Diana Ross related news.

Marco Borsato - Diana Ross bruist in Gelredome!

2009-10-19T06:54:00.001-07:00

Marco Borsato - Diana Ross bruist in Gelredome!

Shared via AddThis

Overleg in VS over Symphonica in Rosso met Diana Ross

2009-05-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

ARNHEM - Een delegatie van The Entertainment Group heeft verleden weekend in de Verenigde Staten met Diana Ross overlegd over de inhoud van de Symphonica in Rosso-shows die de Amerikaanse zangeres in oktober in de Arnhemse GelreDome geeft..

Vertegenwoordigers van de organisatie zijn speciaal met dat doel afgereisd naar Mashantucket in de Amerikaanse staat Connectictut, een plaats tussen de grote steden Boston en New York. Ross trad daar op de zaterdagavond op in het MGM Grand, onderdeel van Foxwoods Casino & Resort.

Zaterdagmiddag maakte The Entertainment Group bekend dat er 'vanwege de enorme toeloop' kaarten voor een extra concert in de voorverkoop zijn gegaan. Behalve op vrijdag 16 oktober, zal Diana Ross ook op zaterdag 17 oktober optreden met een veertigkoppig orkest en gastartiesten.

De dertigduizend kaarten voor de eerste avond, die zaterdagochtend in de voorverkoop gingen, waren 's avonds al nagenoeg uitverkocht. GelreDome-directeur Jasper van Amstel spreekt van een 'mooi succes'. Opmerkelijk aan de kaartverkoop voor de vierde editie van Symphonica in Rosso, is de internationale interesse voor het evenement.

Volgens The Entertainment Group hebben inmiddels mensen uit heel Europa kaarten gekocht voor de shows. Diana Ross (65) wordt beschouwd als een van de meest succesvolle vrouwelijke artiesten ooit. Alleen al in de Verenigde Staten scoorde ze achttien nummer 1-hits.

Ze werd bekend met het soultrio The Supremes. Daarna volgde een solocarrière. In haar lange loopbaan schreef ze hits op haar naam als 'The boss', 'Baby love', 'Chain reaction', 'Why do fools fall in love, 'Love hangover' en 'I'm coming out'.

Het is de vierde editie van het muziekspektakel. Eerder waren Marco Borsato, Paul de Leeuw en Lionel Richie hoofdgast. De eerste drie edities van Symphonica in Rosso trokken in totaal ruim 590.000

Diana Ross Arrangement 2009

2009-05-20T02:30:00.000-07:00

Diana Ross Arrangement 2009

Na Marco Borsato, Paul de Leeuw en Lionel Richie gaat Diana Ross, voor het Symphonica in Rosso, haar wereldwijde hits samen met het 40- koppig symfonisch orkest ten uitvoer brengen.

De vierde editie van Symphonica in Rosso vindt plaats op vrijdag 16 oktober 2009.
Speciaal voor deze optredens hebben wij een arrangement samengesteld zodat u uw concert bezoek kunt combineren met een gezellig verblijf in Arnhem samen met alle Diana Ross fans. Ons hotel ligt in het centrum van Arnhem tegenover het Centraal station en slechts op 15 minuten lopen van het Gelredome. De pendelbussen van Connexxion rijden tegen een kleine vergoeding van en naar het concert en stoppen tegenover het hotel. Parkeren kunt u in parkeergarage Centraal tegenover het hotel.

Inhoud Arrangement

Bij aankomst een welkomstcocktail “Supreme(s)” in onze gezellige bar & lounge
1 overnachting op een tweepersoonskamer met douche
1x uitgebreid ontbijtbuffet
Stadsplattegrond
Retourkaartje voor de pendelbus van Connexxion naar het Gelredome.
Voor het concert (vanaf 16.00 uur) serveren wij een Diana Ross menu in onze Brasserie bestaande uit:
Bonte salade van lolo rosso, rucola en raddicio,
rouleau van kip,pruimen en noten
met frambozen dressing
***
gebakken runderentrecote
met rode portjus
***
roodfruit soepje
met gefrituurde glasnoedels
en yoghurt sorbetijs

Afterparty drankje met hapje in onze Bar No.1

Dit arrangement is geldig op 16 en 17 oktober en bedraagt € 129,- per persoon op basis van een standaard tweepersoonskamer. (Single toeslag bedraagt € 35,00 per persoon per nacht, bad toeslag is € 27,50 per kamer per nacht, Junior Suite toeslag bedraagt € 40,- per kamer per nacht.) zie internet !!

Voor reserveringen of vragen omtrent dit arrangement meld even de Diana Ross website!!

Kunt u zich wenden tot de receptie. Tel.nr. 026-4427441 of per e-mail info@hotelhaarhuis.nl

Best Western Hotel Haarhuis
Stationsplein 1
6811 KG Arnhem
Telefoon: 026-4427441

Extra concert Diana Ross Symphonica in Rosso

2009-05-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

HILVERSUM - Vanwege de enorme toeloop zaterdag op kaartjes voor de show Symphonica in Rosso met hoofdgast Diana Ross, heeft de organisatie besloten tot een extra concert op 17 oktober. Dat liet organisator The Entertainment Groep weten.

Volgens de organisatie was zaterdag op de eerste dag van de voorverkoop vanuit heel Europa een run op kaarten voor de show op 16 oktober in het Gelredome in Arnhem. De 30.000 kaartjes zijn dan ook bijna allemaal verkocht.

Orkest

Ross is dit jaar de belangrijkste artieste tijdens de succesvolle concertreeks Symphonica in Rosso. De Amerikaanse ster gaat in oktober haar wereldwijde hits samen met een veertig-koppig orkest uitvoeren.

Diana Ross SYMPHONICA IN ROSSO 2009

2009-05-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

The Entertainment Group Presents:

SYMPHONICA IN ROSSO 2009

It is with great honour and pleasure to announce the legendary

DIANA ROSS

will be headlining this years' edition of the succesful concertseries Symphonica in Rosso. Following concerts in previous years by Dutch artists Marco Borsato and Paul de Leeuw and Lionel Richie, the global entertainment icon will be performing her worldwide hits together with the 40-piece Symphonica in Rosso-orchestra at the most spectacular music event in The Netherlands. The 4th edition of Symphonica in Rosso will commence on October 18 and promises to be, thanks to the collaboration of superstar Diana Ross, the highlight of the 2009' musical year. Tickets for Symhonica in Rosso will go on sale on May 18 at 10:00 am via www.symphonicainrosso.nl , www.topticketline.nl , Free Record Shop and 0900-3005000 (€ 0,45 p.m.).

Diana Ross has an enormous number of international chart topping hits such as The Boss, Baby Love, Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Chain Reaction, Why do Fools Fall in Love, Love Hangover and I'm Coming Out, besides the many Supremes-classics to which all generation continue to sing along to. Millions of fans have seen her unique performances voiced all over the globe. Talented entertainer Diana Ross now has specially chosen for a unique, once in a lifetime performance, this years' edition of Symphonica in Rosso. It will be a show to which one can dance, but in which romantic sing-along ballads also will be performed. Fans are expected from all over Europe at this international acknowledged event to share in the performance of one of the world's greatest concerts artists and vocalists.

I must say I'm really looking forward to sharing this experience in the Netherlands. I've always had a special place in my heart for the Dutch audiences, they've always given me a wonderful welcome. We're planning to perform all those songs that the Dutch audience really want to hear, in what I see as being one of the biggest productions imaginable.! I can already feel the excitement!', Miss Ross said from the US.

It is with great pride that Symphonica in Rosso welcomes the spirit and aura of Diana Ross to the most precious music event in the Netherlands. The first three editions of Symphonica in Rosso attracted more than 600.000 visitors during 19 sold-out evenings at the Gelredome-stadium. Symphonica in Rosso is a –according to worldwide standards- gigantic production. A team of more than 550 people work on these spectacular shows and at certain times, more than 100 people have been performing simultaneously on the enormous stage. Combining the biggest names in the music industry, a gigantic stage, special sound- and lightning effects, impressive videographics and the red theme, together with an audience dressed in red, make Symphonica in Rosso a yearly event not to be missed.

The legendary Diana Ross is one of the most successful female artists of all-time, a musical treasure whose songs have, for decades, inspired romance, happiness and joy. She has had countless hit songs: in the USA alone, Diana Ross has scored 18 Billboard-number-one-hits with The Supremes, as a solo artist, and with classic duets such as Endless Love recorded with Lionel Richie. Diana Ross crosses musical borders with exhilarating ease - pop, disco, soul, and jazz, constantly reaching out to find new ways to inspire and enthral her audiences. Miss Ross has achieved a truly global iconic status: she has performed at historical events the world over, at the Olympics, at inaugurations for Presidents, during the Superbowl, at Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies. She has inspired many of the female artists who have followed her, such as Beyonce, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. As America's Kennedy Center observed when they honoured her in 2007: "Gladness has informed all of Diana Ross' body of work. This lady doesn't just sing the blues. She sings pure joy".

It is a joy that is certain to be shared by countless of thousands of people when Diana Ross joins Symphonica in Russo this coming October.

Diana Ross Symphonica in Rosso

2009-05-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

Diana Ross Symphonica in Rosso

October 16 2009

This will be 'A Once In A Lifetime' Concert with a big orchestra, showdancers and several performances of outstanding Dutch guest artists. A spectacular Diana Ross concert you have never seen and experienced before!!

29.000 people will enjoy this spectacular concert in the Gelredome stadium in Arnhem, The Netherlands.

MORE NEWS http://www.dianarossfanclub.net/

Please do not send a request for tickets, for tickets http://www.symphonicainrosso.nl/

Nu ook een HYVES Diana Ross in Symphonica in Rosso http://diana-ross-in-rosso.hyves.nl/

DIANA ROSS in SYMPHONICA IN ROSSO 2009

De legendarische Diana Ross wordt dit jaar de headliner van de succesvolle concertreeks Symphonica in Rosso. In navolging van Marco Borsato, Paul de Leeuw en Lionel Richie heeft de Amerikaanse ster aangekondigd om in het grootste Nederlandse muziekspektakel haar wereldwijde hits samen met het 40- koppig symfonisch orkest uit te voeren. De vierde editie van Symphonica in Rosso vindt plaats op vrijdag 16 oktober 2009 in het Arnhemse Gelredome en belooft dankzij de medewerking van superster Diana Ross het hoogtepunt van het muzikale jaar te worden. Kaarten voor Symphonica in Rosso zijn vanaf zaterdag 16 mei om 10:00 uur te koop.

‘Ik kijk er bijzonder naar uit om op te treden in Nederland. Het Nederlandse publiek heeft vanaf het begin een bijzonder plekje in mijn hart gehad – ik ben er altijd erg warm onthaald. We zijn van plan om alle liedjes waar het Nederlandse publiek van houdt ten gehore te brengen, in één van de grootste producties die ik me maar voor kan stellen. Ik heb er nu al enorme zin in!’, zegt Diana Ross vanuit de VS.

Diana Ross heeft een ongekend aantal internationale tophits op haar repertoire, waaronder The Boss, Baby Love, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Chain Reaction, Why do Fools Fall in Love, Love Hangover en I’m Coming Out. Daarbij zijn de klassiekers van de Supremes nog niet eens opgeteld – stuk voor stuk meezingers voor iedereen. Haar unieke optredens zijn door miljoenen fans over de gehele wereld bijgewoond. De getalenteerde entertainer heeft voor deze “once in a lifetime performance” voor Symphonica in Rosso gekozen. Tijdens de show kan zowel gedanst worden als met romantische ballads worden meegezongen. Uit geheel Europa worden fans verwacht voor dit evenement met internationaal hoog aanzien om het fantastische optreden van één van ’s werelds grootste concertartiesten en vocalisten bij te wonen. Kaarten voor Symphonica in Rosso zijn vanaf zaterdag 16 mei om 10:00 uur te koop via http://www.symphonicainrosso.nl/ , http://www.topticketline.nl/ , Free Record Shop en 0900-3005000 (€ 0,45 p.m.).

Het fenomeen Diana Ross is een van de meest succesvolle vrouwelijke muziekartiesten aller tijden. Alleen al in de USA scoorde de veelzijdige zangeres maar liefst achttien nummer-1-noteringen. Zij nam hits op met ondermeer Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder en Michael Jackson. Diana Ross wordt internationaal geprezen om haar vakmanschap en kwaliteiten als de zangeres die meerdere muziekgenres beheerst (van pop, disco, soul tot jazz). Diana Ross wordt over de gehele wereld gezien als een icoon op het gebied van entertainment, zij trad op bij memorabele gebeurtenissen over de gehele wereld, op Olympische Spelen, bij inauguraties van presidenten, tijdens de Superbowl, bij de uitreiking van Nobelprijzen. Zij is een inspiratie voor vrouwelijke artiesten waaronder Beyonce, Whitney Houston en Mariah Carey.

Symphonica in Rosso
Symphonica in Rosso staat bekend als het meest prestigieuze en kwalitatieve muziekconcert van Nederland. Het is dan ook met grote trots dat Symphonica in Rosso Diana Ross in oktober verwelkomt. De eerste drie edities van Symphonica in Rosso trokken in totaal ruim 590.000 bezoekers verdeeld over 19 uitverkochte Gelredome concerten. De combinatie van spetterende optredens van de grootste artiesten, een gigantisch podium, de speciale licht- en geluidstechnieken, indrukwekkende visuals en de kleur rood - en het in het rood geklede publiek- zorgen er ieder jaar voor dat Symphonica in Rosso een overweldigend concert is.

Symphonica in Rosso is een –naar wereldwijde maatstaven- gigantische productie. Zo werken meer dan 600 mensen mee aan de spectaculaire show en staan er op sommige momenten meer dan 120 personen op het immense podium.

Diana Ross Symphonica in Rosso

2009-05-12T03:17:00.000-07:00

Diana Ross Symphonica in Rosso
October 16 2009

This will be 'A Once In A Lifetime' Concert with a big orchestra, showdancers and several performances of outstanding Dutch guest artists. A spectacular Diana Ross concert you have never seen and experienced before!! 29.000 people will enjoy this spectacular concert in the Gelredome stadium in Arnhem, The Netherlands.

MORE NEWS
http://www.dianarossfanclub.net/

Please do not send a request for tickets,
for tickets http://www.symphonicainrosso.nl/

Regards Jim Hoogendorp / The Hague / The Netherlands

Diana Ross pursued through the streets of New York by paparazzi

2009-02-19T23:35:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Diana Ross causes a chain reaction as she is followed through the streets of New York by a gaggle of paparazzi.

The Motown legend was spotted leaving the Bryant Park Tent following a fashion show. Her over-zealous security tired to usher her into a hotel foyer whilst they found her car, but Miss Ross proved to be no diva, insisting on walking to her vehicle.

See video!!

Diana Ross, who has sold more than 100 million records as a soloist and member of the Motown group, The Supremes, will headline the McCallum Theatre’s

2008-11-05T04:34:00.001-08:00

Diana Ross, who has sold more than 100 million records as a soloist and member of the Motown group, The Supremes, will headline the McCallum Theatre’s 21st anniversary gala concert Dec. 3 at the McCallum.

Jackie Lee Houston and Harold Matzner will Co-Chair the event. Proceeds will benefit McCallum Theatre programs including arts education activities that serve more than 37,200 Coachella Valley schoolchildren.

Ross, a 12-time Grammy and Oscar-nominated singer and actress, follows Liza Minnelli as the McCallum headliner.

The concert will start at 8 p.m., preceded by cocktails and dinner at 5:30 p.m. at one of four mid-valley restaurants — Cuistot, Jillian’s, Le St. Germain or Wally’s Desert Turtle.

Sponsorships are $750, including dinner, one orchestra seat to the concert, and listing in the event program.

Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Monday. 11-10, at the McCallum box office, 73-000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA, or by calling the Special Event Department at 346-6505, Ext 126 or 133.

Tickets are not available on the Internet.

Arne Neass 1999

2008-10-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

Click the name Arne Neass 1999 from the Norway television.

Diana Ross in Liverpool, UK-12th July 08-Thank you to fans

2008-07-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

luxury mega-yacht for July in Monaco for Diana Ross concert

2008-06-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

I wondered whether your friends may be interested in hiring a luxury mega-yacht for July in Monaco for Diana Ross concert.

