Diana Ross was born on March 26,1944 and is an American singer and occasional actress.
127 Facts About Diana Ross
2.
Diana Ross rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group The Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time.
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Diana Ross further released numerous top-ten hits on various Billboard charts throughout the 1970s, '80s, and '90s.
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Diana Ross has achieved mainstream success and recognition as an actor.
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Diana Ross starred in two other feature films, Mahogany and The Wiz, and later appeared in the television films Out of Darkness, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and Double Platinum.
6.
Diana Ross was named the "Female Entertainer of the Century" by Billboard in 1976.
7.
Since her solo career began in 1970, Diana Ross has released 25 studio albums, numerous singles, and compilations that have sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
8.
Diana Ross is the only female artist to have had number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist, as the other half of a duet, as a member of a trio, and as an ensemble member.
9.
Diana Ross had a top 10 UK hit in every one of the last five decades, and sang lead on a top 75 hit single at least once every year from 1964 to 1996 in the UK, a period of 33 consecutive years and a record for any performer.
10.
In 1988, Diana Ross was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Supremes, and is one of the rare performers to have two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Diana Ross was the recipient of a Special Tony Award in 1976, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and 2023, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
12.
Diana Ross was born in Detroit, Michigan, on March 26,1944.
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Diana Ross was the second of six children born to Ernestine and Fred Ross, Sr.
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Diana Ross's mother named her Diane, but the birth certificate was mistakenly filled out with the name Diana.
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Diana Ross grew up with two sisters and three brothers: Arthur; Fred Jr.
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When Diana Ross was seven, her mother contracted tuberculosis, causing her to become seriously ill.
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Diana Ross's parents sent their children to live with Ernestine's parents, the Reverend and Mrs William Moton in Bessemer, Alabama.
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Diana Ross attended Cass Technical High School, a four-year college and preparatory magnet school, in downtown Detroit, and, aspiring to become a fashion designer, she took classes in clothing design, millinery, pattern making, and tailoring.
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When she was fifteen, Diana Ross joined the Primettes, the sister group to a male vocal group called the Primes, after she had been brought to the attention of music manager Milton Jenkins by Primes member Paul Williams.
20.
Later, following the success of her live performances at sock hops and similar events, Diana Ross approached William "Smokey" Robinson, her former neighbor about auditioning for Motown; he insisted that the group audition for him first.
21.
In Berry Gordy's autobiography, To Be Loved, Gordy recalled that he had been heading to a business meeting when he happened to hear Diana Ross singing "There Goes My Baby", and that Diana Ross's voice "stopped me in my tracks".
22.
Diana Ross 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.
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That year, the group recorded two tracks for Lu Pine Records, with Diana Ross singing lead on one of them.
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Diana Ross began to dominate interviews with the media, answering questions aimed at Ballard or Wilson.
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Gordy initially considered having Diana 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 Diana Ross to pursue solo obligations.
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In mid-1969, Gordy decided that Diana Ross would depart the group by the end of that year, and Diana Ross began recording her initial solo work that July.
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One of the first plans for Diana Ross to establish her own solo career was to publicly introduce a new Motown recording act.
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Diana Ross would introduce the group during several public events, including The Hollywood Palace.
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Diana 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.
30.
Diana Ross made her final appearance with the Supremes at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 14,1970.
31.
In May 1970, Diana Ross released her eponymous debut solo album, which included her signature songs, "Reach Out and Touch " and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", the latter becoming Diana Ross's first number-one solo single.
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In 1971, Diana Ross began working on her first film, Lady Sings the Blues, which was a loosely based biography on singer Billie Holiday.
33.
In 1973, Diana Ross had her second number-one hit in the US with the ballad "Touch Me in the Morning".
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Nonetheless, Diana Ross had her third number-one hit in the US with "Theme from Mahogany ".
35.
The tour's success led to a two-week stint at Broadway's Palace Theatre and a 90-minute, Emmy-nominated television special of the same name, featuring special make-up effects by Stan Winston, for a scene in which Diana Ross portrayed legendary cabaret artist Josephine Baker and blues singers Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters, and a Special Tony Award.
36.
In 1979, Diana Ross released The Boss, continuing her popularity with dance audiences, as the title song became a number-one dance single.
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On July 16,1979, Diana Ross guest-hosted an episode of Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show, featuring Lynda Carter, George Carlin, and Muhammad Ali as guests.
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Later that year, Diana Ross hosted the HBO special, Standing Room Only, filmed at Caesars Palace's Circus Maximus Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada, during her "Tour '79" concert tour.
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In 1980, Ross released her most successful album to date, Diana.
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Diana Ross scored a Top 10 hit in late 1980 with the theme song to the film It's My Turn.
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Diana Ross began negotiations to leave Motown at the end of 1980.
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At the time, Diana Ross's was music history's most expensive recording deal.
43.
In October 1981, Diana Ross released her first RCA album, Why Do Fools Fall in Love.
