Diana Ross: The Life Story Behind the Supreme Star

Detroit, Brewster-Douglass: A Girl Who Sang in Church

Diane Ernestine Earle Ross was born on 26 March 1944 in Detroit, Michigan, the second of six children, in a household that was musical, working-class, and shaped by the Great Migration: her mother, Ernestine, was from Mississippi, her father, Fred, was from Alabama, and the family, like millions of Black families, had moved north to Detroit for work, for a better life, and for a chance to sing in a church where the music was loud, joyful, and free. She grew up in the Brewster-Douglass housing projects, a community of brick towers, of playgrounds, of neighbours who knew each other, and of a church choir where she sang from the time she was a small child, and the singing, which began in church, became the centre of her life: a voice that was clear, bright, and full of a joy that made people listen, even when she was only a girl, singing a hymn on a Sunday morning. She attended Cass Technical High School, a school known for its music programme, where she studied fashion design, and where she sang in the choir, and the school, which gave her a discipline and a dream, was the beginning of a career that would take her from Detroit to the world.

Detroit in the 1950s was a city of music, and the music was everywhere: in the churches, in the schools, in the record shops, and on the radio, where the sounds of Motown, of soul, of R&B, were being invented, and the young Diana, who listened to everything, absorbed it all, the harmonies, the melodies, the rhythms, and the feeling that a song could be a way out, a way up, and a way to be heard. She formed a group with friends from the neighbourhood, Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard, and Betty McGlown, and the group, which was called The Primettes, sang at school, at parties, and at talent shows, and the singing, which was close, harmonious, and full of a teenage energy, drew attention from people who knew what a girl group could be, and the attention, which was the beginning of a career, came from a man named Berry Gordy, who had founded a record label called Motown, in a house on West Grand Boulevard, in Detroit, and who was looking for a girl group to be his next stars.

The Primettes became The Supremes, and the Supremes, who signed with Motown in 1961, became the most successful girl group in history, and Diana Ross, who was the lead singer, became the most famous Black woman in America, and the fame, which was built on a voice, a look, and a determination, was the result of years of singing in church, in school, and on street corners, in Detroit, in a housing project, where a girl with a dream learned to sing, and never stopped. The Detroit years are the foundation of her music, and they explain why her songs sound like they come from a place where music is a way of life, where a choir is a community, and where a voice, properly used, can carry a person out of a housing project and into history.

The Supremes, Twelve Number Ones and the Sound of Motown

The Supremes’ first hits came in 1964, when Where Did Our Love Go, a song written by the songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first of five consecutive number-one singles, followed by Baby Love, Come See About Me, Stop! In the Name of Love, and Back in My Arms Again, all in the space of a year, and the run, which was unprecedented for a girl group, made the Supremes the biggest act in America, with a sound that was polished, sophisticated, and unmistakably Motown: a beat, a melody, and a voice, Diana’s, that was clear, bright, and instantly recognisable. The group went on to score twelve number-one singles in total, including I Hear a Symphony, You Can’t Hurry Love, You Keep Me Hangin’ On, Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone, The Happening, Love Child, and Someday We’ll Be Together, the last a farewell single, released in 1969, that became a number-one hit, and a goodbye, all at once, and the twelve number ones, which are a record for a girl group, are a testament to a sound, a voice, and a team that understood pop music better than anyone in America.

The Supremes were not just a hit machine, they were a cultural phenomenon, and Diana Ross, as the lead singer, became the face of Motown, the face of Black elegance, and the face of a new kind of pop stardom: a Black woman, from Detroit, who wore gowns, who sang with a voice that was both soulful and pop, and who appeared on television, on the Ed Sullivan Show, on the cover of magazines, and in the homes of millions of Americans, Black and white, who had never seen a Black woman presented as a star, as a glamour, as a beauty, in quite that way before. The group’s success broke barriers, and the barriers, which were racial, were broken by a voice, a look, and a determination that refused to be limited by the colour of a singer’s skin, and the breaking, which was a part of the civil rights movement, is as important as the music, because the music was the movement, and the movement was the music.

The group changed over the years, with Florence Ballard leaving in 1967, replaced by Cindy Birdsong, and with the group’s name changing to Diana Ross and the Supremes, a change that reflected Ross’s growing prominence, and that also created tensions, because a group that was once four equal voices became a star and her backing singers, and the tensions, which were real, were also a part of the story, a reminder that fame, even in a group, is rarely shared equally, and that the star, who carries the songs, also carries the pressure, and the pressure, which Ross felt, was the price of being the lead, and the price, which she paid, was worth it, because the songs, which she sang, became standards, and the standards, which are still played, still loved, and still sung, are the legacy of the Supremes, and of Diana Ross.