Harmony II is owned by two millionaire brothers (one is a huge Diana Ross fan). The boat is based in the Monaco (see attached brochure). Because of a cancellation we have a slot this summer to hire her out for private charter. She has a full crew and can take up to 12 passengers. Kelly Brook was on board in May at the Cannes Film Festival.

The cost for a 1 week charter, for up to 12 guests, including all food and drink and crew and fuel would only be £52,000 (which is just enough to cover the running costs).

Please let me know if you are interested.

Kind regards,

Sarah R Brockwell

Harmony II

the unique venue for corporate hospitality, events and conferences

(E) sarah@harmony2.co.uk

(T) +44 (0)1371 859104

(M) +44 (0)7955 132 149

DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES - Let the Music Play: Supreme Rarities 1960-1969

2008-05-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES - Let the Music Play: Supreme Rarities 1960-1969
Nu in Nederland verkrijgbaar!! Released door Universal Nederland

EUR 17.99
Bespaar: tot 30%
Bezorging: Gratis!

Tracklisting:
CD1:
You Can Depend on Me
Tears of Sorrow (Motown Version)
Because I Love Him
Hey Baby (Version 1)
Too Hot
You're Gonna Come to Me (Version 1)
You're Gonna Come to Me (Version 2)
It Makes No Difference Now (Alternate Version) - (alternate take)
Come on Boy (Alternate Version) - (alternate take)
Just Call Me (Stereo Mix)
I Saw Him Standing There
Not Fade Away
Ooowee Baby (Alternate Mix) - (alternate take)
It's All Your Fault (Version 1)
Come See About Me/Baby Love/Stop! In the Name of Love
Cupid (Alternate Extended Mix) - (alternate take)
Take Me Where You Go (Version 3)
Back in My Arms Again (Alternate Vocal) - (alternate take)
You Can't Hurry Love (Alternate Vocal) - (alternate take)
Mickey's Monkey
Uptight (Everything's Alright) (Alternate Vocal) - (alternate take)
It's Not Unusual
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
Come and Get These Memories (Alternate Mix) - (alternate take)
I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) (Alternate Mix) - (alternate take)
Let the Music Play (Alternate Vocal) - (alternate take)
CD2:
Don't Let True Love Die (Extended Version)
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Every Time I Feel the Spirit
Believe in Me
Beginning of the End of Love, The (Stereo Mix)
People (Unedited Version)
Over the Rainbow
Wish I Knew
I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel For You
I'll Set You Free (Alternate Vocal) - (alternate take)
Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone
In the Evening of Our Love
Love Child (Alternate Vocal) - (alternate take)
Those Precious Memories
I'm Livin' in Shame (Version 1)
MacArthur Park
You're Gonna Hear From Me
Canadian Sunset
Autumn Leaves
Look of Love, The
Someday We'll Be Together (Alternate Vocal) - (alternate take)
Scott Regan Radio Promos

CD WOW! is een internationale leverancier van cd.s. Kijk op de tracklijst of we de versie hebben die u nodig heeft.

DIANA ROSS FANTASTIC!

2008-05-05T14:38:00.001-07:00

DIANA FANTASTIC!

Review by DAVE SMITH

Diana was fantastic at Divas with Heart! She never disappoints! She entered from the rear of the theatre singing I'm Coming Out! She wore the red dress with the Flamingo like ruffles. Instead of having a mini skirt underneath she had a matching long skirt with a slit up the side. Her voice was in top notch form and she sang quite a few songs I think she performed for around 45 minutes or so. For the last number she changed into the new black and tan dress she has been wearing in her shows as of late. She had no time though to change her red platform shoes and red chandelier earrings! Gladys Knight Patti Labelle and Chaka Khan were all wonderful and great singers and I feel so fortunate to have seen them perform live. It was Diana however who brought down the house! She is the consumate performer. She ended the show with I will survive and an encore of I Love you!
(05-05-08)

Diana Ross comes to Petworth Park!

2008-05-03T06:39:00.000-07:00

Diana Ross comes to Petworth Park!

For one night only, international superstar Diana Ross performs at her only UK outdoor concert in 2008!
Tickets for this sell out concert are on sale now!

This is an outdoor concert. There will be no fixed seating in either the Golden Circle or General Admission areas.
You cannot bring your own alcohol in to the concert arena. Only alcohol purchased within the concert arena can be consumed.
For full terms and conditions and full details of what you can and cannot bring in to the concert please click here.

Buy online or call the ticket hotline on 0870 842 2230

The Supremes on show

2008-04-26T06:22:00.000-07:00

The Supremes on show
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 26/04/2008

The Supremes not only took black music out of the ghetto and into the mainstream - they also did it in dazzling style. Nilgin Yusuf celebrates a new exhibition of their fabulous dresses at the V&A

It is 1964, and on stage at The Ed Sullivan Show three beautiful black women, Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson, are singing in harmony and dancing in rhythm. They exude self-assurance and sensuality. And the audience, who have never seen or heard anything like it, are clearly mesmerised. With 12 number one hits in the US, and 20 million record sales (ranking them second only to the Beatles) - the Supremes went on to be the world's most successful girl band. 'I worshipped the ground they walked on,' remembers Sharon Davis, the costume designer on Dreamgirls, a film part-inspired by the group. 'They made me believe I could be whatever I wanted.'

Back to their roots in front of the Brewster Projects in Detroit, 1967

Now the Victoria and Albert Museum is hosting the Story of the Supremes, an exhibition featuring more than 50 of the group's original costumes, based on Mary Wilson's collection. Always keen to preserve the legacy of the Supremes, Wilson kept all their outfits in storage. 'It was my dream that I would one day be able to share them with the world,' she says.

The image of the Supremes, originally called the Primettes, was always important to the group - Diana Ross (real name, Diane Ernestine Earle) briefly studied dressmaking, and the group's first costumes were homemade. In Gerri Hershey's book Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music, Ross describes their early dresses: 'They were black and gold, and we had a string of gold fake pearls from the dime store… You remember those balloon dresses? We made some of these in a very bright flowered print. And we had these bright orange shoes with big flowers stuck on the front of them.'

The girls were soon able to buy gowns from department stores, which they would customise. While other black girl bands were going for 'little Jackie O, Givenchy knock-off numbers, Diana was always into heavy-duty glamour and wanted long dresses, which made them stand out,' recalls Bob Mackie, the Hollywood costume designer who was drafted in later in the Supremes' career to heighten their stage presence. 'They were pretty successful and international already when I did their Get It Together on Broadway TV special alongside the Temptations,' adds Mackie, who went on to design costumes for Diana Ross's solo career (she left the group in 1970). 'I just enhanced what they already had. I guess Diana got custody of me.'

Mackie's rhinestone-and-pearl-encrusted dresses worn for Ross's farewell performance feature in the exhibition, alongside the cream, bronze and yellow 'Butterfly' dresses that the designer Michael Travis created for the Supremes to wear on the cover of their final studio album, Cream of the Crop, in 1969. In the disco era it was Pat Campano, who in addition to his outlandish outfits for Sylvester, designed costumes and catsuits for the Supremes.

The Supremes wearing Bob Mackie's sequins and chevrons

In marked contrast, the controversial outfits that the group wore to launch their single Lovechild in 1968 on The Ed Sullivan Show have been recreated for the exhibition. Marking a break with tradition, the Supremes, in a concessionary move to fashion's 'youthquake', appeared in cut-off jeans, T-shirts and bare feet. Many black viewers complained that the group were not presenting a strong black image, and drawing on the imagery of the white suburbs.

In response, the Supremes returned to the glamour that had become their hallmark. Although their stage outfits managed to reflect the changing mores and sensibilities, the Supremes still had their own very distinctive look. Bob Mackie's shimmering peach-coloured gowns covered in a pattern of sequinned chevrons were worn by the group continually throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, and were clearly a favourite.

But it was Berry Gordy, the one-time boxer who created Tamla Motown, who was the group's ultimate image-maker. He knew that if the Supremes were going to be successful internationally they had to break out of their ghettoised fan base. So the girls were dispatched to Motown's 'artistic development' unit, where they were taught how to move, dance and smile.

Here their tutors included Cholly Atkins, who perfected their stylised arm movements to counter the restricting sheath dresses they often wore; the musical director Maurice King; pianist/arranger Johnny Allen; and Maxine Powell, now 93, who taught the Supremes their etiquette and deportment. 'Be prepared to perform before kings and queens,' Powell instructed.

So while the outfits on display reflect the transformation of three Detroit girls from the projects into diva goddesses, they also reveal an emerging black American identity and power at a time when, in parts of the country, segregation was still in force (early in their career, on a tour of the Deep South, rocks were thrown at the Supremes' bus).

The Supremes with the Temptations in Diana Ross's farewell performance in 1970. The dresses are by Bob Mackie

In 1964 the Supremes were the first black act to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, the same year that Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act - they went on to appear on the show an additional 16 times. In an atmosphere of racial fear and bigotry, the Supremes strode into the firing line and looked breathtaking. Carol Tulloch, a research fellow at the V&A and a contributor to the exhibition, says, 'White audiences were placated by the image of the Supremes. This was an image of black people that was non-threatening.'

Their combination of beauty, talent and charm made the Supremes icons of black achievement, transforming expectations and perceptions. 'They also changed the idea of how black women could be seen in the public sphere, and set the standard of what girl bands, black or white could achieve,' Tulloch adds. But as the decades wore on, the Supremes were retrospectively criticised for selling out and looking 'too white'. Mackie is appalled at the suggestion. 'Too white? What were they supposed to wear? African dress?'

Today the sensibilities and aesthetics have changed, but it is impossible to imagine MTV, the charts, and all aspects of popular music without the massive contribution of black artists. Missy Elliot and Mary J Blige owe no one. Except, perhaps, the Supremes.

'The Story of the Supremes from the Mary Wilson Collection' is at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London SW1, May 13 to October 19 (vam.ac.uk)

Diana Ross snubs media and fans

2008-04-26T06:18:00.001-07:00

Diana Ross snubs media and fans

Saturday, April 26th 2008

UNDER COVER: Diana Ross hides her face after her arrival at Crown Point International Airport yesterday before her performance at last night's opening night of the Plymouth Jazz Festival at the Plymouth Recreation Ground.

THE Diva herself, Diana Ross, used a magazine to hide her face from media photographers and fans who stood at the Crown Point International Airport waiting to greet her yesterday morning.

Ross, who headlined last night's opening of the Plymouth Jazz Festival at the Plymouth Recreation Ground, arrived on a private jet at around 10.30 a.m.

A five-car convoy, including police escort, quickly whisked her away in a grey Mercedes Benz.

Some disappointed fans were heard asking: "But why is she hiding her face?"

Last night's performance by Ross was her second at the event, billed by Forbes 500 as the "third Biggest Event in the World".

Last year, Ross' performance was cut short to accommodate that night's headliner, Mary J Blige, who had to leave Tobago to fulfill contractual arrangements in the US.

Whitney Houston, who is working on making a comeback into the music industry after years of marital problems and drug abuse, is expected to arrive on the island at around 7 p.m. tonight.

DIANA ROSS: EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING

2008-04-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Soul Music Store, the No. 1-rated site for classic R&B, Motown and soul music CDs. We have hundreds of rare and hard-to-find titles by artists of the '60s, '70s, '80s and beyond as well as a selection of pop, reggae, blues and jazz limited edition titles available to ship globally.

* indicates item with music clips

DIANA ROSS: EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING [Expanded Edition]
Pre-Order due April 22
Item# B000809302
$21.99
Product Description
You asked for it and here it is: Everything Is Everything, Diana Ross’s 1970 sophomore solo album, is finally available on CD in the U.S. for the first time.

Released even as her debut solo album was still on the charts, EIE featured productions by Deke Richards, the leader of the “Corporation” team responsible for the Jackson 5 hits. The album didn’t produce a major hit along the lines of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” Ross’s big smash that year, but “I’m Still Waiting” became a U.K. No. 1. “I Love You (Call Me),” a cover of Aretha Franklin’s hit, was nominated for a Grammy® (it lost to Aretha herself). The complete, fascinating story is all here in this beautiful, expanded edition that includes seven bonus tracks from the Motown vault.

Among the stunning bonus tracks are unreleased covers of the Beatles “Something” and the Oscar®-nominated song “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life,” alternate lyrics to “Ain’t No Sad Song,” a remix of “Come Together” – plus the hit U.K. remix of “I’m Still Waiting.”

In the booklet, Deke himself tells fascinating stories of the album’s genesis. Why, even as Ashford & Simpson were cutting the tracks that became the hits, Berry Gordy asked him to make this album. How, months after the album’s release, the U.K. embraced “I’m Still Waiting.” How the longest title in Diana’s repertoire came to be. How Deke wished to get Burt Bacharach to write a song for Diana, and what resulted instead. What happened to the bonus tracks—and where in all this fits Motown’s west coast guru Hal Davis.

Featuring stunning never-before seen photos, detailed annotations, digitally remastered audio, and never-before heard studio chatter, this collection is a must-add for every Diana Ross fan.

Order fast: the expanded edition of Diana Ross’s Last Time I Saw Him is nearly sold out, and this will go fast too.

Original Album + Bonus Tracks. Tracks 12-17 previously unreleased
1. My Place
2. Ain't No Sad Song
3. Everything Is Everything 4. Baby It's Love
5. I'm Still Waiting
6. Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoo
7. Come Together
8. The Long And Winding Road
9. I Love You (Call Me)
10. How About You
11. (They Long To Be) Close To You
12. Wish I Knew
13. What Are You Doing
14. Something
15. Ain't No Sad Song - alternate lyrics
16. Baby It's Love - alternate vocal
17. Come Together - 1982 "Revelations" remix
18. I'm Still Waiting - 1990 Phil Chill remix

Supreme night out at the summer pops

2008-02-29T17:39:00.001-08:00

Supreme night out at the summer pops
Feb 29 2008 by Jade Wright, Liverpool Echo

LEGENDARY soul diva Diana Ross will make a dazzling return to this year’s Summer Pops.

The Motown superstar will make her first appearance in Liverpool for three years when the event moves to the ECHO Arena.

The city concert is one of two the former Supreme will perform in the UK this year, with the warm reception she was given back in 2005 said to be the reason behind her decision to come back.

Her performance then won rave reviews and featured songs from across her five-decade back catalogue.

Her return was one of four gigs announced for this year’s Summer Pops today.

Simply Red frontman Mick Hucknall, American rock band Counting Crows and three monsters of rock, Def Leppard, Whitesnake and Thunder, will also take to the stage at the waterfront venue.

The latter three acts will join up for a triple bill to remember, with Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale bringing his band back on to the road to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

He said: “It is about time we had new songs to present to the Whitesnake choir. This album has all the elements I enjoy about Whitesnake and more.”

Hucknall will perform in his own name in Liverpool for the first time, after the release of his debut solo album Tribute To Bobby.

Simply Red last took to the stage at the Summer Pops two years ago.

Counting Crows, who will make their Pops debut, will release their eighth album next month, with the help of renowned Liverpool producer Gil Norton.

The six new acts join confirmed artists Michael Bublé, Crowded House, Deacon Blue and The Australian Pink Floyd for this year’s series of events.

ECHO essentials

MICK Hucknall plays the Summer Pops on July 1, tickets £32.50 or £38.50.

Counting Crows play on July 8, tickets £32.50 standing and seating.

Diana Ross plays on July 12, tickets £35 or £45.

Def Leppard, Whitesnake and Thunder play on July 15, tickets £37.50.

Tickets for these shows are on sale now, excluding Counting Crows, which go on sale at 9am on Friday March 7.

A limited amount of Gold Circle tickets are available each night.

For tickets and the VIP Pops experience, call the ECHO Arena on 0844 800 0400, go online to www.accliverpool.com, Ticketmaster on 0844 847 1616, Ticketline on 0151-256 5555, Seetickets on 0871 220 0260, Liverpool Direct on 0151-233 3007 or in person from the 08 Place or arena box office.

jadewright@liverpoolecho.co.uk

IAD RADIO PRESENTS A DIANA ROSS TRIBUTE “IT’S TIME TO SAY WE LOVE YOU!”

2008-02-13T17:25:00.000-08:00

IAD RADIO PRESENTS A DIANA ROSS TRIBUTE “IT’S TIME TO SAY WE LOVE YOU!”