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Shortly thereafter, Ross established her production company, named Anaid Productions, and began investing in real estate and touring extensively in the United States and abroad.
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In early 1982, Diana Ross sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XVI and appeared on the musical variety show Soul Train.
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The episode, devoted completely to her, featured Diana Ross performing several songs from Why Do Fools Fall in Love.
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On May 6,1982, Diana Ross was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
48.
Diana Ross followed up the success of Why Do Fools Fall in Love with Silk Electric, which featured the Michael Jackson-written and -produced "Muscles", resulting in another Top 10 Grammy nominated success for Ross.
49.
In 1983, Diana Ross ventured further out of her earlier soul-based sound for a more pop rock-oriented sound following the release of the Diana Ross album.
50.
On July 21,1983, Diana Ross performed a free concert on Central Park's Great Lawn, aired live worldwide by Showtime.
51.
Diana Ross tried to continue performing, but the severe weather forced the show to be stopped after 45 minutes.
52.
Diana Ross urged the large crowd to exit the venue safely, promising to perform the next day.
53.
On January 27,1986, Diana Ross hosted the 13th annual American Music Awards.
54.
Diana Ross returned the next year to host the 14th annual telecast.
55.
In 1988, Diana Ross chose to not renew her RCA contract and had been in talks with her former mentor Berry Gordy to return to Motown.
56.
That same year, Diana Ross was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Supremes alongside her former singing partners Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard.
57.
Diana Ross recorded the theme song to animated adventure drama film The Land Before Time.
58.
In 1991, Diana Ross became one of the few American artists to have headlined the annual Royal Variety Performance, performing a selection of her UK hits before Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at the Victoria Palace Theatre, London.
59.
In 1993, Diana Ross returned to acting with a dramatic role in the television film, Out of Darkness.
60.
Diana Ross won acclaim for her role in the TV movie and earned her third Golden Globe nomination, although she did not win.
61.
Diana Ross performed during the opening ceremony of the 1994 FIFA World Cup held in Chicago, where she infamously missed a penalty kick that was part of her act, and during the pre-match entertainment of the 1995 Rugby League World Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
62.
In May 1996, Diana Ross received the World Music Awards' Lifelong Contribution to the Music Industry Award.
63.
On February 19,1998, Diana Ross hosted the Motown 40 telecast on ABC.
64.
In 1999, Diana Ross was named the most successful female singer in the history of the United Kingdom charts, based upon a tally of her career hits.
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Later that year, Diana Ross presented at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards in September of the year and shocked the audience by touching rapper Lil' Kim's exposed breast and pasty-covered nipple, amazed at the young rapper's brashness.
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In 1999, she and Brandy Norwood co-starred in the television movie, Double Platinum, which was aired prior to the release of Diana Ross's album, Every Day Is a New Day.
67.
Diana Ross reunited with Mary Wilson first in 1976 to attend the funeral service of Florence Ballard, who had died in February of that year.
68.
In March 1983, Diana Ross agreed to reunite with Wilson and Cindy Birdsong for the television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.
69.
Diana Ross contacted Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong, who then began negotiations with SFX.
70.
Negotiations with Wilson and Birdsong failed when Wilson refused SFX's and Diana Ross's offer of $4 million for 30 performances.
71.
Shortly thereafter, Diana Ross admitted herself into the 30-day substance abuse program at the Promises Institute in Malibu, California, after friends and family began to notice a burgeoning alcohol problem.
72.
Diana 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's Hyde Park, for Prince Charles' Prince's Trust charity.
73.
Diana Ross failed a breathalizer test and was arrested for a DUI.
74.
Diana Ross was later sentenced to 48 hours in jail, which she served near her home in Greenwich, Connecticut.
75.
In January 2003, Diana Ross was honored as Humanitarian of the Year by Nile Rodgers' We Are Family Foundation.
76.
Shortly thereafter, Diana Ross was feted as an honored guest at the National Association of Black-Owned Broadcasters Awards.
77.
Later that year, Diana Ross was the guest performer at that year's Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute's annual gala, in an ensemble custom-designed by fashion designer Tom Ford, followed by an appearance as the surprise celebrity model for American couturier Dennis Basso's runway show.
78.
On December 8,2004, Diana Ross was the featured performer for Stevie Wonder's Billboard Music Awards' Century Award tribute.
79.
On January 14,2005, Diana Ross performed at the Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope TV concert to help raise money for the tsunami victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
80.
In 2005, Diana Ross participated in Rod Stewart's Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook, Volume IV recording a duet version of the Gershwin standard, "I've Got a Crush on You".
81.
Diana Ross was featured in another hit duet, this time with Westlife, on a cover of Diana Ross's 1991 hit "When You Tell Me That You Love Me", repeating the original recording's chart success, garnering a No 2 UK Singles Chart hit.
82.
Also in 2005, Diana Ross was featured as an honored guest at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball Weekend, a three-day celebration honoring 25 African-American women in art, entertainment and civil rights.
83.
In June 2006, Universal released Diana Ross's shelved 1972 Blue album.