Leaving the Supremes, Ain’t No Mountain and the Solo Star

In January 1970, Diana Ross left the Supremes, in a farewell concert in Las Vegas, and the departure, which was planned, was also a beginning, because she was now a solo artist, with a record deal, a team, and a chance to prove that she could make it on her own, without a group behind her. Her debut solo album, Diana Ross, was released in June 1970, and it featured the single Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, a cover of the Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell duet, reimagined as a solo anthem, with a spoken introduction, a gospel choir, and a vocal performance that became her first solo number-one single, and the song, which is still played at weddings, at graduations, and on the radio, became a signature, a statement that a mountain, however high, could be climbed, and that Diana Ross, alone, could climb it. The album also featured the single Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand), and it established her as a solo star, a singer who did not need a group, who could carry an album on her own, and who could do it with a voice that was still, after a decade, the most recognisable in pop.

Her second album, Everything Is Everything, was released in November 1970, and it featured the single I’m Still Waiting, which became a number-one hit in the UK, and her third album, Surrender, was released in July 1971, and the albums, which were successful, showed a singer who was growing, who was experimenting, and who was finding her own sound, apart from the Supremes, apart from Motown’s formula, and apart from the expectations of an industry that wanted her to be a pop star, and nothing else. The solo years were a time of exploration, of trying new producers, new songwriters, and new sounds, and the exploration, which was done in public, with every record watched, gave her a catalogue that is as varied as it is successful, from the soul of Ain’t No Mountain to the disco of Upside Down to the balladry of Endless Love.

Touch Me in the Morning, released in 1973, became her second solo number-one single, and the song, a ballad about a love affair, showed a different side of her: a singer who could be vulnerable, who could sing about desire, about loss, and about the morning after, with a honesty that made the song feel real, even when it was a pop record. The album of the same name was a success, and it proved that the solo career was not a fluke, it was a second act, and the second act, which is still going, has lasted longer than the first, and has produced more hits, more albums, and more memories, than the Supremes ever did, because a solo artist, who controls her own career, can go wherever she wants, and Diana Ross, who has always known where she wanted to go, went there, and the going is the story.

Lady Sings the Blues, Mahogany and the Actress

In 1972, Diana Ross starred in Lady Sings the Blues, a film about the jazz singer Billie Holiday, and the performance, which was her film debut, earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, a remarkable achievement for a singer with no acting training, and a testament to her talent, her determination, and her ability to transform herself into another person. The film, which was a critical and commercial success, told the story of Holiday’s life, from a childhood of abuse to a career of genius, to a death from addiction, and Ross, who played Holiday with a vulnerability, a strength, and a voice that was both her own and Holiday’s, made the audience believe that she was Billie Holiday, and the believing, which is the mark of a great performance, is the reason the nomination was deserved, and the reason the film is still watched, still discussed, and still loved. The soundtrack, which featured Ross singing Holiday’s songs, became a hit, and the album, which was a tribute to a jazz legend, became a part of Ross’s own legacy, a singer paying tribute to a singer, and the tribute, which was heartfelt, is one of the great musical performances in film.

She followed Lady Sings the Blues with Mahogany in 1975, a film she also starred in, about a fashion designer from Chicago who becomes a model in Rome, and the film, which was directed by Berry Gordy, featured the single Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To), which became her third solo number-one single, and the song, a ballad about ambition, about dreams, and about the cost of both, became a signature, a statement that a woman from Detroit could dream of Rome, of Paris, of the world, and that the dreaming, which is the point of the song, is also the point of her career. The Wiz, released in 1978, in which she played Dorothy, in a film adaptation of the Broadway musical, was a commercial failure, but the performance, which was sincere, and the songs, which were beautiful, have since become a cult favourite, and the film, which is now regarded as a flawed but fascinating work, is a part of her story, a reminder that even a legend can fail, and that the failing, which is a part of any career, does not diminish the successes that came before, or the ones that came after.

