Diana Ross on American Idol.

WORLD-RENOWNED ARTIST DIANA ROSS
TO COACH TOP 12 AND PERFORM ON “AMERICAN IDOL”
TUESDAY, MARCH 13, AND WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, ON FOX

World-renowned artist Diana Ross will work with the Top 12 finalists this week on AMERICAN IDOL Tuesday, March 13 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), and will perform on the results show Wednesday, March 14 (9:00-9:30 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. The contestants will perform songs from the Diana Ross and the Supremes songbook.

In a remarkable career spanning four decades, Ross has proven to be the consummate music artist, as well as one of the iconic female singers of all time. Beginning in the 1960s as lead singer of the world-renowned group the Supremes, and later as a solo performer, Ross achieved the unprecedented feat of 18 No. 1 singles in the U.S., rivaled only by the Beatles for the position of the biggest hit group of that generation.

In 1970, Ross moved to a solo career and for over three decades has continued to produce chart singles and sell-out tours, at the same time showing herself to be a successful business woman. Her many accomplishments include an Oscar nomination for her first film role, an extraordinary performance as Billie Holiday in "Lady Sings the Blues." She recently returned to the U.S. charts with her highest-debuting album in two decades, "I Love You."

DIANA ROSS' SON WORRIED ABOUT SMOKING ROLE AS GAY HIV VICTIM

DIANA ROSS' teenage son EVAN feared he'd upset his famous mum if he took on a role as a gay HIV sufferer in QUEEN LATIFAH's new TV movie LIFE SUPPORT - because the character smoked.

See picture;

Tracee & Evan Ross

Evan Ross, 18, joined big sister TRACEE ELLIS ROSS in the hardhitting new movie but had to make sure his mum would approve of his character before signing up. Ellis Ross recalls, "Evan called me when he thought he might get the role... and the interesting thing, which I thought says a lot about our family, is it wasn't the issue of playing gay or having HIV.

"It was the concern about smoking because we don't smoke in our family, and Evan was like, 'What do you think mom's gonna think of that?'" But mum Diana was thrilled to hear her son was furthering his acting career with a challenging part - and his portrayal in the film impressed writer/director NELSON GEORGE.

He explains, "A lot of young actors were afraid of that part because they didn't want it to seem that they were gay... He was very courageous because he dived right in and had no fear."