Diana Ross is a global entertainment icon and a legendary musical treasure. Her music has for decades, inspired romance, happiness and joy. Diana has inspired so many to pursue their dreams and to make a positive difference in the world!!! Many artists and fans across the world will express their gratitude and love to the one and only Diana Ross. Do not miss this incredible tribute at www.iadradio.com

VISIT US ON OUR INTERACTIVE WEBSITE AT WWW.IADRADIO.COM TO LISTEN TO OUR CURRENT SHOW AND SEE HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED WITH THE SHOW TO MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR AREA NOW!

======================================================

Meeting Diana Ross Fans Houston

2008-02-05T04:04:00.000-08:00

Greetings Ross Fans –

The attached are scheduled activities planned for Houston next week.

I ask that all fans staying at the Magnolia Hotel, please reply to me with the correct spelling of you first and last name.

If you are NOT staying at the Magnolia Hotel, yet would like to attend any of these events, please let me know IMMEDIATELY! Space is limited.

All events WILL take place at the Magnolia Hotel.

EVENTS FOR MONDAY 2/11/08

Remember Me Reception

5:30p

As Miss Ross once wrote, “It’s important to laugh a lot, lighten up!” Take time to enjoy a glass of wine, soda or beer while mingling with Diana Ross Fans from all over the world! This casual event will allow you to catch up with familiar faces and meet Ross devotees of all ages.

**Open to All Fans **Beverages are complimentary for Magnolia Hotel Guests**

A Life Time To Get Here: The Written Works

8:15p

This 40 minute session will allow Ross fans to discuss literature and biographies written about Miss Ross. Examining Ross fact vs. Ross Fiction, this mature discussion will be hosted by acclaimed author Tom Adrahtas. Mr. Adrahtas’ recent biography, A Lifetime To Get Here: Diana Ross, The American Dreamgirl, is a popular fan favorite, and a top seller on Amazon.com. Mr. Adrahtas will read excerpts from his best seller, discuss research he conducted and answer questions.

Signed copies of A Lifetime to Get Here: Diana Ross, The American Dreamgirl will be available for purchase.

**Open to All Fans**

EVENTS FOR TUESDAY 2/12/08

Chain Reaction Meet & Greet Welcome Breakfast

8:00a

“It’s gotta be Once In The Morning-” and yes, we’re talking about breakfast! Join the Ross gang bright and early for complimentary continental breakfast. Enjoy the most important meal of the day with the greatest fans. As we get ready for the Brilliant Lecture from the Supreme Diva, start your day right, with a fellow Ross fans, good eats and good friends!

**Magnolia Hotel Guests Only**

Supreme Lady Trivia

3:00p

This hilarious 60 minute show will group fans into teams as they test their knowledge on The Supreme Lady (a.k.a. Miss Diana Ross)! Borrowing elements from classic game shows like Jeopardy, Name That Tune, Family Feud and Win, Loose or Draw contestants will answer questions pertaining to Miss Ross and her career. Fans who wish to participate should prepare to sing, act, pose and LAUGH! With various challenges, speed rounds and Do OR Die questions- this activity will determine Who’s The Boss!

**Open to All Fans**

If We Hold On Together: Brilliant Lecture VIP Departure

5:30p

Fans who wish to walk to the Hobby Center from the Magnolia Hotel will meet and begin the 7

block / 10 minute walk (weather permitting) to the event. Group will depart promptly. Please plan accordingly, as to NOT be tardy - as Fans will be eager to see Miss Ross!

**Open to All Fans**

For info DeMarcio.Slaughter@SageHospitality.com

DeMarcio Slaughter

Event Organizer for Houston / Ross Rules

DIANA ROSS, WAYNE BRADY AND JERSEY BOYS WILL OPEN VENETIAN’S NEW $3-BILLION PALAZZO EXPANSION

2008-01-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

DIANA ROSS, WAYNE BRADY AND JERSEY BOYS WILL OPEN VENETIAN’S NEW $3-BILLION PALAZZO EXPANSION Jan 8, '08 12:08 AM
for everyone

DIANA ROSS, WAYNE BRADY AND JERSEY BOYS WILL OPEN VENETIAN’S NEW $3-BILLION PALAZZO EXPANSION
It’s going to be a nonstop 72-hour three-day opening weekend of festivities to celebrate the new Palazzo resort alongside the Venetian. Luxe Life has learned that it all kicks off Thursday of next week with a VIP-red carpet extravaganza at the new Barney’s New York mega fashion store as many of the retail shops and restaurants, including my New York friends from Sushi Samba, open up for the first time. Music-moguls Jay Z and Beyonce have already opened their new 40/40 club, but expect celebrity chefs Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse and Charlie Trotter to be on hand for the kickoff—pouring champagne and serving up taste treats.

All day Friday (Jan 18) it will be a “peek at the Palazzo” for invited guests to explore all of its amenities and attractions. Then Saturday, improv comedian Wayne Brady will host the all-star concert gala with performances led by superstar singer Diana Ross and the cast of the Jersey Boys. (Wayne headlines at the Venetian and the Jersey Boys debut in the new Palazzo theatre this spring. Diana recently opened the Venetian’s new Macau resort convention hotel).

Diana Ross At Dubai's Airshow Dinner

2007-11-14T06:05:00.000-08:00

Legendary singer Diana Ross produced a memorable performance at the Dubai Airshow Gala Dinner entertained over 4,000 guests. The event was jointly organised by Emirates Airline, Dubai Duty Free and the Dubai Airports Company.

Ross was in Dubai to perform exclusively at the event. The audience included heads of state, government representatives, Airshow exhibitors, business representatives and media.

The Dubai Airshow Gala Dinner, which was one of the highlights of the Airshow’s 10th anniversary celebrations, was staged outdoors at the majestic Dubai International Marine Club.

During the evening, Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Airports Company and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, presented the Dubai Airshow exhibitor awards.

Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Airports, also provided guests a detailed update on the historic week at the 10th Dubai Airshow.

Following the speeches and award presentations, Ross, who looked stunning dressed in a shimmering white gown and boa took centre stage and opened the concert with the Motown classic ‘I’m coming out’. Guests flocked to the stage and were captivated by Ross’ impeccable voice, dynamic dancing and stage presence.

Ross also performed hits including ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, ‘Do You Know Where You’re Going To’, the theme song from her 1976 film ‘Mahogany’, and songs from her days in the Supremes. The legendary artist entertained guests for over an hour and ended the spectacular concert with a mesmerizing performance of ‘I will survive’.

Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said: “Over the years, the Airshow Gala Dinner has attracted top international performers and has proven to be one of the most popular social events on the Airshow calendar. We were thrilled that Ross joined us for this special occasion, particularly as this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Dubai Airshow.”

New Diana Ross book "Diana's Dogs"

2007-11-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

More info www.dianarossfanclub.net

A Cellarful of Motown Vol.3

2007-10-24T02:59:00.000-07:00

A Cellarful of Motown Vol.3
~ Various Artists (Artist)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Price: £11.99 & eligible for Free UK delivery on orders over £15 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

Availability: In stock. Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.

Want guaranteed delivery by 1pm Thursday, October 25? Order it in the next 7 hours and 0 minutes, and choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. You're Walking Out With My Heart - Holloway, Brenda
2. This Love Will Never Die - Miracles
3. Get Ready - San Remo Strings
4. Love Is Good - Marvelettes
5. Jealousy Is Creeping Up On Me - Contours
6. Easier Said Than Done - Edwards, Dennis
7. At The Go Go - Wonder, Stevie
8. Memories Of Her Love Keep Haunting Me - Spinners (2)
9. I'm In Love Again - Shorty Long
10. I Can't Let Him Go - Fair, Yvonne
11. Come On And See Me - Clark, Chris (1)
12. Never Give You Up - Blinky & Edwin Starr
13. Just Too Much To Hope For - Monitors (1)
14. Loving You (Is Hurting Me) - Fantastic Four (1)
15. SOS Girl In Distress - Johnson, Marv
16. Thief Of Love - Page, Oma
17. Too Young Too Long - Crawford, Carolyn
18. You Stay On My Mind - Paul, Clarence
19. Come Back My Love - Temptations (1)
20. Chance With You - Gaye, Marvin
21. Watch Your Step - Varo, Mike
22. Boy From Crosstown - Marvelettes
Disc: 2
1. We'll Keep On Rolling - Holloway, Brenda
2. I Can't Help Loving You Baby - Contours
3. I'm Here Now That You Need Me - Barnes, J.J.
4. Judge's Daughter - Originals (1)
5. Something About You - Dean, Debbie
6. Soldier Of Love - Four Tops
7. I'm Gonna Get You - Knight, Gladys & The Pips
8. Don't Stop Loving Me - Jo, Ivy
9. Sweet Sweet Love - Lollipops
10. I'm Doing The Best I Can - Walker, Junior & The All Stars
11. Cindy - Taylor, Bobby
12. Little Girls Grow Up - Marvelettes
13. Too Late I Learned - Spinners (2)
14. Beware Of A Stranger - Wright, Rita
15. You Took Me This Far Take Me All The Way - Starr, Edwin
16. Can I Get A Witness - Blinky
17. There's Always Room For Love In A Movie - Kayli, Bob
18. Farewell Is A Lonely Sound - Peterson, Paul
19. You've Made Me So Very Happy - Little Miss Soul
20. Honey Hut - Shorty Long
21. Honey Boy - Little Lisa
22. This Is Goodbye - Headliners (1)
23. Going To A Go Go - Holloway, Brenda & The Supremes

Detroit Street Named After Motown Legend

2007-10-24T02:57:00.000-07:00

DETROIT (AP) — A section of the street where the Motown sound originated has been renamed for Berry Gordy Jr., the music label's legendary founder.

The Detroit City Council unanimously voted to give a section of West Grand Boulevard the name, Berry Gordy Jr. Boulevard, Councilwoman Martha Reeves said Wednesday in a statement.

Berry Gordy Jr. Boulevard will stretch west from the John C. Lodge freeway to Grand River Avenue. It includes the block where "Hitsville USA," Gordy's former home and Motown recording studio, stands.

A dedication ceremony was planned Friday.

"This is a dream come true for me, to succeed in a venture that has been in my heart since my days at Motown," said Reeves, an original member of the Motown group, Martha and the Vandellas.

Motown produced music icons such as Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Miracles, Four Tops, Temptations and the Jackson Five.

'Oo Baby Baby:' Motown's 50th launched with a high-spirited soiree

2007-10-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

'Oo Baby Baby:' Motown's 50th launched with a high-spirited soiree
Susan Whitall / Detroit News Music Writer

A three-year Motown party kicked off Saturday night with a five-hour bash at the Detroit Marriott, as Berry Gordy Jr. and his Motown family gathered to toast the coming 50th anniversary of the now-legendary record company Gordy founded on the near west side.

"We're celebrating three things, one is Smokey (Robinson's) and my 50 years as great friends, also 50 years of the Miracles being together, and 50 years of Motown and what it meant to us and the world," Gordy said after dinner.

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick addressed the audience. "I wasn't around when you were making all this music," he told the audience, which included the original Miracles. "Good thing you put it on vinyl! I was dancing in the living room with my mom." He also thanked Smokey Robinson for the song "Oo Baby Baby" and those "blue lights in the basement" parties, "Because I think it's the reason I'm here."

Among the assembled were Detroit City Council member Martha Reeves; the Velvelettes; songwriter/producers Brian and Eddie Holland; former Motown sales executive and president Barney Ales; producers Robert Bateman and Clay McMurray; former executive Billie Jean Brown; secretary and songwriter Janie Bradford and Motown's A&R director Mickey Stevenson.

Smokey Robinson reunited onstage with his surviving Miracles -- Bobby Rogers, Claudette Robinson and Pete Moore (Ronnie White died in 1995) -- for the first time since Motown 25, he reckoned, to sing "Tears of a Clown."

Later Robinson sang a song he'd composed about his friendship with Gordy.

"It's a love story between two straight guys," Robinson said, to startled laughter.

His friendship with Gordy was based on love, Robinson explained, but the two are also fierce competitors.

In fact, Gordy beat Robinson in golf recently, and when the Motown boss gave a brief speech about Motown's plans for the coming three years, he gleefully mentioned the win.

A shout could be heard from Robinson's table.

"What? That had to be Smokey," Gordy said.

"Tell the truth!" someone yelled.

"Who are you?" Gordy demanded, peering at the heckler. "OK, so he beat me at chess. But golf is his favorite sport, and I beat him at golf."

After Robinson finished his song, he came over and hugged Gordy for what seemed like 5 minutes, broke the hug, then started hugging him all over again.

"He wouldn't let me go!" Gordy joked afterward.

Also in town for the weekend's events was Suzanne DePasse, the producer of Motown 25 and all the other Motown reunion TV shows, as well as "The Temptations" movie. The Los Angeles-based writer/producer was sitting at the main table with Gordy and Robinson. She explained why it was so important that a documentary film on Motown based upon Gordy's own memories should be done.

"He's been silent for so long, and with 'Dreamgirls' (which fictionalized Motown's history) and a lot of other stuff, that intimate first person narrative is what's been missing. This is the perfect occasion for us to bring it forward, next year."

DePasse said that there will also be a feature film on Motown, a stage musical and the '80s Motown reunion shows will be released on DVD.

"And there's a big concert we're looking at doing, possibly in China, celebrating the music around the world."

Teena Marie, the diminutive, funky singer who invigorated Motown in the '80s with Rick James and on her own, served as the main entertainment.

She performed some of her early songs, like "I'm a Sucker For Your Love" and "Square Biz," and did an homage to her mentor Rick James that had her Motown colleagues all up and dancing.

On Friday, Motown alumni gathered at the Motown Historical Museum on W. Grand Blvd. for a ceremony marking the designation of a section of the byway "Berry Gordy Jr. Blvd." That night there was a jam session at a Southfield jazz club, where etiquette teacher Maxine Powell boogied as Motown guitarist Dennis Coffey played "Scorpio." Gino Parks performed a smoking "Money," the Gordy-written song first done by Barrett Strong in 1960, and later Councilwoman Reeves could be seen doing the Funky Chicken.

Gordy told the audience that he walks every morning, and on Saturday morning he'd walked up and down the new River Walk outside GM world headquarters and the Marriott, and was impressed with what he saw.

"I was happy to see Saint Antoine street, I was raised on Saint Antoine and Farnsworth," Gordy said. "Detroit is a wonderful, wonderful place."

Offstage, Gordy elaborated. "Being born in Detroit was a very big blessing for me," Gordy said.

"No, really! We were stronger than other people! Just getting to work, cleaning your tires, getting the chains off when we finally got to work, we'd already done half a day's work! When we went around the country and the world, we found out that our team is stronger, we're smarter, because we'd gone through a lot of stuff."

You can reach Susan Whitall at (313) 222-2156 or at swhitall@detnews.com

The Brilliant Lecture Series – With Diana Ross

2007-10-21T03:27:00.000-07:00

The Brilliant Lecture Series –

Conversations with Brilliance was launched in October 2006 with a hugely successful lecture featuring Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, and we followed this with Sir Sidney Poitier in February and Secretary-General Kofi Annan last month. Over 10,000 people attended these lectures, held in Sarofim Hall at the Hobby Center, of which a good 55% to 60% were students and their families.
Each speaker will take the audience on a journey of their life by presenting their life in the form of a story for 45-50 minutes. After the lecture, the speaker will take questions from the audience (8-10). This is the first time she has agreed to participate in a lecture series. Diana Ross is not on a speaker circuit, so we are very excited to hear what she has to say. Each VIP patron will participate in a pre-VIP reception (starts at 6:00pm), and have the opportunity to meet Diana Ross, photo with Diana Ross and receive an autographed copy of her book after the reception you will attend the lectures with priority seating.

We are taking reservations for ticket because of the high demand, the tickets will be sent mid November 2007. FYI: The Hobby Center for Performing Arts in located downtown Houston, conveniently located near many hotels.

Once again, we are only selling VIP Patron tickets at this time ($200.00). General tickets will not be available until the first of December 1, 2007.

Thank you for spreading the word, we hope to see you there!

Yours in community spirit,
Lynn

Lynn C. Page
Development Director
The Brilliant Lecture Series
1726 Augusta Drive, Suite 104
Houston, Texas 77057
Office: 713-974-1335
Fax: 713-974-1371
http://www.brilliantlectures.com

ARE YOU THE UK’S BIGGEST DIANA ROSS FAN?

2007-10-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

ARE YOU THE UK’S BIGGEST DIANA ROSS FAN?

DO YOU KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT DIANA AND HER MUSIC?