The acting career, which was never her primary focus, showed a performer who could do more than sing, who could act, who could carry a film, and who could be nominated for an Oscar, and the nomination, which was a first for a Motown artist, is a testament to a talent that was not confined to a recording studio, but that could fill a screen, with a face, a voice, and a presence that made the audience believe, in a character, in a story, and in a singer who became an actress, and who did it, brilliantly, on her first try.

Upside Down, I’m Coming Out and the Disco Queen

In 1980, Diana Ross released Diana, an album produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, and the record, which was a disco masterpiece, featured the singles Upside Down, which became her fifth solo number-one single, and I’m Coming Out, which became an anthem, first for the LGBTQ community, who adopted it as a coming-out song, and then for anyone who has ever wanted to declare themselves, to step out, and to be seen. The album was a success, and it showed a singer who, at thirty-six, could reinvent herself, could work with the hottest producers in music, and could make a record that sounded like the future, not the past. Upside Down, with its bassline, its groove, and its vocal, which is playful, confident, and joyful, is one of the great disco songs, and I’m Coming Out, with its horns, its energy, and its message, is one of the great anthems, and the two songs together are a statement: a singer who is not afraid to dance, to celebrate, and to be herself, in public, on a dance floor, in a song that is still played, still danced to, and still loved, forty-five years after it was released.

Endless Love, a duet with Lionel Richie, released in 1981, became her sixth solo number-one single, spending nine weeks at the top of the Hot 100, and becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time, and the song, a ballad about a love that has no end, became a wedding song, a prom song, and a radio staple, and the duet, which paired two of the biggest stars in music, showed a singer who could share a stage with another voice, and still stand out, and the standing out, which is the mark of a great singer, is the reason Endless Love is still played, still sung, and still loved, by couples who have never heard of Motown, but who know, when they hear the song, that it is about them.

She left Motown in 1981, signing with RCA Records, and the move, which was a business decision, gave her more control over her career, more money, and more freedom, and the RCA years produced the albums Silk Electric in 1982, featuring the single Muscles, written by Michael Jackson, and Ross in 1983, and the records, which were successful, showed a singer who was still growing, still experimenting, and still making music that mattered, even as the industry changed around her, from disco to pop to R&B, and the changing, which is the story of her career, is a testament to a singer who has survived every change in fashion, because the voice, which is timeless, does not go out of style.

Central Park, Chain Reaction and the Legend

In July 1983, Diana Ross performed two concerts in Central Park in New York City, in front of hundreds of thousands of people, and the first concert, which was interrupted by a rainstorm, became a legend, because Ross, who was soaked, who was singing in the rain, refused to stop, and the audience, which was also soaked, refused to leave, and the concert, which was filmed, became a television special, and the image, of a singer in a red dress, in the rain, in Central Park, is one of the most famous in pop music. The second concert, the next day, was a triumph, and the two concerts together, which were free, were a gift to the city, and the gift, which was given by a singer who had come from Detroit, to a city that had adopted her, is a reminder that a great performer gives back, and that the giving, which is the point of a free concert, is as important as the singing, which is the point of a career.

Chain Reaction, released in 1985, written and produced by the Bee Gees, became a number-one hit in the UK and Australia, and the song, a Motown-inspired pop record, showed a singer who could still make a hit, twenty years after her first, and the album, Eaten Alive, which was also produced by the Bee Gees, was a success, and the record’s title, which was a reference to a song, was also a statement: a singer who is still hungry, still alive, still making music, and the music, which is the point, is still being made, year after year, decade after decade, by a woman who has never stopped singing, never stopped performing, and never stopped being Diana Ross.

She received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, presented by President Barack Obama, and the honours, which are among the highest in America, are a recognition, not just of the music, but of the life, of a Black woman from Detroit, who became a star, who broke barriers, who inspired millions, and who, at eighty, is still performing, still touring, and still singing, for audiences who have grown up with her, from the teenagers who bought Where Did Our Love Go to the adults who stream Upside Down, and who know, when they hear her voice, that they are hearing history, and that the history, which is still being made, is a beautiful one.

The Voice, the Glamour and the Influence

Diana Ross’s voice is one of the most recognisable in pop music, and it is recognisable because it is clear, bright, and full of a joy that makes people listen, even when she is singing a sad song, because the voice, which was trained in a church choir in Detroit, carries that training in its precision, its control, and its ability to move from a whisper to a belt in a single phrase. Songs like Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Upside Down, Endless Love, and I’m Coming Out show the range, from a gospel anthem to a disco hit to a ballad to a declaration, and the thread between them is the vocal, which never strains, never oversells, and never asks the listener to admire effort instead of feeling the song. The voice is the instrument, and the instrument is still in perfect working order, at eighty, in concerts around the world, where she sings the songs that made her famous, and the audience, which sings along, knows every word, because the songs are a part of their lives, a part of the culture, and a part of history.

