supremes and 6 as a solo artist). Ross is the only female artist to have number-one singles as a solo artist; as the other half of a duet (Lionel Richie); as a member of a trio (the Supremes); and, as an ensemble member ("We Are the World" by USA for Africa). Ross was featured onthe Notorious B.I.G.'s 1997 number-one hit "Mo Money Mo Problems" since her voice from her 1980 hit "I'm Coming Out" was sampled for the song.
Billboard magazine named Ross the "female entertainer of the century" in 1976. Ross is also one of the few recording artists to have two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—one as a solo artist and the other as a member of the Supremes. After her 1983 concert in Central Park,Diana Ross Playground was named in her honor with a groundbreaking opening ceremony in 1986.
Berry Gordy asked Ross to introduce The Jackson Five to the public. Eventually, public misunderstandings resulted in Ross erroneously being given credit for the discovery ofthe Jackson 5. Gordy decided that the misunderstanding was "good for business", so her "discovery" became a part of Motown's marketing and promotions plan for the Jackson 5. Consequently, their debut album was titledDiana Ross Presents The Jackson 5. Motown producerBobby Taylor claims to have discovered the Jacksons, though, singerGladys Knight also makes the claim.[143] Even so, Ross embraced the role and became a good friend of Michael Jackson, serving as a mother figure to him.[144]
On January 24, 1985,Kaufman Astoria Studios held a dedication ceremony inAstoria, Queens to honor Ross by naming Studio 4 at the studios after her. TheDiana Ross Building served as an acknowledgement of Ross's contribution in bringing the studio back to the forefront after being faced with possible demolition, through her involvement inThe Wiz.[145] In 2006, Ross was one of 25 African-American women saluted atOprah Winfrey's Legends Ball, a three-day celebration, honoring their contributions to art, entertainment, and civil rights. Ross has been described as one of theFive Mighty Pop Divas of the Sixties along withDusty Springfield,Aretha Franklin,Martha Reeves, andDionne Warwick.[146] In 2023,Rolling Stone ranked Ross at number 87 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[147]
While attending theRock Music Awards in 1976, Ross received the special honor for "Female Entertainer of the Year", becoming her first lifetime honor at the age of 32. In 1982, she received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.
In 1994, the Supremes earned their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, making Ross one of a few in a selected group of entertainers to receive more than a star.
On November 16, 2016, Ross was announced as one of the 21 recipients of thePresidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.[149]
In 2023, Supremes co-founders Ross and the late Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard received the Grammys' Lifetime Achievement Award, with Ross becoming the first woman to win the award twice (she earned a solo honor in 2012).[150]
^At the time the Primettes began seeking a deal, the label had went by the name of Tamla Records; the Motown imprint wouldn't be established until July 1960.
^Not too long after the Primettes' first audition, Gordy signedMary Wells to his Motown imprint. Wells was 17 years old at the time but had graduated from high school.
^Until 1978, Motown wasn't a member of theRecording Industry Association of America. Ross had recorded albums that sold between half a million to two million copies but remain uncertified.
^Horton, Matthew (2015). "Diana Ross - "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". In Dimery, Robert (ed.).1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. New York:Universe. p. 263.
^Benshoff, Harry M.; Griffin, Sean (2004).America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies. Blackwell Publishing. p. 88.ISBN0-631-22583-8.
^George, Nelson (1985).Where Did Our Love Go? The Rise and Fall of the Motown Sound. St. Martin's Press. p. 193.
^Wilson, Mary,Dreamgirl, My Life as a Supreme; Taraborrelli, Randy,Call Her Miss Ross: The Unauthorized Biography of Diana Ross; George, NelsonWhere Did Our Love Go?, The Rise & Fall of Motown.
^Posner, Gerald.Motown: Music, Money, Sex, and Power, pp. 308–09, and Taraborrelli, Randy,The Unauthorized Biography of Diana Ross.
^"Dusty Springfield on The Ed Sullivan Show".EdSullivan.com. RetrievedApril 20, 2022.|quote=She has been called “one of the five mighty pop divas of the sixties” along with other artists such as Diana Ross and Martha Reeves.
^"Diana Ross: An Extraordinary Evening".The Official Website of Las Vegas. Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. February 2020. Archived fromthe original on February 9, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 8, 2020.
Harvey Fierstein / Marco Paguia, David Oquendo, Renesito Avich, Gustavo Schartz, Javier Días, Román Diaz, Mauricio Herrera, Jesus Ricardo, Eddie Venegas, Hery Paz, and Leonardo Reyna / Jamie Harrison, Chris Fisher, Gary Beestone, and Edward Pierce (2025)
Chronology(The band's name history:The Primettes 1959–1961 /The Supremes 1961–1967 /Diana Ross & The Supremes 1967–1970 / The Supremes 1970 / Diana Ross & The Supremes 1970 / The Supremes 1970–)
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