If so, we want to hear from you!

We are currently developing a brand new, primetime TV series and want to hear from the UK’s biggest DIANA fans. For your chance to be involved, please send:

• a brief outline as to what qualifies you as a ‘superfan’
• a photograph
• your contact details

to: alice.dodge@endemoluk.com

Or to find out more, call Alice Dodge 0208 2224030

Your Online Video May Cost You Thousands

2007-09-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

Your Online Video May Cost You Thousands

Youve just gotten married, and are traveling the world with your new spouse on your honeymoon. A good friend who filmed the wedding and reception has just finished putting together the footage. He has posted it on YouTube so you both can relive your wedding day on your honeymoon.

The video is wonderful. It illuminates several moments youd missed in the excitement of the day. Your friend has even included your song, Endless Love, as the background music for the video.

After the honeymoon, as you unpack the doorbell rings. Opening the door you find a man asking for your signature for a package. You think, "Which aunt or uncle must be sending money"? When the deliveryman smiles, hands you the package and says, "Youve been served." you are surprise and horrified.

Confused, you tear the package open to find a lawsuit for $10,000 for copyright infringement. You wonder to yourself--could this be right? How did I infringe any copyrights? Out of curiosity you scan the pages of the lawsuit for a logical explanation. Then you find it: "the illegal use of Endless Love by Lionel Ritchie and Diana Ross in your wedding video posted on YouTube".

With all the attention YouTube has gotten from the Viacom lawsuit for $1 billion for unauthorized distribution and infringe of copyright laws, everyone has overlooked a possible next wave of lawsuits to come. Those are for the vast majority of online videos that are made by small home videographers who have included music in their videos that has not been licensed for use.

Typically music publishers and record labels have turned a blind eye to home and wedding videographers who produce their own work. Shared with an audience of usually less then 10 close personal friends and family, these home videographers have all but been ignored for years. This was before sites like You Tube, Google Video, ChickShack, AsSeenInVT and a handful of others began creating an outlet for anyone with a video camera. Now home videographers need to be warned. You may soon find yourself involved in lawsuits for illegal use of a copyrighted protected musical recording, the fines for which could be in excess of $15,000 per song.

Remember how fiercely the recording industry went after everyone from children to old ladies who downloaded songs from sites like Napster? It may be only a matter of time until they start going after videographers in the same manner.
Most home videographers are unaware of the limitations on using copyright protected music. The vast number of home Videographers wrongly assume that they can synchronize or place any music they want in their video production. In the past, a small home and wedding Videographer would usually get away with this. The problem is these wannabee Quentin Tarantinos have now begun distributing their productions to more then just a few friends and family. A video loaded online has the potential market of hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of viewers, and if youve created something popular using YouTube, you may be the next victim.

Local TV stations in America can pay tens of thousands of dollars for licensing music for their stations. This price can go into the millions if they desire to use popular artists songs.

For Videographers who have uploaded productions onto sites like YouTube and are now nervous, let me educate you a bit on how licensing works.

Simply put, copyright laws state that any music under copyright protection may not be used for any kind of video production, media presentation, websites, etc--that is, without approval from the copyright owner. Several types of licenses are usually required. These may include some or all of the following: Synchronization, Performance and Master licenses.

Now before you stress over the fact that no one will see your masterpiece or that big the bad RIAA is coming to get you -- there is a solution. First, you must remove the copyrighted music you have in your videos. Then you have the option to either write your own music for your video (most of us are not musically creative enough to go this route) - or license music from an Online Production Music Library.

Online Production Music Libraries typically lease music from their catalogs on either an individual per use basis, called a drop, or blanket licenses that will cover an entire project. The advantages of online production music libraries are the scope, depth and breadth of the catalogs. Pricing ranges greatly, depending on many variables.

Most production libraries do not create music specifically for amateur videographers, but Recently, an L.A. based production music library called TunEdge Music announced it would give special licensing for web distribution. TunEdge Music is providing access to their online catalog and for a reasonable fee their music can be licensed specifically for online creations.

Diana Ross fan Betsy Schroeder "REMEMBER"

2007-09-08T02:56:00.000-07:00

> This is devastating. I, too, met Betsy and her sister in Monaco,
> and on
> September 10, 2001, as if the universe were sending me strength for
> what
> was to come the next day, Betsy arrived in San Francisco to give me
> and
> a friend backstage passes to a private concert Diana did for Bank of
> America employees. After the show, she and I accompanied Diana's band
> to the Palace Hotel where in perfect innocence we toasted the last few
> hours of the world as we knew it. Betsy was with me only twice, but
> they were the two best, most sustaining times I have known, and they
> shine more brightly in my memory for her having been there. We all
> have
> many things for which we are grateful to Miss Ross, but the
> friendships
> -- some brief and sparkling, some enduring and deep, all profoundly
> cherished * born and blooming within the sound of that silken voice,
> it is for those friendships that I am most grateful.
>
> Today I shared my slim portion of Betsy's life with the students in
> the
> high school where I teach. I told them about her gifts, how she hated
> Mahogony because it meant the show was nearly over, how she preferred
> Diana solo to the Supremes, that she had a remix of "Love Hangover"
> that
> I'd never heard, that she was more down to earth than most of us, but
> relentless where Miss Ross is concerned. They were visibly moved, and
> we decided to dedicate the day's classes to her, and to honor her
> with a
> song. Monday, I will wear my backstage pass to school, as I do every
> September 10, but this year I wear it for Betsy.
>
> My deep sympathy to Betsy's family, and love to all,
>
> Joseph Hill

A review Betsy Schroeder wrote in June 2004, after the Diana Ross Greenwich concert.

2007-09-07T06:10:00.000-07:00

Betsy Schroeder passed away at August 22nd 2007, here a review she wrote in 2004!!
In memoriam on www.dianarossfanclub.net

I had such a wonderful Thursday afternoon & evening in Greenwich with our lovely Ms Ross! Now you know that when you put me with Diana Ross & traveling, there is going to be some adventure with it, so be patient...I'll eventually get to the show!!!

It all started Tues when I sat at myg computer & read a WONDERFUL post with a link to the Greenwich Times–free concert in Greenwich Thur pm. Before I even finished reading the story, I was checking out airfare, mostly to convince myself that OF COURSE I can't go 3000 miles to Greenwich the next day. SURPRISE!!! I find an affordable flight, & all of the sudden I was seriously thinking about going. It's never that simple, though. A little background...I have been very ill for the past 2 years (since the LAST Ross US "tour" which I was fortunate enough to attend :-).

I am MUCH, MUCH better now, but I am confined to a wheelchair, have residual visual impairment, etc... and require a care giver. I was able to talk my reluctant care giver into going with me (doubling airfare...ughhh!), find an available hotel, determine that the Greenwich train station is not really wheelchair accessible, rent a car, convince my care giver that traffic would be no worse in NYC at the times we would be driving than it is in Seattle's rush hour so of course she could drive, pack, & reschedule my dialysis for 6:00 the next morning, but uh oh, all of this started ~ 10:00 pm so it was a little late to find someone to stop in & see the kittens (Malea & Sharaya :-) that I had just gotten that day. I gambled that this would not be a problem & purchased our tickets with my fingers
crossed.

After an all too brief sleep with kittens nearby, I headed for dialysis where I cancelled my PT, other home health care, etc...Then we headed directly to the airport, where we discovered that mycare giver had not brought my bag...I would have found a way to deal with not having my life sustaining medications, but I couldn't get on the plane without an ID!!!!! This is why one must always plan to complete travel the day BEFORE the concert. I learned that the hard way with RTL in Philly, remember that? The show that I DIDN'T get to attend despite having an EXCELLENT seat! Fortunately, the red-eye flight was available. It was only more money...but at this point I was already so deep into the idea of this show both financially & emotionally...what's a little more $$$, right? So back home we went.

Several hours later we headed back to the airport, with my having run through a checklist with my care giver (because clearly the written list I had given my care giver wasn't enough). I saw all of my stuff & ran through her stuff verbally, sight unseen. Oops!!! Big mistake!!More later...

We ultimately arrived at LGA ~9:00 am & went to the rental car place. Did you guys know that those big rental car buses lower for wheelchairs? The whole bus! Very cool! Then we discovered that my care giver didn't bring her drivers license. I couldn't believe it!

I had specifically asked her if she had her license before we left. I was livid!!!!But a solution must be found, so we hired car. It's just more $, right??? So this relatively cheap trip was starting to add up. It was ok, though, because the end point was Diana :-).

We arrived in Greenwich, where the driver couldn't find the park, nor could anyone he asked help out. I told him what little I knew from the newspaper reports, which he felt the need to ignore, but I was too tired to care, having had only ~4 hrs sleep in the previous 2 nights. We had a brief tour of Greenwich's "back
woods," where Greenwich's not-so-wealthy live ;-).

I hadn't been to Greenwich in ~15 yrs & forgotten how beautiful it is, but business district traffic has worsened significantly. FINALLY when I asked someone where Diana Ross would be that night instead of using the park's name we got some decent directions. He dropped us off ~12:00 & we planned to spend the afternoon in the park, but they wouldn't let us in: "The park is closed until 6:00." I didn't completely believe that, but I knew that we would be able to see the show if we came
back a little later. Next task: finding a cab to take us to our hotel. No problem: the train station is a couple of blocks away.

Well, of course it wasn't that simple. The sidewalk was not wheelchair friendly, & the train station & cabs were up either a huge flight os stairs or an incredibly long, steep ramp. We ultimately got a cab & found our hotel. We had a couple of hours to eat & sleep before returning to the park for the sound check. I really needed to sleep, but I didn't trust myself to get up, & I was NOT going to miss this show!!!

We headed back to the park in time for the sound check, which was actually better than the show. Diana was a vision in white. She wore a fitted white top with 3/4 length sleeves. It almost looked like a leopard & emphasized her tiny (again) waist. Her skirt was unique, looking somewhat like curtains, but she pulled it off. She had a redish scarf around her neck that she played with a lot, using it as a wrap (it looked like it had been folded into a square & retained it's creases!!!). She wore heels, but I couldn't see if they were pumps or sandals, & her hair was loose until she finished and put on one of her enormous black headbands.

She was gorgeous even without her stage makeup. Through most of the sound check she sat facing the band, but she did occasionally sing to the scant crowd that was kept
REALLY far away by fences & security guards (they were really nice & helpful, even though their job was to maintain distance between me & the stage). Thank goodness for binoculars! Diana was there for close to 2 hours. Highlights for me were The Boss, WYTMTYLM, which she did NOT sing in the actual concert, & I Will Survive, just because she was silly during the first few lines, being really dramatic. She was SOOOO CUTE!!!!

It was ~6:00 when the sound check was over. They opened the park a little more so we could move closer to the stage, but we still were ~ a million miles from the stage. Everything closer was reserved for residents of Greenwich. The area closest to the stage was reserved for paying residents: $1,000 for the 1st row, $750 2nd row, $500 3rd row, & $250 for seats beyond that. The next section was cordoned off for 1,000 Greenwich residents, That meant there were ~1400 people in front of me. Somehow it just doesn't seem right not to incorporate "fanhood" & distance traveled in seat
assignments if people are to be excluded from certain seats.

That's been an issue at a lot of her shows lately...I'm not liking that one bit, but I am really happy to have something to fret about if it means that our girl is out there strutting her stuff! Obviously, we stayed to maintain our position, as unsatisfactory as it was. Then, the wheelchair, which had been such a burden the whole trip, worked to my advantage & I was able to get wristbands for the 2nd tier
seating!!!Ultimately, It didn't really matter because the 1st tier people all stood up in front of us so I could only occasionally see Ms Ross's head (but what a beautiful sight that was when visible!).

The crowd was very odd. As far as I could tell, there were VERY FEW fans there. Most people around me thought they would "just stop by & see what this was all about."The crowd was very homogenous...men were tanned wearing polo shirts & sunglasses. They all had the same haircut as well. They all had families with them, & the kids & wives
all looked alike. This was the original "Stepford." Everyone was discussing Ms Ross's age (they all underestimated it) & talked about how great she looked. Some of Evan's schoolmates were near us & said he had done some modeling as well as singing & dancing. There was no other gossip to speak of.

At ~8:30, the show started. The set list was similar to the European shows with a few differences. She opened with I'm Coming Out & didn't sing TMH. Also missing were Remember Me :-(, WYTMTYLM :-(,Missing You, Best Years (!), & I'm Still Waiting. The LST B segment was limited to Fine & Mellow and Don't Explain (I'm so glad! :-).

The Supremes songs were sung in their entirety, which still throws me off because I really only know the medley versions :-P. She did NOT sing YKMHO, but she used the ROCKIN' arrangement of Love Child that was used in Europe. Mirror, Mirror is back as it was in Europe (still wondering what happened in Houston). Endless Love no longer
features one of the background singers, which works for me since to me that will always be Quintin's song. Before the song, she asked if we remembered the song, stating she'd been away so long she didn't know if people remembered. That kind of freaked me out because she was stating this about a song that I DO remember (usually this is asked about songs that were released before I was born). She made 2 or 3 costume changes, but I could only see colors (pink then red then white) and then I couldn't see anything.

She very briefly mentioned the Teen Center that was benefitting from the concert, but
she did nothing else to indicate that she was performing ~1 mile from home. I was hoping for more intimacy or something, but there was a lot more interaction with the audience at other shows. The audience seems to be very important in the overall quality of a Ross performance, with shows such as Paris, Ahoy, MSG, & Westbury clearly outshining other shows that I've attended. This audience was flat, average, & so was the show relative to other Ross shows. She seemed to be in good spirits and shined as gloriously as usual.

Understanding that Diana Ross is ALWAYS spectacular on stage, there
was nothing special about this show

Of note, Evan sang Overjoyed with Rhonda & Rodney backing hin up. He has a lovely voice, but the poor guy was off key for the whole song. I've been watching too much American Idol because I kept hearing Simon saying, "You didn't hit a single note!" I suspect it was just anxiety, for he's probably never sung before such a large crowd.
He's got a lot of potential, but he didn't hit it on Thur.

The show was ~1½-2 hours without intermission. The residents of Greenwich who coughed up money for the reception went to meet their neighbor. I went to my hotel for another night of inadequate sleep due to a 6:00 am flight back to Seattle (which was pretty uneventful :-). I chose not to pursue the reception or Ms Ross's
coming or going from it...I've met her several times before, was really tired & limited by the wheelchair, & knew that with 400 people attending the reception I wouldn't have an opportunity to TALK to Diana. Maybe next time.

It was a very hectic 48 hours, but I'm so glad I pulled it off. I am a firm believer in pursuing things that make you happy, and Diana Ross shows are #1 on my list. She makes my life better, & I need a live fix now & then. I'm so blessed to be able to get one. Our girl is back!!!!!!!

CLASSIC DIVA DIANA ROSS LIGHTS UP HAMPTONS WITH PRIVATE PERFORMANCE

2007-09-06T01:52:00.000-07:00

(Hollywood, FL) -- Shining through Saturday's Southampton fog, legendary artist and performer Diana Ross gave 500 thrilled guests a 75-minute private performance, taking them on a trip down memory lane and truly providing them with An Evening Under the Stars to remember. Generously underwritten by Jill Viner and Cliff Viner, the extravagant affair held on August 25 raised more than $550,000 for the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI.) On the grounds of Stony Brook Southampton, Miami-based event virtuoso Barton G. conceptualized, designed and catered THE event of the summer, magically transforming a 20,000-square-foot tent into a lux supper club.

"In my wildest dreams, the event couldn't have been more perfect," hostess Jill Viner said. "The warmth from Diana Ross was such a gift, and the most significant part of the evening was that we all had a common bond and that we were all there with the same goal in mind, to find a cure for diabetes."

During the dinner program, DRI Scientific Director Camillo Ricordi, M.D., addressed the audience, extending sincere gratitude to the Viners and everyone in attendance for their support of the DRI, and emphasizing that the Institute's focus is to cure diabetes in the fastest, safest and most efficient way possible.

Even Ross, herself has had a personal interest in seeing a cure for this devastating disease ever since her father was struck with it. "I am really, really interested in what you are doing," she told the audience.
Ross gave an awe-inspiring performance. Beginning with a slow crescendo from her band, she belted out I'm Coming Out as she emerged from behind curtains, continuing the song with a sparkling smile and the first of three gown changes - a glittering red gown and ruffled wrap. Cheering guests leapt to their feet and began singing along and dancing between tables. Ross regaled her excited fans with 17 of her classic tunes, including "Baby Love," "Stop in the Name of Love," and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," and in no time, the dance floor in front of the stage was packed with grooving fans.