Her glamour is the other half of her art. She is known for her gowns, her wigs, her stage presence, and her ability to fill a room, a stadium, and a television screen, with a presence that is both elegant and powerful, and the glamour, which was created in the Motown years, when Berry Gordy taught the Supremes to dress, to walk, and to present themselves as stars, became a signature, a style that has been copied by generations of singers, from Beyoncé to others, who learned from Ross that a pop star is not just a voice, but a look, a presence, and a performance, and the performance, which is the point, is as important as the song, because the song, properly performed, is a show, and the show, properly done, is unforgettable.

Her influence on the singers who came after her is enormous. Singers from Beyoncé to Mariah Carey to Christina Aguilera have cited her as an influence, and the reason is always the same: the voice, the glamour, the determination, and the ability to be a Black woman, from Detroit, who became a global star, and who did it on her own terms, in her own way, and with a grace that has never faltered. The influence is not just musical, it is cultural, because Ross, who broke barriers in the 1960s, opened doors for every Black woman who came after her, and the doors, which are still open, are a testament to a singer who was not just a star, but a pioneer, and the pioneering, which is the point of her career, is the reason she is a legend, and the legend is still singing.

Where She Stands Now

As of 2026, Diana Ross is a living legend, with a career that spans more than sixty-five years, from a girl group in Detroit to a solo star, to an Oscar-nominated actress, to a Kennedy Center honoree, to a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and with a catalogue that runs from Where Did Our Love Go to I’m Coming Out, from a housing project in Detroit to the White House, and the journey, which is one of the great American stories, is still going, because she is still performing, still touring, and still singing, for audiences who have grown up with her, and who will grow old with her, listening to the songs that defined their lives. She is a mother of five, Rhonda, Tracee Ellis Ross, who became an actress, Chudney, Ross, and Evan, and a grandmother, and the family, which is the centre of her life, is the reason she works as hard as she does, and the working, which is the craft, is the reason she is loved.

She continues to perform, to record, and to inspire, and the next chapter of her career will be watched by an audience that has grown up with her, from the teenagers who bought the Supremes’ records to the adults who stream her solo hits, and who know that a Diana Ross concert, whatever the venue, will be worth attending, because the voice, the glamour, and the songs are still there, still powerful, and still, after sixty-five years, the sound of a woman who sang in church in Detroit, and who never stopped. Diana Ross, the girl from Brewster-Douglass, is still here, still singing, and still the Supreme, in name and in fact.

My Take:

Diana Ross is the singer I think about when people ask me what a pop star actually is, because she is the definition: a voice, a look, a presence, and a determination that made her the most famous Black woman in America, in the 1960s, when that was a radical thing to be. The Supremes were not just a girl group, they were a cultural phenomenon, and Ross, as the lead singer, became the face of Motown, the face of Black elegance, and the face of a new kind of stardom, and the face, which is still recognised around the world, is a testament to a singer who understood that a pop star is not just a voice, but a performance, and the performance, which is the point, is as important as the song. I have listened to her records for years, and I still hear new things in them, a harmony I missed, a phrase I had not noticed, a moment of control that still surprises me.

Where Did Our Love Go is the song that made the Supremes stars, and I think it deserves to be spoken about as one of the great singles in pop history. A song written by Holland-Dozier-Holland, with a beat, a melody, and a voice, Diana’s, that was clear, bright, and instantly recognisable, and the song, which reached number one in 1964, became the first of five consecutive number-one singles, a run that was unprecedented for a girl group, and that made the Supremes the biggest act in America. I love the song because it is simple, and simplicity in pop music is the hardest thing to achieve, and the achieving, which is the mark of a great song, is audible in every note, in every word, and in every beat.

The twelve number-one singles are the record that I find most impressive, because they are a testament to a sound, a voice, and a team that understood pop music better than anyone in America. Baby Love, Stop! In the Name of Love, You Can’t Hurry Love, You Keep Me Hangin’ On, Love Child, Someday We’ll Be Together: each one is a standard, each one is a hit, and the twelve together are a catalogue that no other girl group has matched, and that no other group, of any kind, has matched, in quite the same way. I play the Supremes often, and the songs still sound fresh, which is remarkable for records made in the 1960s, and the freshness is the proof of their quality, and the quality is the reason they are still played, still loved, and still sung, sixty years after they were made.

