Diana Ross

Place of birth: Detroit, Michigan, USA

Nationality: USA

Raised in: Detroit, Michigan, USA

Natural hair color: Black

Eye color: Black

Height: 164 cm (5' 4½")

Music styles: Pop, Soul, Disco

First released record: The Primettes: "Tears of Sorrow"   - 1960

Awards:
> World Music Awards: 1974, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1983
> World Music Awards: 1996
> Other: Golden Globes Award 1973, Soul Train Award 1995, Tony Award 1977

How it all began: Diane Ernestine Earle Ross was born the second of six children to Fred and Ernestine Ross on March 26, 1944 in Detroit, Michigan. She spent her childhood in various housing projects and her family didn’t boast a very high income, but she refers to her childhood memories as happy, always having what they needed, a good life and a warm, loving family environment. She says she only found out later that where they lived was officially a ghetto.

Reportedly, Diana Ross suffered from an almost paralyzing shyness since a childhood and joining her local baptist church choir took a lot of courage – but join it she did and even applied for a role in a school musical when she was 15. She was turned down – but based on the audition, she was invited to join a newly forming girl vocal group, the Primettes – female counterpart of the boy group the Primes.

The Primettes – which also included Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson, her later co-stars in the supremely successful Supremes – kept her singing throughout her time at Cass Technical High School where she studied fashion design and sewing. During that time, they were introduced to Motown Records by Smokey Robinson and met producer Berry Gordy. His advice to them was to finish high school and come back – and so they did in 1962, signing a contract and changing their name to Supremes – a name Ross wasn’t particularly fond of by the way.

After many singles and singing background vocals, Supremes scored in the national charts with their song “Let Me Go the Right Way” and joined touring the Motor Town Revue – taking the lead when another of their songs, “Where Did Our Love Go”, made their first national number one. Their success was growing at rocket speed, Ross became the group’s leading vocalist and in 1967, as Florence Ballard was replaced by Cindy Birdsong, the group’s name was changed to Diana Ross and the Supremes.