In the equally enchanting hours preceding the concert, guests first climbed a massive, white carpeted staircase. As glass doors were opened, they entered a cocktail reception where champagne flowed freely and elegant bars in all four corners offered other libations. Creative hors d'oeuvres, such as Asian duck-filled pancakes, mini Chesapeake crab burgers, and ice seared tuna and salmon with lime chili dip, were passed on artful serving platters.

Huge wooden doors separated the cocktail reception from the main event, and when opened, revealed the ballroom's brilliant decor, highlighted by soft colored lighting and wood panel. Fresh roses and orchids adorned each table, encircling the stems of cylindrical-shaded lamps, which changed settings with the touch of a petal.

Dinner began with three huge shrimp and a trio of colorful sauces, followed by grilled New York strip steak with a delectable peppercorn sauce. Desserts included the options of Shake and Cake, a vanilla milk shake in a martini glass with chocolate chip cookie rim and a slice of chocolate layer cake, or a Mini Sundae Trio.

After the main event, a select group of lead sponsors and other VIPs attended an elegant After Party, where they had the rare opportunity to meet and be photographed with Diana Ross herself.

Top sponsors included: Martin Granowitz, President and Owner of Bearings Limited; Rosa and Francis Feeney; Mr. Warren Mosler & Ms. Elizabeth O'Tool; Mr. Sanjiv Sharma & Ms. Nadine Allen; Mr. Paul Singer & Ms. Bonnie Loeb; Roberta and Bruce Waller, Bonnie and Jamie Schaefer, and Marla and Steve Weishoff: in proud recognition of The Rowland & Sylvia Schaefer Family Foundation, Inc.; Brian and Cheryl Coughlin; Mr. Ed & Mrs. Holli Gersh; Marc and Esther Goodman; Kovler Family Foundation; Pernod Ricard USA Champagne & Wines - Brancott Vineyards, Perrier-Jouet, Sandeman(R), and Ysios; Mr. Robert and Mrs. Hiromi Printz; Risa and Jeff Pulver; Randi and Mark Jacobson Charitable Foundation; Neomi and Michael Dezer and Leslie and Ricardo Salmon; Mr. Richard Schwartz & Ms. Marta Aislant; Holly and David Sherr; University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine; Hampton Style/Dan's Papers, Hamptons.com , and Wine Spectator.

The Diabetes Research Institute, a center of excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is a recognized world leader in cure-focused research. Since its inception in the early 1970s, the DRI has made significant contributions to the field of diabetes research, pioneering many of the techniques used in islet transplantation. From innovations in islet isolation and transplant procedures to advances in cell biology and immunology, the DRI is now harnessing the power of emerging technologies to develop new cell-based therapies to restore insulin production. For the millions of families already affected by diabetes who are looking to the world of science for answers, the Diabetes Research Institute is the best hope for a cure. For more information, visit www.diabetesresearch.org or call (800) 321-3437.

Founded in 1994 by Barton G. Weiss as an events production company, Barton G. quickly emerged as an international leader in the industry. Today, the company has expanded to include Barton G. The Restaurant, one of South Beach's most desirable dining destinations, off-premise catering, exclusive venues and destination management services. Always, the Barton G. signature is characterized by the delivery of memorable multi-sensory experiences. For more information about Barton G., visit www.bartong.com or call (305) 576-8888.

The Supremes Singer's Biographer Writes A Third, More Sympathetic Book about Diana Ross

2007-09-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

Diana Ross Revisited
The Supremes Singer's Biographer Writes A Third, More Sympathetic Book

NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2007

"Diana Ross: A Biography" by J. Randy Taraborrelli takes a more
sympathetic look at the singer's life. (Citadel)

(CBS) Diana Ross is known as much for her unique voice as for her
diva attitude.

Ross first made her name with the Supremes -- the real Dreamgirls --
in the 1960s. Forty years later, she is still a force in the music
business, despite some well-publicized arrests and other incidents.

The recently released book "Diana Ross: A Biography" by J. Randy
Taraborrelli provides an extensive chronicle of the singer's life.

Taraborrelli has been a fan of Ross since he was 12 and founded the
first Supremes international fan club. He wrote two other books about
Ross, but says his third book is much more sympathetic.

"This was a great opportunity for me to take a look at her sort of as
an adult," he told The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen. "My last book
came out 18 years ago. Since that time, I've written about Elizabeth
Taylor, Grace Kelly, Madonna and, you know, Michael Jackson. It was
an opportunity for me to take a look at Diana from a new perspective.
I looked back and looked at my old interviews with her. Interviews
with her father, her mother, the other Supremes and put into context
her entire life."

He first interviewed Ross when she was 26 and now she is 63.
Taraborrelli said she has changed a great deal over the years and
this book takes the most balanced look at her life. Now he defends
Ross's famed diva behavior because he says it stemmed from fear.

"When she left Motown, in 1980, she did not leave a wealthy woman,"
he said. "She says she had to pay her taxes by borrowing money at
that time in her life. And by that time, she had 18 No. 1 records at
Motown. And it's not to say that Motown didn't pay her the money she
deserved, it's to say that it wasn't very much money. So when she
left the company in the 1980s, she began her own business and she
really didn't know what she was doing and I think a lot of that diva
behavior we heard about in the 1980s and early 1990s came from her
insecurity and fear that she wanted to make sure that she would never
end up in that place again in her life."

Ross has been accused of treating people badly -- especially her
fellow Supremes. But through his research, Taraborrelli said he found
that Ross behaved very selflessly at times. He learned that Ross was
the only person who helped former Supreme Florence Ballard when she
needed money. Ballard died at the age of 32.

"There were many times over the years I wanted to pull Diana aside
and say, 'Listen, you need to defend yourself about these
accusations. You have a point of view. You need to tell it,' " said
Taraborrelli, who used to work as a publicist for the
Supremes. "She's never been the kind of a woman to set the record
straight. She's always been the kind of woman to just keep her eye on
the prize, on her career, and just move forward and not really
respond to criticism. So with this book, I wanted to take a look at
it from her point of view. And I think that it's an interesting way
to go for a biography and for a third book."

Even though he took a sympathetic look at the singer, Taraborrelli
said she didn't collaborate with him because she wasn't very pleased
with his last book, "Call Me Miss Ross," which came out 18 years ago.

Although she has had many hits as a solo artist, Ross and the
Supremes attempted a reunion tour in 2000. It was cut short.
Taraborrelli said Ross and other original Supreme Mary Wilson were
not able to see eye to eye about money so Ross recruited two other
women who worked with the Supremes in the 1970s after Ross had left.
The tour shut down due to poor ticket sales.

"I flew back with the Supremes after closing night. I was able to
find that Diana was devastated by that turn of events," Taraborrelli
said. "The public felt she was trying to force on them a reunion that
was not legitimate. And it really hurt her career."

But last year, Ross came out with her 70th album and it was the top-
selling album on the Billboard charts the week it came out. But
Taraborrelli says the singer's future is bright.

"Forty-five years of a career of ups and downs and she's really a
survivor, you know?" he said. "She survived three books by me so that
tells you something."

© MMVII, CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Diana Ross on VENETIAN MACAU GRAND OPENING

2007-08-28T15:27:00.000-07:00

MACAU (AFP) - The world's largest casino-resort, a gaudy mix of baccarat, shops and Venetian canals, opened here Tuesday aiming toaccelerate Macau's heady transformation from gambling haven to Asia's top entertainment draw.

Thousands of people, some of whom began to queue as early as 1.00 pm, rushed into the casino as the Venetian Macao resort threw its doors open to the public who quickly filled up some of the gaming tables.

Iao Tak-kun, one of the local gamblers who took a day off from work, was among the first to see what he described as "a grand building with European style."

"It looks very beautiful. It's completely different from the rest of the casinos here," the 33-year-old hotel chef said.

"But most importantly, I want to make back the 100,000 dollars I've lost at Sands," a sister casino of the Venetian.

International diva Diana Ross in bright yellow dress was the surprise guest at a variety show and performed three songs, including "Endless Love", before a bunch of firecracks were set off and the door was opened to the public.

The 2.4 billion-dollar Venetian Macao resort, built on a spit of reclaimed land called the Cotai Strip, seeks to capitalise on the casino boom by getting the millions of visitors to stay for more than just a turn at the tables.

With 3,000 hotel rooms, a theatre, a 15,000-seat stadium and 350 shops, as well as the gambling arenas, it is the anchor of the Cotai project to recreate the Las Vegas Strip in the southern Chinese territory.

Sheldon Adelson, chief executive of Las Vegas Sands which is operating the Venetian, said it was "the beginning of what has been a dream of mine."

"We are quite certain we are going to meet the expectations of everybody that has anticipated this arrival," he told reporters.

Adelson said he believes that there is a pent-up demand for the resort and the rest of the Cotai Strip, which will eventually be home to more than a dozen top-end resorts offering more than 20,000 hotel rooms.

The Venetian Macao features 870 gaming tables and 3,400 slot machines -- planned to rise to 6,000 -- on floors as big as three football pitches.

Its shopping mall is woven between three canals, complete with a fleet of gondolas and fake sky.

William Weidner, president of Las Vegas Sands, said he expected the market to change, claiming the new complex offered something radically different from rivals such as Las Vegas-based Steve Wynn and Australia's Crown, who both own casinos here.

"The growth in table games played here have been extraordinary since Sands opened. What this property represents is a whole new market segment drawing people from much further away," he said.

In 2001, Macau liberalised its monopolistic gaming market once dominated by local tycoon Stanley Ho, and Sands was the first major American company to open a casino here in 2004.

Macau has a population of just over half a million, but last year welcomed 22 million visitors -- a figure expected to rise to 26 million in 2007.

Last year, gaming revenues in Macau totaled 7.2 billion dollars, overtaking the Las Vegas Strip for the first time with 6.6 billion dollars.

The territory's continuing expansion means it is also likely to surpass the total gaming take of the greater Las Vegas area this year.

Adelson told AFP he hoped to make back the 2.4 billion-dollar
investment in the Venetian within five years.

The Venetian strategy is to lure Asian families and business clients into longer stays, as well as the high-rolling gamblers who have fueled Macau's boom.

Currently, the average visitor to Macau stays just 1.2 days and Sands want to stretch that to 3.5 days at their resort with world-class entertainment and convention offerings, in the same way that the original Venetian in Las Vegas transformed Nevada.

The shopping mall features luxury brands such as Tiffany and Versace to try to attract wealthy Asians, particularly Chinese, while Sands said that 44 conventions have already been booked at the resort.

Diana Ross at An Evening under The Stars

2007-08-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

Supreme Lady in Red - Diana Ross at An Evening under The Stars. Photo by Kurt Leggard

The fog rolled into town but the stars were still shining in Southampton as over 500 people at the An Evening Under the Stars Gala for the Diabetes Research Institute excitedly awaited the supreme diva, Diana Ross. The athletic fields at Stony Brook Southampton were transformed for the evening into a massive tented cocktail area and ballroom by none other than event impresario Barton G. Guest glided up the white carpet covered stairs and entered glass doors into a space dressed in chartreuse upholstered walls, elegant white columns, and sleek white curved bars. Waiters passed delicious lamb chops, mini crab cake sandwiches, and scallops casino and champagne flowed freely. Eager fans tried to sneak a peek into the ballroom but the conscientious security was having none of that – we had to be patient.

As the massive wooden doors opened soft violet and rose colored lighting transformed a once blank white space into a warm and inviting ballroom. Wood panels and more white carpeting gave the room a cozy feel and cascades of tropical orchids elevated the modern décor. Clear chairs and white linens kept the attention on the star for the early part of the evening – the food. Dinner began with a trio of luscious shrimp cocktails and gazpacho. The next course, New York Strip Steak was grilled to perfection and served with a delicious peppercorn sauce. Guests enjoyed their just desserts as a vanilla milkshake and decadent chocolate layer cake appeared with a trio of miniature ice cream sundaes. Champagne and wines donated by Pernod Ricard USA enhanced the delicious evening.

Jill Viner, our gracious hostess, was swathed in a fabulous pink satin ball gown and shimmered as she expressed her heartfelt thanks to all who had come to support the evening. As this cause is dear to her heart she reminisced about her brother, a diabetic, and how she and her husband Cliff Viner are so happy to bring awareness of the epidemic to the spotlight. Then the room began to buzz and we all waited breathlessly for Diana to make her grand entrance.Encased in a fiery red sequin encrusted gown complete with outrageous red chiffon ruffled cape Diana Ross entered the room to thunderous applause belting out, “I’m Coming Out”. Her amazing vocal range and stamina had us all wishing the concert would never end. She was sexy and powerful and her voice was clear, crisp, and filled with emotions. Unlike other performer of her era she still commands the full attention of any room she enters and gives over 100%. The masses were mesmerized as she continued with “Baby Love,” “Stop In The Name Of Love,” “Love Hangover,” “Can’t Hurry Love,” and “Touch Me In The Morning”.

After a quick break and costume change she emerged in a green dress that played up her curves and highlighted her flawless features. Women in the room were green with envy for her traffic-stopping figure. At 63, she had the energy a songbird a third her age and the stage presence and charisma few can match. She continued with “The Boss”, “It’s My House,” “Love Child,” and “Upside Down.” With her signature smile, bedroom eyes, and flirty breathless conversation she held her audience as she performed “Ease on Down the Road” from the musical “The Wiz” in which she starred along side Michael Jackson, Lena Horne, Richard Pryor, and Mabel King.

Another quick change to a provocative black number and she was back for her encores that included “Why Do Fools Fall In Love,” the title song “Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)," and the resounding “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” She finished her marathon with as much energy as she began with “If You Call My Name.” The room exploded and it was clear that the magical night would be remembered for a very long time indeed. Guests could be heard muttering about how amazing she looked and how unreal she sounded. She seemed as if she could go on all night unfatigued and we wish she would have done just that.

Diana Ross went out without make-up

2007-08-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

Diana Ross went out without make-up this week at the Beverly Hills Hotel, she must have thought there wouldn't be any photograhers around.

more Diana Ross on www.dianarossfanclub.net

Diana Ross was shopping at the Lucky store

2007-08-26T13:54:00.001-07:00

Diana Ross was shopping at the Lucky store in Beverly Hills yesterday and apparently she is joining the rebellion against overpriced designer handbags. SHE won't be blowing $6000 on a Prada bag anytime soon. We're not sure a fanny pack

Diana Ross in Concert - November 2007

2007-08-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

01. Nov, 2007 - Harrah's Casino, Rincon, San diego / CA

03. Nov, 2007 - Wells Fargo Center, Santa Rosa / CA

04. Nov, 2007 - Paramount Theater, Oakland / CA

06. Nov, 2007 - Maricopa County Center, Phoenix / AZ

08. Nov, 2007 - Chumash Casino, Santa Inez / CA

09. Nov, 2007 - Grand Sierra Casino Reno, Nevada / CA

15. Nov, 2007 - San Manuel Casino, Highland / CA

16. Nov, 2007 - Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio / CA

20. Nov, 2007 - Gibson Amphitheater , Los Angeles / CA

Look for more info on www.dianarossfanclub.net

Diana Ross is Mahogany

2007-08-17T16:22:00.001-07:00

For one week only from Friday, August 17 to Thursday, August 23, an exclusive presentation of Diana Ross’ classic film MAHOGANY will by playing at Chelsea Cinema.

This film is inspirational, motivational and encouraging to all of you that have a dream and vision that you are trying to reach. This is a must-see film for all of you performing artists who have been rejected and had doors closed in your face.

Chelsea Cinema
260 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011
www.ClearviewCinemas.com

Ron Miller dies at 74 / Diana Ross/ Stevie Wonder/ Celine Dion/ Barbra Streisand /Ray Charles/ Gladys Knight

2007-07-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

Ron Miller (songwriter)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Ronald Norman Miller (c. 1933 - July 23, 2007 [1]) was an American popular songwriter and record producer, who attained many Top 10 hits with ballads written for Motown artists in the 1960s and 1970s.

Miller was born in Chicago and was discovered playing in a bar by Motown founder Berry Gordy.[2]

He supplied a number of songs for Stevie Wonder, including four hit singles, in the period prior to 1971 when Wonder took control of his own recordings.