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough is the solo song that will define her career for many listeners, and I understand why, because it is a masterpiece. A cover of a Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell duet, reimagined as a solo anthem, with a spoken introduction, a gospel choir, and a vocal performance that became her first solo number-one, the song is still played at weddings, at graduations, and on the radio, because the message, that a mountain, however high, can be climbed, is universal, and the universality, which is the mark of a great song, is audible in every note. I love the song because it is joyful, and joy, in a catalogue full of love songs, is precious, and the joy is earned, because a solo artist, who has left a group, who is starting over, singing about climbing a mountain, is singing about herself, and the singing is the story.

Lady Sings the Blues is the film that showed she could act, and I admire it for its courage. She played Billie Holiday, a jazz legend, in her film debut, and the performance, which earned her an Academy Award nomination, is a testament to her talent, her determination, and her ability to transform herself into another person, a singer who became an actress, and who did it, brilliantly, on her first try. I love the film because it is a tribute, a singer paying tribute to a singer, and the tribute, which was heartfelt, is one of the great musical performances in film, and the performance, which is still watched, still discussed, and still loved, is a reminder that a great singer can also be a great actress, and that the acting, which is the craft, is as important as the singing.

Upside Down and I’m Coming Out are the disco songs that I play when I want to dance, because they are pure joy. Produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, the songs, which became hits in 1980, showed a singer who, at thirty-six, could reinvent herself, could work with the hottest producers in music, and could make a record that sounded like the future, not the past. I’m Coming Out, which became an anthem for the LGBTQ community, is a song that is still played, still danced to, and still loved, because the message, that a person can step out, can be seen, can be herself, is universal, and the universality, which is the mark of a great song, is audible in every horn, in every beat, and in every word that Diana sings.

Endless Love is the duet that I associate with romance itself, because it is a ballad about a love that has no end, sung by two of the biggest stars in music, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, and the song, which spent nine weeks at number one, became one of the best-selling singles of all time, and a wedding song, a prom song, and a radio staple. I love the song because it is simple, and simplicity in a ballad is the hardest thing to achieve, and the achieving, which is the mark of a great song, is audible in every note, in every harmony, and in every word that the two singers trade, back and forth, like a conversation, like a love letter, like a promise.

The Central Park concerts are the legend that I love most, because they show a performer who would not stop, even in the rain. In July 1983, she performed in front of hundreds of thousands of people, in a rainstorm, in a red dress, soaked, singing, refusing to stop, and the audience, which was also soaked, refused to leave, and the concert, which was filmed, became a television special, and the image, of a singer in the rain, in Central Park, is one of the most famous in pop music. I love the story because it is about resilience, and resilience, in a career that has lasted sixty-five years, is the point, and the point is that a great performer does not stop, even when it rains, even when the stage is wet, even when the audience is soaked, because the singing, which is the gift, is worth giving, rain or shine.

Her glamour is the part of her art that is most often discussed, and I want to celebrate it, because it is not a costume, it is a statement. The gowns, the wigs, the stage presence, the ability to fill a room, a stadium, and a television screen, with a presence that is both elegant and powerful, is a signature, a style that has been copied by generations of singers, from Beyoncé to others, who learned from Ross that a pop star is not just a voice, but a look, a presence, and a performance. I love the glamour because it is joyful, and joy, in a career that has faced racism, sexism, and every other barrier, is a form of resistance, and the resistance, which is the point of glamour, is visible in every gown she wears, in every wig, in every entrance, and in every song she sings.

Her influence on other singers is enormous, and it is one of the most important parts of her story. Singers from Beyoncé to Mariah Carey to Christina Aguilera have cited her as an influence, and the reason is always the same: the voice, the glamour, the determination, and the ability to be a Black woman, from Detroit, who became a global star, and who did it on her own terms, in her own way, and with a grace that has never faltered. The influence is not just musical, it is cultural, because Ross, who broke barriers in the 1960s, opened doors for every Black woman who came after her, and the doors, which are still open, are a testament to a singer who was not just a star, but a pioneer, and the pioneering, which is the point of her career, is the reason she is a legend.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the honour that I think matters most, because it is the highest civilian honour in America, presented by President Barack Obama in 2016, and it is a recognition, not just of the music, but of the life, of a Black woman from Detroit, who became a star, who broke barriers, who inspired millions, and who, at seventy-two, was still performing, still touring, and still singing. I love the honour because it is not a music award, it is a national award, and the national, which is the point, is a reminder that a singer can be a citizen, a pioneer, and a legend, all at once, and that the legend, which is Diana Ross, deserves to be honoured, by a president, by a country, and by a world that loves her.

