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Diana Ross

Diana Ernestine Ross (born March 26, 1944 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American soul, R&B and pop artist, and one of the most successful female artists of her era.

Music career

Diana Ross (who originally went by the name "Diane," although "Diana" is what is on her birth certificate), together with Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard and Betty McGlown formed The Primettes in 1959. After signing to Motown in 1961 and replacing McGlown with Barbara Martin , they changed the name of the group to The Supremes. Barbara Martin left the group shortly afterwards, and the group carried on as a trio. Although all the girls originally took turns singing lead, Motown chief Berry Gordy made Diana Ross the permanent lead singer starting in 1964, because he felt her soprano voice had the pop appeal The Supremes needed to cross over to white audiences. Between the summer of 1964 and the summer of 1967, The Supremes released nine #1 hit singles and became the most successful black group of the decade.

In July 1967, Florence Ballard was fired from The Supremes and replaced with Cindy Birdsong. At this time, the group was also renamed "Diana Ross and the Supremes," officially recognizing Ross as the focal point of the group. During this period, the group had three more #1 hits before Motown began plans for a Diana Ross solo career, which was announced in November 1969.

In January 1970 Diana Ross officially departed from the Supremes and recorded her first solo album, the self titled Diana Ross. She found chart success with a number of her early releases, most notably with the #1 single "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (1970). Ross also starred in a biopic of Billie Holliday, Lady Sings the Blues, which earned her an Academy Award nomination and a #1 album soundtrack.

Ross released a duets album with Censored page in 1973, entitled Diana and Marvin, scoring several chart hits. In 1975 another return to acting, this time in the film Mahogany (1975) saw the theme song "The Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To?)" reach #1. Her second self titled album, Diana Ross (1976), charted in the Top Ten.

A duet with Lionel Richie called Endless Love in 1981 proved to be the biggest record of her career and her last hit on the Motown label. She signed to RCA and had several successful releases. After a downturn in record sales during the mid to late 80s she returned to the Motown fold.

Personal

Diana Ross is the second of six children, three girls and three boys, from factory worker Fred Ross and teacher Ernestine Earle Ross. From 1971 to 1977, Diana Ross was married to music promoter Robert Ellis Silberstein, with whom she has two daughters (Tracee and Chudney). From 1985 to 2000, she was married to Norwegian businessman Arne Nęss Jr., with whom she has two sons. (Naess died in a South African mountain accident in January 2004). She also has a daughter, Rhonda, with Motown founder Berry Gordy.

Her oldest daughter, Rhonda Ross Kendrick, is a songstress and actress. Her second daughter, Tracee Ellis Ross, is an actress who received claim to fame in the sitcom "Girlfriends" (2003).







Last updated: 02-08-2005 11:26:02
Last updated: 03-02-2005 05:50:49