Miller's single biggest hit song was Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life" which was written on the occasion of his daughter's birth. It is one of the most covered songs in pop history with more than 270 recorded versions. A version recorded by Tony Bennett and Wonder won a Grammy Award in 2007. A version of his song "Heaven Help Us All" by Ray Charles and Gladys Knight won a Grammy Award for best gospel performance in 2005.[3]

He was the husband of Aurora Miller and father of singer Lisa Dawn Miller.

[edit] Selective list of Ron Miller songs
"A Place in the Sun" (Ron Miller, Bryan Wells) – Stevie Wonder, 1966, US #9
"For Once in My Life" (Ron Miller, Orlando Murden) – Stevie Wonder, 1968, US #3
"Yester-me, Yester-you, Yesterday" (Ron Miller, Bryan Wells) – Stevie Wonder, 1969, US #7
"Heaven Help Us All" (Ron Miller) – Stevie Wonder, 1970, US #9
"Touch Me in the Morning" (Ron Miller, Michael Masser) – Diana Ross, 1974, US #1
"I've Never Been to Me" (Ron Miller, Ken Hirsch) – Charlene, 1982, US #3, UK #1, Canada #1, Australia #1
"If I Could" (Ron Miller, Ken Hirsch, Marti Sharron – Celine Dion, 2004. The album Miracle charted at US #4

[edit] See also
Stevie Wonder discography

[edit] References
^ AP via Sarasota Herald-Tribune "Ron Miller, who wrote 'For Once in My Life,' dies in Calif." July 24, 2007
^ AP via Sarasota Herald-Tribune "Ron Miller, who wrote 'For Once in My Life,' dies in Calif." July 24, 2007
^ AP via Sarasota Herald-Tribune "Ron Miller, who wrote 'For Once in My Life,' dies in Calif." July 24, 2007
This article on a songwriter is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Miller_%28songwriter%29"
Categories: 2007 deaths | American songwriters | People from Chicago | Songwriter stubs

Diana Ross performed at the Michael Strahan / Dreier LLP Charity Golf Tournament Party and Auction

2007-07-10T02:23:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - JULY 08: Singer Diana Ross at the Michael Strahan's
second annual celebrity golf tournament party benefitting
Supportive Children's Advocacy Network (SACN) on July 8 2007 at TAO
in New York City

"Diana Ross performed at Tao Restaurant in New York on Sunday night
as part of a charity auction hosted by the New York Giants' Michael
Strahan. Ja Rule, Nicole Murphy, and Dawn Richards of Danity Kane
also made appearances at the event, which raised over $300,000 for
the Supportive Children's Advocacy Network and was sponsored by the
Dreier LLP law firm."

It's time to say goodbye!!

2007-07-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

Some so called "Diana Ross fans" discuss about the issue of J.Randy Taraborrelli's new book. According to some of them I promote that book here on my website. I put an interview on the news page that I had with him and the cover of the book,WHY NOT?? As a big fan I am disappointed about the fact that they condemn me for bringing the news. They ask the question why I put this on my website. I just want to bring news about and around Diana Ross that's all. I don't have a pact with the devil.

I can tell you all that I consider to stop all my work and activities.

I am sick of it! Jim Hoogendorp ( I have a perfect life outside being a fan!!)

Diana Ross on Live Earth Concert??

2007-07-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

On July 7th, 2007, Diana Ross is believed to kick off the American leg of Al Gore's Live Earth concert. The Supreme Diva is a last minute addition to the Live Earth festivities.

Diana Ross BET AWARDS report!!

2007-06-27T04:47:00.000-07:00

so...yes! some of you have seen what I saw...THE LADY
IN RED! (the dress in which she sang "He Lives In You"
on Oprah)

I'm on my Mac at home...so, it doesn't do my colors &
fonts, but there's really nothing to add to Lady Ross
holding even THAT AUDIENCE CAPTIVATED! Mind you, the
youth music thing was shoved down our throats...but,
after Robin Thicke slowed it down a bit and made it
all much more LISTENABLE...well, then

Mo'Nique gave it up to "The Boss"...and the video
montage was spellbinding. I was sitting stage
right...whereas Diana and her brood were all stage
left. I could see her from time to time rockin' out
to the young music + rappers. I was SO PLEASED at her
tribute...they really did her right. And having her 5
children + her looking SO YOUTHFUL & EXUBEREANT! It
was very interesting seeing even the so-called
"gangsta rappers" rockin' out to Chaka singing "I'm
Coming Out" - I had to chuckle to myself
thinking...are some of them on the "down low"...?? I
thought Erykah did a phenomenal rendition of "Love
Hangover"...and moving like a young Ross in the big
wig + hoop earrings.

But, to see Ross speaking SO CLEARLY +
CONFIDENTLY...well I am just so fortunate to be a fan
of this woman. I got teary when I heard her give it
up to Mary...as I feel Diana realizes it is much later
in the game now...and to hell with the past. Perhaps
she & Mary can find peace in some way working together
or helping others together. But, hearing her speak
Mary's name...so sisterly and poignantly was CHURCH!

Right after her tribute, I was whisked backstage...and
met up with Ross' publicist whom I had met in NYC. As
I thought, Diana did not do any press...but, climbed
into a waiting limo with her award and scooted on back
to West Hollywood. Her brother Chico was
backstage...with a couple of kids and her 5 had taken
their own forms of transportation and were all making
their way out of the back parking area of The Shrine
Auditorium.

I ended the evening having a nice dinner with my hosts
(some of the inner circle of Stevie Wonder's
entourage) and was regaled with stories of the old
Motown days and encouraged to pursue a couple of my
own ideas about the magic of Liviin', Lovin' &
Givin'...its so nice to know Mama Ross is A-OK!!

I will sleep so comfortably & soundly tonight!

If there's a cure for this...

Think peace.
Be well.

bernard

Trevor (Diana Ross)

2007-06-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Short Film: Trevor
Uploaded by nonightfan

BET AWARDS with Diana Ross

2007-06-21T06:45:00.001-07:00

Place Your Bets On The 'Main Event'; BET AWARDS '07 Announces the Ultimate Lineup!
Beyonce', Diddy, Robin Thicke, Keyshia Cole, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Gladys Knight, Kelly Rowland, Chaka Khan, Erykah Badu And Fabolous Set to Appear at Bet Awards '07, Live on June 26
By PR Newswire
LOS ANGELES, June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- BET '07 AWARDS is poised for the ultimate battle royale when its all-star lineup with the biggest records of the year go all out at the Shrine Auditorium on Tuesday, June 26. Sparks will be flying throughout the three-hour live telecast, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CDT (tape delayed in the Mountain and Pacific zones) as legends and A- listers crowd the dazzling talent roster.

Newly-added big name celebs scheduled to appear or perform include: mega- star Beyonce', hip-hop mogul Diddy, R&B divas Keyshia Cole, Kelly Rowland, and Alicia Keys, chart-topping ing??nue Rihanna, legendary singers Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan, sultry crooners Robin Thicke and Mario, soul maven Erykah Badu, rap stars Nelly and Fabolous, actress Vivica A. Fox, funnyman Charlie Murphy, activist/political leader Al Sharpton, hip hop activist/rapper Chuck D, American Idol Jordin Sparks, writer/director/actor Tyler Perry, movie stars Nick Cannon, Michael Clark Duncan and Henry Simmons, and NFL superstar Reggie Bush.

They join previously announced show talent T.I., 50 Cent, Ne-Yo, Ciara, Terrence Howard, Queen Latifah, Yolanda Adams, Tyra Banks, Katt Williams, Big Boi of Outkast and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Advertisement

This year's show is justifiably being billed as "The Main Event" as the popular Mo'Nique is back to host the telecast for an unprecedented third time. With such a knock-out line up, the stage is set for a telecast that will keep viewers locked from the opening act until the final curtain falls. As always, BET can be counted on to deliver some of television's most memorable moments, including special tributes to the late James Brown and Gerald Levert as well as a not-to-be-missed opening act.

"We've built a brand by having the most dazzling opening performances in all Awards shows," said Stephen Hill, BET AWARDS '07 executive producer and BET EVP of Music Programming and Talent. "This year's open will simply and sensationally stun. Sometimes we tell you what'll stun, like last year's grand opening with Beyonce'. Others we sneak on ya, like 2005's reunion performance from The Fugees. We're choosing 'sneak attack' this year, but trust me: you don't want to get to your TV at 8:02 p.m. ... .. for real."

BET will also honor Diana Ross, the icon of Motown style with BET's Lifetime Achievement Award for her four decade long, accomplished career in popular music. Additionally, beloved and accomplished actor, Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle will receive the BET Humanitarian Award for his efforts in Darfur and fundraising for the African AIDS epidemic.

BET is the only award show that recognizes the achievements of music artists, entertainers and athletes in 14 categories; this year's nods for best-in-class performances go to Beyonce' with six nominations, followed by Jay-Z, Ciara, Jennifer Hudson, Akon and Gnarls Barkley among others.

Encore telecasts of the BET AWARDS '07 are set for: Friday, June 29 from 8 - 11 p.m. ET/PT Sunday, July 1 from 8 - 11 p.m. ET/PT; Wednesday, July 4 from 8 - 11 p.m. ET/PT; Friday, July 6 from 8 - 11 p.m. ET/PT; Sunday, July 8 from 8 - 11 p.m. ET/PT; and Saturday, July 14 from 8 - 11 p.m. ET/PT.

ABOUT BET

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), is the leading provider of media and entertainment for African Americans and consumers of Black culture on a global basis. The primary BET cable network reaches more than 84 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET Digital Networks - BET J, BET Gospel, and BET Hip-Hop - are brands that combine to serve a broader and more diverse audience than the core network. BET.com is the number one Internet destination for their target audiences. BET Mobile delivers music, gaming, and video content to the target audiences on wireless devices across virtually all service providers. BET Event Productions is a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe. BET International delivers BET content to the consumers of Black culture around the world. BET Networks inspires its audiences to make a difference in their lives and communities with a series of impactful and pro- social initiatives under the Touch BET umbrella.

SOURCE BET Networks

Copyright 2007 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved

Diana Ross's "Last Time I Saw Him" NOW ON CD!!

2007-06-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

Diana Ross
Last Time I Saw Him: Expanded Edition 2-CD set

Last Time I Saw Him – Original LP, Motown 812, December 1973
1. Last Time I Saw Him
2. No One’s Gonna Be A Fool Forever
3. Love Me
4. Sleepin’
5. You
6. Turn Around
7. When Will I Come Home To You
8. I Heard A Love Song (But You Never Made A Sound)
9. Stone Liberty
10. Behind Closed Doors
11. Last Time I Saw Him – Japanese Quad Edition
12. No One’s Gonna Be A Fool Forever
13. Love Me
14. Sleepin’
15. You
16. Turn Around
17. When Will I Come Home To You
18. I Heard A Love Song (But You Never Made A Sound)
19. Stone Liberty
20. Behind Closed Doors

First Time I Saw Him – Unreleased Bonus Tracks
1. I’ll Be Here (When You Get Home)
2. Why Play Games
3. I Don’t Care Where The Money Is
4. Get It All Together
5. Where Did We Go Wrong Version 1
6. Since I Don’t Have You
7. Let Me Be The One
8. I Wanna Go Back There Again
9. Old Funky Rolls Alternate
10. Last Time I Saw Him Unedited Version Price: $29.98
Buy Me

RELEASE DATE: June 18 2007
CD Edition limited to 5000 limited edition copies

The first 500 customers to purchase directly from Hip-OSelect.com will receive a limited edition Motown pin. This pin is exclusive to our site and will automatically be added when you make your purchase. The pin is pictured here:

Last Time I Saw Him, a classic Diana Ross album overlooked in the digital era, finally makes its CD debut.
Recorded and released in 1973, Last Time I Saw Him, with a title track written by Michael Masser and Pam Sawyer, was the follow-up to Diana’s No. 1 Touch Me In The Morning. Masser, the Four Seasons’ Bob Gaudio and Motown’s own Ron Miller and Tom Baird contributed to the LP; one of Baird’s tracks, “Turn Around,” written by Harry Belafonte, was a holdover from a previously unreleased album.
“Last Time I Saw Him,” the title track, shot straight up to the top of the Adult Contemporary chart while making a respectable splash in the Pop & R&B top 20. However, the album and its subsequent single releases failed to make its expected impact. With Diana working on her second film, Mahogany, and with additional projects taking precedent, the album faded away.
Hip-oSelect.Com now presents the original album remastered, the ultra-rare Japanese Quadraphonic release, TEN previously unreleased bonus tracks from the sessions, and the unedited version of the title song. It’s all packaged with a beautiful booklet that features detailed recording data and a new essay by Motown chronicler Andrew Skurow.
The 10 unreleased cuts include original songs, and stellar covers of the classic Skyliners’ hit “Since I Don’t Have You,” the Carpenter’s “Let Me Be The One,” the Motown underground favorite “I Want To Go Back There Again,” and an early version of Diana’s own “Where Did We Go Wrong.”

DID you know… “I Want To Go Back There Again” uses the same track as the previous version by Thelma Houston. Its producer, Hal Davis, went on to produce Ross’s “Love Hangover” and Thelma Houston’s “Don’t Leave Me This Way” – which, in classic Motown coincidence, was originally assigned to Miss Ross.

Price: $29.98
Buy Me

More Diana Ross www.dianarossfanclub.net

20 People Who Changed Black Music: Motown First Lady Diana Ross, the Quintessential Diva

2007-06-13T15:41:00.001-07:00

For musicians, songwriters and fans across the country, Diana Ross - with her high-pitched voice and hair-out-to-there - is still America's quintessential diva.

"I'm comfortable with money," Ross once said, "and it's comfortable with me."

From her memorable 1983 Central Park concert where she performed in driving rain, to the wild mane that made her famous, Ross is in a league of her own, a true mega-star in a field of celebrity entertainers.

Her flamboyant style, diva persona and straight talk is legendary.

"Just because I have my standards," she said, "they think I'm a bitch."Perhaps.

Once, the story goes, Ross was performing in Atlantic City, an errand boy who had gotten her a pizza, excitedly said, "Diana, it's such an honor to serve you," and she responded, "Please, call me Miss Ross!"

Talk in the 1960s focused on her relationship with Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, Ross' mentor and the man who guided her incredible career.

Trading the humble Brewster Housing Projects for penthouse suites, draping herself with silk and jewels and replacing bus seats with limos, Ross was a public figure in Detroit's 1960s but she tried to maintain her privacy.

"I know that my fans want to know who I'm sleeping with," she once said, "but it's really none of their business."

She was once arrested and taken off her Concorde flight for assaulting a female security officer at London Heathrow airport.

In the '70s, according to media reports, Natalie Cole visited Ross backstage and started playing her piano, getting applause from her crew, prompting Ross to tell her assistant, "Get that woman off my piano!"

The "D" in Diana could just as easily stand for "drama."

While filming the 1975 film "Mahogany" in Rome, according to news stories, director Berry Gordy kept pushing a pregnant Ross for take after take, but she had enough, the story goes, and slapped Berry so hard his glasses flew across the room, stormed into her trailer with assistants in tow, and jumped on the next flight to Los Angeles. A body double had to complete her scenes. But through all the antics, Ross has enjoyed a phenomenal music career spanning more than 40 years. She has proven to be one of the most popular and multi-talented female singers of all time.

"Diana Ross was ahead of her time with respect to having a vision of becoming an independent artist who capitalized on her brand," Keith Murphy, host of Urban Journal on XM Satellite radio, 169 The Power, told BlackAmericaWeb.com.

"Diana Ross took heat for stepping out from The Supremes and going solo, but she set the bar for other African-American women and their careers in music and she influenced many artists along the way," Murphy said. "She was also accepted by white America and was one of the first crossover artists who enjoyed crossover success."

Murphy said Ross was also able to market her acting talents in Hollywood and proved her acting abilities in movies like the critically-lauded 1972 hit, "Lady Sings The Blues," in which Ross was widely praised for her leading turn as the tragic singer Billie Holiday, a role that landed her an Academy Award nomination.

"She had no acting experience, just God-given talent," Murphy said. "She is a true diva."

Born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross in 1944 in Detroit, Michigan, the second of six children born to Fred and Ernestine ROss, the musical performer spans a genre of music from disco to R&B. 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.

