Diana Ross

After being raised in housing projects for most of the late 1940s and early 1950s, Diana started singing in the gospel choir of a Baptist church. With friends Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard and Barbara Martin, she formed a vocal group, The Primettes, at age 15. After Barbara had departed the group, the remaining three girls inked a deal with Motown Records and were renamed The Supremes. Ross wasn't picked to become the group's lead singer until Motown honcho Berry Gordy decided that the time was exactly right, and from then on he described the group as "Diana Ross and the Supremes.

Best known as the the lead singer of the popular 1960s singing group The Supremes, Diana Ernestine Earle Ross was born on March 26, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan, the second of six children of African-American parents Ernestine Lillian (Moten), a schoolteacher, and Fred Earl Ross, who served in the army.

She and The Supremes had appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) (aka "The Ed Sullivan Show") 17 times from 1964-1969.

A member of The Supremes from 15 January 1961 - 14 January 1970.

Is the most successful female recording artist ever with 18 US #1 hits and 70 top 10 hits since 1964

" From 1965 to 1969 the group had a string of #1 records.

In January 1967 The Supremes was voted #1 by the readers of Playboy Magazine.

In late 1969 Gordy announced that Ross would be leaving the group for a solo career.

In the third week of 1970 she played her last concert with The Supremes and started working with the songwriting team of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Ross' first two songs by the team reached #1 on both the pop and R&B charts, justifying her move.

Prior to starting a family of her own, she won the title role in the Billie Holiday biopic Lady Sings the Blues (1972), which was extremely successful at the box office, and had the distinction of being nominated for an Academy Award for her first film. The movie's soundtrack reached #1 on the U. S. charts.

Despite fame and fortune, her next two big films,Mahogany (1975) and The Wiz (1978), didn't meet with the same success. However, she had a #1 hit single with "Mahogany" to make up for it.

In February 1976, just before another #1 hit with "Love Hangover," she was stunned when her singing partner and friend, Florence Ballard, died after complications from a combination of alcohol abuse and long-term depression, which led to cardiac arrest. Ballard was only 32 years old and Ross was devastated by the loss. After recovering from Ballard's death, Ross went on to focus on her singing career and continued having more #1 songs, including "Upside Down".

The following year she performed the theme song from Endless Love (1981), which was composed by Lionel Richie. That same year she left Motown Records and signed contracts with various record companies across the globe, and formed her own production company. The following year she released "Silk Electric," on which she sang "Muscles," a song written and produced by Michael Jackson.

In 1983 introduced a line of pantyhose "Diana Ross Ultra Sheers"

After she sang a tribute song dedicated to the late Marvin Gaye, Ross scored another #1 song in 1986 in the UK with "Chain Reaction," which brought back her days as the member of The Supremes , and was written and produced by The Bee Gees. Unlike the song she sang when Florence died, this song was about how she became accustomed to Marvin over the years.

Elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of The Supremes) in 1988.

After an eight-year absence, in 1989 she came back to Motown.

Is portrayed by Holly Robinson Peete in The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992).

Ross had gained more fame through concert appearances over the years, and in April 1993 she became a best-selling author with her first and only children's book, "When You Dream," which featured a CD with four songs that were dedicated to the book. That same year she was declared by the Guinness Book of World Records to be the most successful female singer of all times. Two years later she was honored with the Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement on the Soul Train Awards.

Received the Lifetime Achievement Award from MIDEM in 1994

After receiving those honors, she came back to the studio in 1999 with "Every Day Is A New Day," and the song reached the UK Top 10. The following year, with Mary Wilson--the only other surviving original Supremes member--she planned to book a Supremes reunion tour, but this was eventually canceled.

Received a 2000 Heroes Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS). The award was the highest distinction bestowed by the New York Chapter.

10 days after the terrorist attack (9-11), she sang, "God Bless America", at Shea Stadium in New York City, New York. [September 2001]

Entered Malibu, CA drug and alcohol rehab Promises center May 20, 2002 prior to start of global summer tour.

Inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Foundation as a member of The Supremes on February 21, 2003.

Her ex-husband, Arne Naess Jr., died on 13th January, 2004 in a climbing accident in South Africa.

In 1972 she and Cicely Tyson were nominated for the same "Best Actress in a Leading Role" award category (for different roles, in different films), for the same performing, nomination, and award year for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences (AMPAS), more commonly known as the Oscars. This was only the second time in the history of the Academy Awards that African-American actresses had been nominated in the "Best Actress" Academy Award/Oscars category, although there had been several nominations in best supporting actress categories. The first, and only previous, female nominee in the best, or leading actress category, had been Dorothy Dandridge's nomination for Carmen Jones (1954). Coincidentally, the same two actresses, Ross and Tyson, were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom award in the same ceremony, from President Barack Obama, in his final "class," or group, on November 22, 2016.