Diana Ross Biography (Singer and Actress)

Diana Ross is an American singer and actress, born in Detroit, Michigan, on March 26, 1944. She is the second of six children born to Ernestine and Fred Ross Sr. She attended Cass Technical High School, a four-year college in Detroit, with the goal of becoming a fashion designer. At the age of fifteen, Ross joined the Primettes, the female counterpart to a male vocal group called the Primes. On January 15, 1961, the Primettes signed a contract with Motown on the condition that they change their name, becoming The Supremes. The female trio consisted of Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, and Mary Wilson.

By the end of 1963, the band achieved their first success with the song "When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes", reaching number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. Diana Ross became the lead singer of the group, and from 1964 to 1967, the band achieved unprecedented success with ten number-one singles. In 1967, Motown president Berry Gordy renamed the group "Diana Ross & The Supremes" and replaced Florence Ballard with Cindy Birdsong.
In 1970, Diana Ross left the group to pursue a solo career, and she was replaced by Jean Terrell; the group reverted to the name "Supremes". In May of that year, Diana released her self-titled debut solo album, which included her signature songs "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", the latter becoming her first single to reach number one in the United States.
In 1971, the single "I'm Still Waiting" became her first song to top the UK Singles Chart. Also in 1971, Diana Ross began working on her first film, Lady Sings the Blues (1972), a loosely based biography of singer Billie Holiday. Ross's role in the film earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
In 1973, she achieved her second number-one hit in the United States with the song "Touch Me in the Morning". In 1975, she reached the top of the charts in the United States for the third time with "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)," and in 1976, she had another number-one hit with "Love Hangover".

In 1980, she released her most successful album to date, Diana, written and produced by the members of the band “Chic”, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. The album included hits like "Upside Down", "I'm Coming Out", and "My Old Piano".

The single "Upside Down" was released by “Motown” on June 18, 1980, and on September 6, 1980, it reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it remained for four weeks. "Upside Down" was also a huge international success, topping the charts in Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, Sweden, South Africa, Italy, Norway, and Switzerland. In the UK Singles Chart, it reached second place, earning a silver certification from the “British Phonographic Industry”.
The single earned Diana Ross her ninth nomination for the “Grammy Awards” for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, although the award went to Stephanie Mills for "Never Knew Love Like This Before" at the 1981 “Grammy Awards”.

Discography :

Album

1968 - The Greatest Hits Vol.II (Feat. The Supremes)

1970 - Everything Is Everything

1970 - Diana Ross

1971 - Surrender

1972 - Lady Sings The Blues (Original Soundtrack)

1973 - Diana & Marvin (feat. Marvin Gaye)

1973 - Touch Me In The Morning

1973 - Last Time I Saw Him

1974 - Diana Ross Live At Caesars Palace

1975 - Michael Masser (Original Soundtrack Of Mahogany)

1976 - Diana Ross

1977 - Baby It's Me

1977 - An Evening With Diana Ross

1978 - Ross

1979 - The Boss

1980 - Diana

1981 - Why Do Fools Fall In Love

1981 - To Love Again

1982 - Silk Electric

1983 - Ross

1983 - Portrait

1984 - Swept Away

1985 - Eaten Alive

1986 - BBC Radioplay Music

1987 - Red Hot Rhythm + Blues

1989 - Workin' Overtime

1989 - Greatest Hits Live

1991 - The Force Behind The Power

1993 - When You Dream

1994 - Take Me Higher

1994 - A Very Special Season

1994 - Diana Extended - The Remixes

1999 - Every Day Is A New Day

2006 - Blue

2006 - I Love You

2021 - Thank You