She began her professional career as the lead singer for the seminal all-girl group, The Supremes, when she was introduced to Motown executives by Smokey Robinson during an audition at Motown in the 1960s.

From 1965 to 1969, The Supremes had a string of number-one records that helped secure the Motown sound on its pedestal in black music history, mainly thanks to Ross' engaging presence and vocal talent. In late 1969, Motown Records founder Berry Gordy announced that Ross would be leaving the group for a solo career.

Venturing the music scene solo, Ross became the first female artist to gain six number-one hit singles.

"There has never been a musician such as Diana who has been able to capture the ears of many," Tony Pink, a fan of the Ross for many years, told BlackAmericaWeb.com. "She was able to entertain many people of all ages."

Ross was a millionaire while still in her teens, but in 1981, she became "a walking corporation," according to Essence icon Susan L. Taylor, "controlling her own management, film and music production, and music publishing." She was also, in Taylor's words, "an international megastar."

In the early decade of her career, Ross became the most successful female musical artist. Her accomplishments and awards include the Tony Award for the best musical special "An Evening with Diana Ross," a Golden Globe in 1972 for her role in "Lady Sings the Blues" and seven American Music Awards.

By the late 1970s, the critically famed artist was named female entertainer of the century by the Billboard Magazine, fueled by hits such as 1973's "Touch Me in the Morning," "You Are Everything" (with Marvin Gaye) in 1974; 1975's pensive "Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" and the disco smash, "Love Hangover" in 1976.

The 1980's brought a succession of chart-topping LPs from Ross like "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," "diana" and "Swept Away," bouyed by popular singles that include the hits "Upside Down," "I'm Coming Out," "It's My Turn," "Endless Love" (with Lionel Richie) and "Missing You."

Later, in 1993, she was feted as the most successful female music artist of the 20th century by the Guinness Book of World Records, with a total of 70 charted hits in the United Kingdom.

Ross has received many prestigious awards, including The Soul Train Legend Award and the French Commander des Lettres medal, and she was honored with an entire day of celebration at the international MIDEM music festival in the South of France. As the honoree, she became the only woman to receive such an honor in the 25-year history of the event.

The proud mother of five was again honored in France last year when she received the Medaille de Vermeil de la Ville de Paris (City of Paris Medal), the city's highest award, given to those who have played a positive role in favor of the Parisian community.

William Ruhlmann, a writer with All Music Guide, said "Diana Ross is a leader, gifted, talented; the spirit, power and history of American soul music condensed into one voice."

With all the awards gained, Ross contributes her time to many organizations. She became the spokesperson for National Children's Day. She is also on the board of A Better Chance, the only national program that recruits and places academically talented inner-city children in the nation's best preparatory schools.

In her efforts to help communities across the country and throughout the world, she has raised millions of dollars for the numerous charities to which she has lent her name. Her efforts have earned her much deserved recognition as a woman of strength, integrity and above-all, concern.

In 2004, McNally Smith College of Music honored her by the establishment of a full four year scholarship in her name. The Diana Ross Performance Scholarship is awarded each year to an outstanding student who is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree.

South African President Nelson Mandela invited her to sing at the opening of his country's Sundome, which is the country's largest purpose-built indoor arena. After their first meeting, Mandela said Ross was "someone who always seems to be running, never walking. She is an inspiration to us all."

From her early years as a Supreme, Ross has become a legend throughout the world. In her memoir, "Secrets of a Sparrow," Ross talks about being a performer and the blessings she has received, "It's been fun - the complexity of being a black female performer, having my own business and being strong and decisive."

Today, after more than four decades, Ross has continued to produce an endless stream of chart singles and sell-out tours.

"It is that love of life, that never-ending wonder, the appreciation of goals and achievements and sheer human spirit which defines the artist that is Diana Ross," Ruhlmann said, "and continues to make her one of the most identifiable, unique, beloved and influential singers of successive pop generations."

DIANA ROSS TO PERFORM PRIVATE CONCERT IN HAMPTONS TO BENEFIT THE

2007-06-08T05:33:00.000-07:00

"An Evening Under the Stars" is THE Most Anticipated Event this
Summer!

(Quogue, NY – June 7, 2007) – Legendary artist and superstar Diana
Ross will perform a private concert for the guests of An Evening
Under the Stars benefiting the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) on
Saturday, August 25th in Quogue. Generously underwritten and hosted
for the second year by Jill Viner and Cliff Viner in their beautiful
beachside home, this extraordinary fête will feature an unforgettable
gastronomic experience presented in a dramatic oceanfront setting.
Miami-based event virtuoso Barton G. will again conceive, design and
produce the entire affair, which promises to be even more ultra-
fabulous than last year.

"I have been so impressed with the Diabetes Research Institute, but
we still need to help the scientists find a cure. For me, it?s
personal; I have a brother who has diabetes," said Jill Viner, who is
a member of the DRI Foundation?s National Board of Directors. "I
started thinking about what I could do and then I spoke with Barton,
whom I?ve worked with for years. We came up with the idea for this
event last year, and I?m happy to be hosting it again this summer."

A minimum donation of $750 per person is requested, and attendance is
by invitation only and is non-transferable. Sponsorship opportunities
are also available from $5,000 to $50,000, several of which include a
private reception with the artist.

Proceeds from the event will support the Kids PumpED project at the
DRI, a program designed to help children with type 1 diabetes better
manage their disease with the newest technological tools, education
and management techniques.

"We're excited and pleased to have the Diabetes Research Institute
Foundation as the beneficiary of such a high-profile and special
event. We're thankful to Jill Viner and Cliff Viner and Barton G.
Weiss of Barton G. for their effort and support in putting this great
evening together," said Robert A. Pearlman, president and CEO of the
DRI Foundation. "The willingness of such extraordinary people to give
of themselves is further evidence that the Diabetes Research
Institute Foundation is truly the organization of choice for people
searching for a cure for diabetes."

For more information, please call the Diabetes Research Institute
Foundation at 212.888.2217.

About the Diabetes Research Institute and Foundation

The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation is a not-for-profit
organization whose mission is to provide the Diabetes Research
Institute at the University of Miami with the funding necessary to
cure diabetes through islet transplantation and other cell-based
therapies.

The Diabetes Research Institute is a recognized world leader in cure-
focused research. Pioneering many of the techniques used in islet
cell transplantation since the early 1970?s, the DRI has successfully
reversed diabetes in patients involved in ongoing clinical trials.
DRI research is now directed at improving transplant processes and
developing new biomedical technologies and cell-based therapies to
restore insulin production. For the millions of families already
affected by diabetes, the Diabetes Research Institute is the best
hope for a cure. For more information, visit www.diabetesresearch.org
or call 1-800-321-3437.

About Barton G.

Founded in 1994 by Barton G. Weiss as an events production company,
Barton G. quickly emerged as an international leader in the industry.
Today, the company has expanded to include Barton G. The Restaurant,
one of South Beach?s most desirable dining destinations, off-premise
catering, exclusive venues and destination management services.
Always, the Barton G. signature is characterized by the delivery of
memorable multi-sensory experiences. For more information about
Barton G., visit www.bartong.com or call (305) 576-8888.

Diana Ross related news!! 20 People Who Changed Black Music: Smokey Robinson, the Velvet Voice and Quiet Force

2007-06-07T05:18:00.000-07:00

By MONICA LEWIS
BlackAmericaWeb.com

When you think of Motown, the legendary music label that defined an entire era, a few names come to mind.

Yes, Diana Ross exemplified glitz and glamour; Marvin Gaye oozed sensuality, and Berry Gordy, Jr. was the bona fide boss. But Smokey Robinson was the label's true Renaissance man. Robinson could just as easily belt out a hit, identify an up-and-coming act or pen a tune that would quickly rise to the tops of the charts.

Al Payne, operations manager for Radio One's four-station cluster in Richmond, Virginia, said Robinson could be viewed as an architect of contemporary black music.

"I am amazed at how his music and business savvy seemed to create a blueprint that would be followed for generations to come," Payne told BlackAmericaWeb.com.

"We've all read about, heard about or experienced the marketing genius of Smokey and his Motown contemporaries," Payne added. "They shook up both the black and 'general market' charts with strings of back-to-back hits and paved the way for continued dominance of modern R&B music."

Dominate indeed. Robinson first stepped on the scene as a teenager, starting a group called the Five Chimes with some high school friends in Detroit in 1955. Two years later, the Five Chimes were renamed the Matadors and featured two new members, including his future wife, Claudette Rogers. Barely out of his teens, lead singer Robinson and the Matadors were headlining acts in local Detroit venues. By 1958 and with an emerging partnership with songwriter Gordy under his belt, Robinson had once again changed his group's name, settling on the Miracles. Singles had been issued on two labels, but Robinson was urging Gordy to start up his own.

In 1959, Gordy founded Tamla Records, which would eventually become Motown Records. The Miracles were among Motown's first signees, and Robinson was taking in all that he could from impresario Gordy. After the 1960 release of "Shop Around," the first Motown hit to reach No. 1 on the R&B singles chart and the label's first million-selling album, the Miracles were legitimate players in Motown. Robinson was named vice president of the label in 1961, a position he would hold for more than a quarter century.

In addition to recording a string of hits through the 1960s, including "You've Really Got a Hold on Me," "Mickey's Monkey," "Ooo Baby Baby," "The Tracks of My Tears," and "I second That Emotion," Robinson wrote and produced hits for other members of the Motown family. Without Robinson's talent and vision, Mary Wells may never have told us about unconditional love in "My Guy" and Marvin Gaye would never have had a hit in "I'll Be Doggone."

Robinson, who appeared in VH-1's biopic of The Temptations, was a major contributor to the group's success, serving as their primary songwriter and producer from 1963 to 1966. Favorites like "The Way You Do The Things You Do," "My Girl," "Since I Lost My baby," and "Get Ready" are synonymous with the sounds of Motown.

Mainstream entertainers like Bob Dylan and the late John Lennon were just as quick to praise Robinson as black fans and entertainers did. Dylan called Robinson, who has more than 4,000 songs to his credit, "America's greatest living poet." Lennon, who rose to fame as a member of The Beatles, said in a 1969 interview that one of his favorite songs was The Miracles' "I've Been Good to You."

Niecy Davis, assistant programs director for Radio One in St. Louis, said Robinson was - and still is - an innovator.

"He was a huge factor in the Motown sound," Davis told BlackAmericaWeb.com. "Smokey did a lot of the writing and what we now call A&R (for artist and repetoire) at Motown. He moved into management, and he's still doing it."

By the 1970s, Robinson wanted to leave the Miracles to dedicate time to family and business and focus on his solo career. His 1976 MP and single "Quiet Storm" was more than a song; it ushered in a new radio format -- a slow style of R&B that was a must for late-night listening. His other solo hits – 1979's "Cruisin," 1981's "Being With You," and "Ebony Eyes," a 1983 duet with Rick James are still jams that will make someone stop and sing along.

Today, Robinson is still a force in the industry. He was a featured judge in the most recent season of "American Idol;" he's proven that he's just as good in the kitchen as he is in the studio with SFGL Foods, a special brand of gumbo launched in 2004, and he was awarded a Kennedy Center honor in December 2006 for his contribution to the arts.

Robinson is a unique entertainer with whom today's artists and producers would have a hard time competing, Davis said.

"He is truly," she told BlackAmericaWeb.com, "a living legend."

Diana Ross spotted at Chow's

2007-06-05T16:59:00.001-07:00

More news and pictures www.dianarossfanclub.net

Diana Ross tour leads way in event safety

2007-05-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

L-R: Andy Cotton (TAO Group), Chris Marsh (production manager / FOH sound engineer), Mike Droke (tour manager). Photos courtesy of Media Ink PR / Anna Morgan.

Europe - TAO Misc (part of the TAO Group) and Major Tom have joined forces to deliver a new level of health and safety for the touring industry, pioneered on Diana Ross' European I Love You tour.

Highlighting the lack of awareness of responsibility for health and safety issues on tour, and seeking to eliminate the 'fingers crossed' approach to this important issue, TAO's Andy Cotton, who lecturers for the UK Home Office on event safety, and Major Tom's Chris Marsh, Diana Ross sound engineer / production manager have developed the approach to ensure all legal requirements and safety measures are met, proving it can be done in a cost effective manner on a medium size tour.

For the recent Diana tour, TAO produced all health and safety documentation and risk assessments (including fire under the new Regulatory Reform Act), event guidance documentation, produced crew tour welfare books listing nearest amenities and basic principals of safe working, and signed off rigging, staging, lighting and sound systems.

They liaised with American crew and suppliers, monitored crowd movement and reaction during the show, oversaw traffic and pedestrian management, addressed changes during the tour and handled all nitty gritty specifics concerning health, safety, welfare and security. "Our role and focus was to look around site, highlight H&S issues, and not only report the problem, but provide the solution," explained Cotton."

"Having fully researched current health and safety regulations and legislations I found it scary to see how many things you thought were just practice or venue related ideas that were possibly an obstruction to your every day work, are actually a legal requirement," continued Marsh, "and as production manager the buck stops with you. I'd worked with Andy Cotton before and respected his approach. The health and safety of your crew and audience shouldn't be swept under the carpet and we both strongly felt shows like this need someone to oversee this whole area. As experts, TAO developed a complete strategy, providing total peace of mind and enabling the crew and myself to get on with our jobs."

Diana Ross' tour manager, Mike Droke agreed, "It's a great guard against litigious action, so things where normally we've said that's fine and deemed safe, we're taking a second look at. I've seen a bit of this in Australia, but the States isn't all over it yet. On this tour every sheet and curtain is fire retardant, every cable is taped properly, and we know no-one is going to sue the sound engineer because the sound is too high."

"We think it's important that industry starts to implement this practice on every tour," stresses Marsh. "Our biggest fear is people will only wake up to this when something goes really, really wrong. I'l continue to work with TAO to take this to every tour I am involved with. I'd rather be one of the first test cases of introducing this health and safety practice rather than one of the first in court defending my name."

Miss Diana Ross performance, May 19th at the Ahoy, Rotterdam,The Netherlands.

2007-05-25T02:15:00.000-07:00

Miss Ross performance May 19th at the Ahoy, Rotterdam,The Netherlands.

What can I say?? We were around 16.30 at the Ahoy and saw many fans were standing at The Ahoy waiting for Miss Ross. Miss Ross arrived around 17.00 in a silver mercedes with blinded windows. There were a lot of fans who brought CD's and pictures in the hope she would sign them just as she did in 2004. But the car drove immediately into the garage from the Ahoy. (see Europe Tour 2007)

We went to the Ahoy Café with some fans to talk and meet each other. Some we've never seen in real life, but we knew each other from the old ROSS magazine and the internet groups.

There were are a lot of fans coming from other countries. From the U.S.A, Bernard from L.A nice to see him again! From the U.K, Andrew Roland and Glen Stevens with his mom (guys nice to speak and to see you both) And Andreas, Carolin,Uli, Maria, Sebastian, Alberto, Franz and Michael from Germany, Patrick Ibens, a very nice guy from Belgium, Miguel Silva from Portugal, Bruno, Francesco (Bruno thanks for the DVD's, speak to you soon) from Italy Angelo and Andreas from Greece you are such a kind person, always caring for me, thanks!!

Many Dutch ROSS friends Thea, Frans,Hans H, Hans D,Bart,Michael van Gooi; nice to meet you, Michael Pieplenbosch (you always think of me with sending pictures and files), Helen, Quint I could only wave to you, Ron, Steve, Rick, Jaap, Niels, Henk, Kees, John, Walther & Hasan a long time friend,Angelique van den Burg sorry for forgotten you after so many years, Esther van der Hel thanks for saying hello, the girls Annie & Hilda you both are so sweet being around Ron & me. My other Girl "The Dutch Diana Ross" you are the best and it was so nice that Diana played with you at the concert, so funny how she reacted on you and your dress. Gonny, Rietje, Rina, Janine, Jolanda, dad and mom (Ron's parents) nice to have you with us.

So many people who came to me to thank me, during the evening, outside The Ahoy, at the concert, before and after the show in the Ahoy Café. Sorry I could not talk to everyone. I wished I could split myself in hundred pieces to give you more attention and speak longer with you!! For all the others I forgot....nice to meet you!! I hope you had a wonderful evening just as we did.

The concert was great!! We enjoyed ourselves very much.

I was lucky to have permission to take pictures with the Dutch press during the first 3 songs, here are some pictures I have made,more will follow!!