84.
Later in 2006, Diana Ross released her first studio album in seven years with I Love You.
85.
Diana Ross later ventured on a world tour to promote I Love You.
86.
In 2007, Diana Ross was honored with the BET Awards' Lifetime Achievement Award and, later, as one of the honorees at the Kennedy Center Honors.
87.
Diana Ross headlined the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway.
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In 2010, Diana Ross embarked on her first headlining tour in three years titled the More Today Than Yesterday: The Greatest Hits Tour.
89.
In 2011, Diana Ross was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
90.
In February 2012, Diana Ross received her first Grammy Award, for Lifetime Achievement, and announced the nominees for the Album of the Year.
91.
In 2013, Diana Ross completed a tour in South America and a tour in the United States.
92.
On July 3,2014, Diana Ross was awarded the Ella Fitzgerald Award for "her extraordinary contribution to contemporary jazz vocals", at the Montreal International Jazz Festival.
93.
In 2015, Diana Ross appeared in the video for the song "How to Live Alone" performed by her son Evan Diana Ross.
94.
In February 2016, Diana Ross resumed her In the Name of Love Tour, which began in 2013.
95.
On November 22,2016, Diana Ross was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama.
96.
On June 30,2017, Diana Ross headlined the Essence Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana, with her daughter Rhonda Diana Ross-Kendrick performing as the opening act.
97.
On November 19,2017, Diana Ross received the American Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.
98.
Diana Ross performed several of her hits, ending with "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", during which she brought all of her grandchildren onstage.
99.
Diana Ross was then joined onstage by all of her children, their spouses, first ex-husband Robert Ellis, Smokey Robinson and Motown founder, Berry Gordy.
100.
In December 2017, Ross appeared on the Home Shopping Network to promote her first fragrance, Diamond Diana.
101.
On February 8,2018, Diana Ross began a new mini-residency at Wynn Las Vegas.
102.
Diana Ross performed a song from a to-be-released compilation Christmas album at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 22,2018.
103.
In December 2018, Diana Ross consolidated her status as a dance diva by ranking No 3 in the Billboard Dance Club Songs Artists year-end chart.
104.
Diana Ross performed "The Best Years of My Life" and "Reach Out and Touch ".
105.
Diana Ross released her twenty-fifth studio album Thank You in November 2021.
106.
On June 4,2022, Diana Ross appeared as the finale act at the Platinum Party at the Palace in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II.
107.
On November 15,2022, Diana Ross received a 2023 Grammy Award nomination in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category for Thank You.
108.
Diana Ross became romantically involved with Motown CEO Berry Gordy in 1965.
109.
Two months into her pregnancy with Rhonda, in January 1971, Diana Ross married music executive Robert Ellis Silberstein, who raised Rhonda as his own daughter, despite knowing her true paternity.
110.
Diana Ross told Rhonda that Gordy was her biological father when Rhonda was 13 years old.
111.
Diana Ross has two daughters with Silberstein, Tracee Joy Silberstein and Chudney Lane Silberstein, born in 1972 and 1975, respectively.
112.
Diana Ross dated Gene Simmons, bassist and co-lead singer for the band Kiss, from 1980 to 1983.
113.
Diana Ross ended her relationship with Simmons when he gave Diana Ross the erroneous impression that he had resumed his relationship with Cher.
114.
Simmons' story differed in 2015 when he revealed that he fell in love with Diana Ross while dating Cher, which ended Diana Ross and Cher's friendship.
115.
Diana Ross became stepmother to his three elder children; Katinka, Christoffer, and folk singer Leona Naess.
116.
Diana Ross was arrested for DUI on December 30,2002, in Tucson, Arizona, while undergoing substance abuse treatment at a local rehabilitation facility.
117.
Diana Ross later served a two-day sentence near her Connecticut estate.
118.
Diana Ross has influenced many artists including Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Madonna, Jade Thirlwall, Questlove, Ledisi and the Ting Tings.
119.
Diana Ross was portrayed by Valisia LeKae in 2013 and Lucy St Louis in 2016.
120.
Diana Ross was portrayed by Candice Marie Woods and Deri'Andra Tucker in the stage play Ain't Too Proud.
121.
Diana Ross is the only female artist to have number one singles as a solo artist; as the other half of a duet ; as a member of a trio ; and, as an ensemble member.
122.
Berry Gordy asked Diana Ross to introduce The Jackson Five to the public.
123.
On January 24,1985, Kaufman Astoria Studios held a dedication ceremony in Astoria, Queens to honor Diana Ross by naming Studio 4 at the studios after her.
124.
The Diana 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 in The Wiz.
125.
In 2006, Diana Ross was one of 25 African-American women saluted at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball, a three-day celebration, honoring their contributions to art, entertainment, and civil rights.
126.
Diana Ross was named one of the Five Mighty Pop Divas of the Sixties along with Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin, Martha Reeves, and Dionne Warwick.
127.
On November 16,2016, Diana Ross was announced as one of the 21 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.