If I were introducing someone to Diana Ross, I would start with the Supremes, then Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, then Lady Sings the Blues, then Diana, because that sequence shows the arc: the group, the solo debut, the actress, the disco queen. And I would tell them to watch the Central Park concert, because the rain is the art, and to listen to Endless Love with headphones, because the harmonies are the real art, and they are easy to miss on a small speaker. Diana Ross is a singer, an actress, a pioneer, and a legend, and the combination is rare, and the career is still going.

There is a final thing I want to say, and it is about time. Diana Ross has been famous since she was twenty, she has been singing since she was a child, and she has been a star for more than sixty years, and at every stage people have told her what her career should look like next. She has listened, politely, and then done what she wanted anyway, and the result is a career that belongs to her, not to the industry, not to the charts, not to anyone else. The girl from Brewster-Douglass who sang in church is still singing, and the voice is still the voice, and the Supreme is still supreme, and the supremacy is the point.

The Supremes’ harmonies are the last thing I want to mention, because they are the sound of Motown, and the sound, which was created by Diana, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard, is a sound that has never been matched, by any girl group, in any era. The harmonies, which are close, bright, and perfectly blended, are the reason the songs still sound fresh, sixty years after they were made, and the freshness, which is the proof of their quality, is a testament to three girls from Detroit, who sang in a housing project, and who became the most successful girl group in history, and the history, which is still being written, is a beautiful one.

And one more thought, about her daughter Tracee Ellis Ross. The actress, who became a star in her own right, in Black-ish and in other roles, is a testament to a mother who raised her children to be artists, to be brave, and to be themselves, and the daughter, who is funny, intelligent, and talented, is a reflection of the mother, who is all of those things, and more. I think about the family, and about the legacy, and I am grateful, because a career that produces a daughter who is also a star is a career that is not just about songs, it is about a life, and the life, which is still being lived, is a beautiful one.

One last thing, and it is about the future. Diana Ross is eighty-two, she has a career that spans sixty-five years, a Kennedy Center Honor, a Presidential Medal of Freedom, twelve number-one singles with the Supremes, six solo number-ones, and she is still performing, still touring, still singing, and the next concert, whatever the venue, will be worth attending, because the voice, the glamour, and the songs are still there, still powerful, and still, after sixty-five years, the sound of a woman who sang in church in Detroit, and who never stopped.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where was Diana Ross born?

Diana Ross was born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross on 26 March 1944 in Detroit, Michigan. She grew up in the Brewster-Douglass housing projects, sang in the church choir, and attended Cass Technical High School, where she studied fashion design.

How many number-one singles did The Supremes have?

The Supremes had twelve number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including Where Did Our Love Go, Baby Love, Stop! In the Name of Love, You Can’t Hurry Love, You Keep Me Hangin’ On, Love Child and Someday We’ll Be Together. They are the most successful girl group in history.

What was Diana Ross’s first solo number one?

Her first solo number-one single was Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, released in 1970 after she left the Supremes. The reimagined cover of the Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell duet, with a spoken introduction and gospel choir, became her signature solo song.

Was Diana Ross nominated for an Oscar?

Yes. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her film debut as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues (1972). She also starred in Mahogany (1975) and The Wiz (1978) as Dorothy.

What is I’m Coming Out by Diana Ross?

I’m Coming Out is a single from her 1980 album Diana, produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic. It became an anthem for the LGBTQ community and for anyone declaring themselves, and it remains one of her most beloved songs alongside Upside Down from the same album.

What happened at Diana Ross’s Central Park concerts?

In July 1983 she performed two free concerts in Central Park, New York, for hundreds of thousands of people. The first was interrupted by a heavy rainstorm, but Ross kept singing in the rain in a red dress, and the concert became a legendary television special. She performed again the next day.

What honours has Diana Ross received?

She received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, presented by President Barack Obama. She has also won a Tony Award nomination and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and her daughter Tracee Ellis Ross is an actress.