If you ever find yourself strolling down the Hollywood Walk of Fame and see the name Diana Ross twice, don’t worry. You’re not experiencing a bizarre case of déjà vu. What you are experiencing is the magnitude of a star like no other. Diana Ross is Diana Ross. There is no comparison.
Diana Ross has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame because she is incredibly talented. She’s been nominated for awards from Oscars to American Music Awards, to Golden Globes and Grammys, winning many along the way. She even won a Tony for her one-man show. She’s been named the most important female entertainer of the 20th century, and if you’re not listening to her music, what are you waiting for?
Diana Ross started in the music business when she was 15 as a member of the doo wop group The Primettes, sister group of The Primes. In 1959, Ross was brought to the attention of Smokey Robinson, the Motown R&B and Soul legend, to audition for Motown. The group was signed on the spot. But the deal didn’t change the group’s unpopularity much within the industry. Diana had to continue to work as secretary for the group’s agent, Berry Gordy. She also worked as the group’s hairstylist, makeup artist, seamstress, and costume designer.
The group resigned to Motown in 1963 with a brand new image as The Supremes. And America fell in love with Diana Ross. “When the Love Light Starts Shining Through His Eyes” hit 23 on the R&B charts that year. The Supremes’ classic “Where Did Our Love Go” topped pop billboard charts in the United States and the United Kingdom.
In 1967, the label decided it was better to call the group Diana Ross and The Supremes when Betty McGlown was replaced with Barbara Martin, juxtaposing Diana Ross alongside soulful greats like Patti LaBelle. In 1969, only a couple of years after naming the band Diana Ross and The Supremes, Motown signed her as a solo artist. The next few years may be considered the golden years of Diana Ross beginning with her first album “Diana Ross” yielding the hit single “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” which won the hearts of a million Americans.
Diana Ross continued working in the industry with Everything is Everything and the album Surrender which featured guests Jackson 5 and Bill Cosby. In 1973, she went on to work with Marvin Gaye on the album Diana & Marvin producing the hit single “Touch Me in the Morning.” Motown took Diana to Broadway in 1979. Her class and down-to-earth humor also made her a natural for television.
In the 80s, Diana Ross began to change her style having worked through different genres like disco, jazz and pop. She explored a rustic and urban intensity. With her album “Diana,” Ross gained her right to national legend status as she secured her sixth single number one hit with the provocative and clever “Upside Down.” Diana also strung together classics, such as platinum album “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” with the hit single “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” It reached sixth on R&B charts and fourth in the UK. Ross’ successes in the charts are just as strong internationally. Her hits “Upside Down and “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” fell in behind “Touch Me in the Morning” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” as UK top 40 hits.
The 90s period of her career called for more European sales than American, and Diana was coined the queen of English music charts in 1999 over Madonna. Her last notable performance was in 2008 at the Nobel Peace prize celebration. However, Diana shows no signs of wanting to stop with her empire of soul still marching strong. She has proven that there really is no mountain high enough, and that it’s never too late to earn three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You never know.