More from the concert !!www.dianarossfanclub.net

Tommie Ross - Miss Sweetheart 2007 as Diana Ross and The Supremes

2007-05-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

What can we say...it's the legendary Tommie Ross giving us an awesome talent performance as she went on to win this year's Mr. and Miss Sweetheart Internatinal pageant in Hollywood, Florida.

DIANA ROSS IN CONCERT!! HOLLAND 19 MEI 2007.

2007-05-05T02:31:00.000-07:00

Diana Ross
Op zaterdag 19 mei 2007 geeft Diana Ross een eenmalig concert in Ahoy Rotterdam. Het concert is onderdeel van de 'I Love You' Tour van de Amerikaanse popdiva. Het Nederlandse publiek maakte in de 60’s voor het eerst kennis met Diana Ross, toen nog als lid van het succesvolle trio The Supremes. Het besluit van Diana Ross om in 1970 als solo artiest verder te gaan bleek een gouden greep. Met een carrière die inmiddels meer dan 40 jaar overspant wist Ross uit te groeien tot één van de grootste popdiva’s ter wereld.

Met onder andere ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, ‘Reach Out And Touch’, ‘Upside Down’, ‘Why Do Fools Fall In Love’ en ‘Endless Love’ scoorde de soul diva hit na hit. Haar hitsingle ‘When You Tell Me That You Love Me’ werd in 2005 opnieuw uitgebracht in duet met boy band Westlife.

Tijdens het concert in Ahoy in Rotterdam zingt Diana Ross nummers van haar laatste album dat eind vorig jaar uitkwam: ‘I Love You’, en hits uit haar gehele repertoire. De zangeres gaf nog een uitverkocht concert in Nederland in maart 2004.

Meer informatie www.dianarossfanclub.net

Diana Ross,The epitome of a diva

2007-04-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

A quick lesson on the essence of divadom:

Originally an opera term co-opted by snarky pop music critics, "diva" is used to describe a female singer who has 1 successfully untethered herself from reality, (2) spent most of her life living in a perfumed cloud of fabulousness, (3) slapped one or more butlers.

A diva has no idea how much a quart of milk costs; a diva has 10 assistants to research that information for her. Music writers love to toss around the D-word, but few singers have actually earned it.

Beyonce? Too self-aware. Mary J.? Too humble. Christina? Too married. Mariah, however, is filling out the paperwork as we speak.

No singer defines divadom quite like R&B goddess Diana Ross. Remember a few years ago, on the MTV Video Music Awards, when Ms. Ross jiggled the bosom of rapper Lil' Kim? Only a diva can get away with that; the rest of us either go to jail or get stabbed by one of Kim's henchmen.

But also remember this: A diva gets to be a diva by having more talent than the rest of the room. And Ross, with that flirty soulful croon, is certainly in that category. Helming the most successful act in Motown history, Ross and the Supremes cranked out hit after hit: Stop! In the Name of Love, Baby Love, Where Did Our Love Go? She went solo in 1970, but the hits didn't stop: Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand), Touch Me in the Morning, I'm Coming Out, Upside Down.

She'll no doubt perform all of these hits tonight. Why? Because the one thing divas love more than themselves is the sweet sound of applause.

Diana Ross performs at 8 tonight, Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. $49.50-$125. (727) 791-7400; www.rutheckerdhall.com.

Sean Daly can be reached at (727) 893-8467 or sdaly@sptimes.com His blog is at blogs.tampabay.com/popmusic.

THE CHART TOPPING HITS OF SOUL Number 1's

2007-04-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

THE CHART TOPPING HITS OF SOUL HEARD DECADE BY DECADE IN FOUR NEW
SOUL Number 1’s COLLECTIONS COVERING THE
‘60S, ‘70S, ‘80S AND ‘90S PLUS JAMES BROWN NUMBER 1’S

Soul is at the heart of hip-hop, providing the inspiration for today’s chart-topping hip-hop tracks. Now four new compilations present the best of soul--a total of 67 recordings, every track a #1 (nearly all on the R&B chart)--from the ‘60s to the ‘90s. Each of the Hip-O/UMe Soul Number 1’s albums in the new UMe Number 1’s series is set for release April 3, 2007 and packaged in a ground-breaking environmentally-friendly packaging format. A first for the music industry, the standard package (both sleeve and tray) will be completely paper-recyclable.

In the ‘60s, soul was cool. ’60s Soul Number 1’s brings together the late-night vibe of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” the sophistication of Ramsey Lewis’ “The ‘In’ Crowd,” the group vocals of The Dells’ “Stay In My Corner,” the Chicago cool of Jerry “The Iceman” Butler (“Only The Strong Survive”) and Curtis Mayfield (with The Impressions’ “We’re A Winner”). 60s Soul Number 1’s also includes Sam & Dave’s genre-defining “Soul Man,” James Brown’s “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag - Pt. 1” and Motown smashes “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” (Four Tops), “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (The Supremes), “I Can’t Get Next To You” (The Temptations) and “Shotgun” (Jr. Walker & The All Stars). Other tracks are Little Milton’s “We’re Gonna Make It,” Hugh Masekela’s “Grazing In The Grass,” Johnnie Taylor’s “Who’s Making Love,” The Originals’ “Baby, I’m For Real,” Fontella Bass’ “Rescue Me” and Joe Hinton’s take on the Willie Nelson-penned “Funny (How Time Slips Away).”

In the ‘70s, sexy cool became sexy hot. ’70s Soul Number 1’s ranges from the Godfather of Soul’s “Make It Funky” and Ohio Players’ “Fire” to George Clinton and Parliament’s “Flash Light” and Rufus and Chaka Khan’s “Sweet Thing.” Scorching the charts were Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up (Pt. 1),” Rick James’ “You And I,” Kool & The Gang’s “Hollywood Swinging,” William Bell’s “Tryin’ To Love Two,” the Pointer Sisters’ “How Long (Betcha’ Got A Chick On The Side)” and the Commodores’ “Three Times A Lady.” Other #1s are “Dancing Machine” (Jackson 5), “Float On” (The Floaters), “Love Hangover” (Diana Ross), “Reunited” (Peaches & Herb), “Strawberry Letter 23” (The Brothers Johnson), “Theme Song From Which Way Is Up” (Stargard), “(Every Time I Turn Around) Back In Love Again” (L.T.D.) and “Walk Away From Love” (David Ruffin).

In the ‘80s, soul took on the sound of the future. ’80s Soul Number 1’s includes the slow-dancin’ “Special Lady” (Ray, Goodman & Brown), “All Night Long (All Night)” (Lionel Richie), “The Rain” (Oran “Juice” Jones), “Save Your Love (For #1)” (René & Angela), and the uptempo “She Works Hard For The Money” (Donna Summer), “Let It Whip” (Dazz Band), “My Prerogative” (Bobby Brown), “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” (Jennifer Holliday) and Dance #1 “New Attitude” (Patti LaBelle). Heard too are Cameo’s “She’s Strange,” Yarbrough & Peoples’ “Don’t Stop The Music,” Smokey Robinson’s “Being With You,” Ready For The World’s “Love You Down,” Pebbles’ “Girlfriend,” New Edition’s “Can You Stand The Rain” and Jody Watley’s “Looking For A New Love.”

In the ‘90s, soul, R&B and hip-hop came together. ’90s Soul Number 1’s mixes Boyz II Men (“I’ll Make Love To You”), New Edition (“Hit Me Off”) and Vanessa Williams (“Save The Best For Last”) with BLACKstreet (featuring Dr. Dre on “No Diggity”), Dru Hill (“Never Make A Promise”) and Bobby Brown (“Humpin’ Around”). Richie (“Do It To Me”) and Quincy Jones (and El DeBarge, James Ingram, Al B. Sure! and Barry White on “The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)”) are at home next to Brian McKnight (“Anytime”), Jodeci (“Stay”), Shanice (“I Love Your Smile”), Montell Jordan (“This Is How We Do It”), Pebbles (“Giving You The Benefit”), Soul For Real (“Candy Rain”), Aaron Hall (“Don’t Be Afraid”) and Tony! Toni! Toné! (“It Never Rains (In Southern California)”).

With James Brown - Number 1’s (available March 27), the Godfather of Soul rolls out hit after hit such as “Get On The Good Foot, Pt. 1,” “Say It Loud (I’m Black And I’m Proud),” “Hot Pants, Pt. 1,” “I Got The Feelin’,” “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag (Pt. 1),” “Get Up I feel Like Being A Sex Machine,” “Try Me” and “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” With tracks like “Hot Pants, Pt. 1,” “The Payback, Pt. 1,” “Cold Sweat (Part 1) and “Super Bad, Pts. 1&2, “ James Brown proves there is only room for Number 1’s.

http://www.ilovethatsong.com/

Available Titles:

James Brown - Number 1’s
Marvin Gaye - Number 1’s
Diana Ross & The Supremes - Number 1’s
Temptations - Number 1’s
Motown Number 1’s
Motown Number 1’s Volume 2
Love Songs Number 1’s
Jazz Number 1’s
Country Number 1’s
Dance Number 1’s
Soundtrack Smashes Number 1’s
60s Pop Number 1’s
70s Pop Number 1’s
80s Pop Number 1’s
60s Soul Number 1’s
70’s Soul Number 1’s
80’s Soul Number 1’s
90s Soul Number 1’s

Motown's Chart Topping hits the Number 1's

2007-04-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

MOTOWN’S CHART-TOPPING HITS ON Motown Number 1’s and
Motown Number 1’s: Vol. 2, and Number 1’s Collections From DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES, Marvin Gaye and The Temptations

Motown has been home to some of the greatest artists in history and many of the most popular songs ever recorded. Now the best of the best has been collected on four Motown/UMe albums in the new and ongoing Number 1’s series from UMe, each released April 3, 2007 in a ground-breaking, environmentally-friendly packaging format. A first for the music industry, the standard package (both sleeve and tray) will be completely paper-recyclable.

Motown Number 1’s Vol. 2 follows its 2004 best-selling Motown Number 1’s. Together they offer 47 No. 1 hits, songs that topped the Pop, R&B, Dance/Disco and/or Adult Contemporary industry charts. The sequel opens with the label’s first R&B #1: “Shop Around” from The Miracles.

The Supremes are also here with the most selections: “Baby Love,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Someday We’ll Be Together.” The Sixties are also represented by “Do You Love Me” from The Contours, “I Second That Emotion” from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, “You’re All I Need To Get By” from Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, “What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)” from Jr. Walker & The All Stars and “I Can’t Get Next To You” from the Temptations.

The Temptations are heard in the Seventies with “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me).” The Jackson 5 chime in with “ABC” and “I’ll Be There”; former Temptation Eddie Kendricks with “Keep On Truckin’ (Pt. 1)”; Stevie Wonder with “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”; Gladys Knight & The Pips with “If I Were Your Woman” and Gaye with “Got To Give It Up (Pt. 1),” which zoomed to No. 1 on three major charts – Pop, R&B and Dance. Supremes diva Diana Ross hit No. 1 in the Eighties with “Upside Down.” Other No. 1’s from that decade are Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long (All Night),” Rick James’ “Give It To Me Baby,” the Dazz Band’s “Let It Whip” and the Commodores’ “Nightshift.” The most recent track is 1994’s “On Bended Knee,” from Boyz II Men.

The original Motown Number 1’s, now reissued in the new eco-pak, kicks off with Motown’s debut Pop #1: Please Mr. Postman” by The Marvelettes. The Sixties also yield “(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave” (Martha & The Vandellas), “My Guy” (Mary Wells) and “My Girl” and “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” (The Temptations). The Supremes contribute “Where Did Our Love Go” and “Stop! In The Name Of Love,” while the Four Tops’ No. 1’s include “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and “Reach Out, I’ll Be There.” The decade also adds “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” (Wonder), “I Want You Back” (Jackson 5), “Shotgun” (Jr. Walker & The All Stars) and Marvin’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and, with Tammi, “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing.”

From the Seventies are Gaye’s “What’s Going On” and “Let’s Get It On”; “The Tears Of A Clown” (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles), “Love Machine (Part 1)” (The Miracles); “War” (Edwin Starr), “Don’t Leave Me This Way” (Thelma Houston), also No. 1 across three charts; and “Three Times A Lady” (Commodores). The lone Eighties selection is the Richie-Ross duet “Endless Love,” No. 1 for more than two months. From the Nineties is “I’ll Make Love To You” (Boyz II Men) and from 2003 is Michael McDonald’s rendition of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

For Marvin Gaye – Number 1’s, highlights include “Let’s Get It On,” “What’s Going On,” “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing,” “You’re All I Need To Get By,” “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and “Got To Give It Up (Pt. 1).” Also included are Marvin’s huge comeback hit, “Sexual Healing,” plus more of his Sixties No. 1’s, “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby,” “Ain’t That Peculiar” and “I’ll Be Doggone.” From the Seventies, his other No. 1’s are “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler),” “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” and “I Want You.” There’s more too: as bonus tracks, the collection includes his smash No. 2 hits, from the solo singles, “Pride And Joy” and “That’s The Way Love Is,” to his duets with Tammi Terrell, “If I Could Build My Whole World Around You” and “Your Precious Love.”

The Temptations – Number 1’s features an astonishing 20 No. 1 hits, encompassing more 30 years of hits from the group. “My Girl” is here of course, plus from the Sixties the smash hits “I Can’t Get Next To You,” “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg,” “The Way You Do The Things You Do,” “Get Ready,” “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep,” “(I Know) I’m Losing You,” “You’re My Everything,” “I Wish It Would Rain,” “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” (with Diana Ross & The Supremes), “I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)” and “Run Away Child, Running Wild.”

From the Seventies are “Ball Of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today),” “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me),” “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone,” “Masterpiece,” “Let Your Hair Down,” “Happy People” (missing from previous Tempts collections) and “Shakey Ground.” The collection concludes with “Stay,” the group’s 1998 return to the top of the charts.

Additionally, UMe is re-releasing in the eco-pak the successful Diana Ross & The Supremes – Number 1’s collection, first released in 2003: 23 era-defining tracks, 15 from the Motown group, from “Where Did Our Love Go” through “Stoned Love” (with Jean Terrell replacing Ms. Ross); plus eight more from Ms. Ross solo, from “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” through Endless Love” with Lionel Richie. Included is a bonus track, the Almighty Mix of “You Keep Me Hangin’ On.”

www.ilovethatsong.com

Available Titles:

James Brown - Number 1’s
Marvin Gaye - Number 1’s
Diana Ross & The Supremes - Number 1’s
Temptations - Number 1’s
Motown Number 1’s
Motown Number 1’s Volume 2
Love Songs Number 1’s
Jazz Number 1’s
Country Number 1’s
Dance Number 1’s
Soundtrack Smashes Number 1’s
60s Pop Number 1’s
70s Pop Number 1’s
80s Pop Number 1’s
60s Soul Number 1’s
70’s Soul Number 1’s
80’s Soul Number 1’s
90s Soul Number 1’s

###

Diana Ross;Reflections on a Diva Who Withers Not

2007-04-09T05:24:00.000-07:00

By STEPHEN HOLDEN
Published: April 9, 2007
Diana Ross didn’t wield a scepter or a magic wand during her concert on Friday evening, but she might as well have. During a show at the Theater at Madison Square Garden that lasted barely an hour and a half Ms. Ross disappeared every 20 minutes or so, only to re-emerge swathed in new shades of ruffles and feathers, and swan around the stage in a glittering, form-fitting gown.

Richard Termine for The New York Times
Diana Ross performing at Madison Square Garden on Friday night.

The word queen came to mind: beauty queen, disco queen, fashion queen, queen of Motown, fairy queen, queen of the mermaids (in the skin-tight salmon outfit chosen for her grand entrance to the strains of “I’m Coming Out”). Flashing her Miss America smile and brushing back the forest of jet-black hair that has been her tonsorial trademark since the 1970s, Ms. Ross graciously bestowed her royal blessings on her besotted subjects, one of whom kept shouting at the stage, “You look 35!” And she did.

Talk about illusion. On March 26 Ms. Ross turned 63. Not since Marlene Dietrich has a pop diva staked so much on maintaining a fixed image of time-resistant, hard-shell glamour. That image is carried off much more effectively on the stage than on television. As a guest coach on “American Idol” recently Ms. Ross looked and acted closer to her actual age and sang not half as well as Melinda Doolittle, the contest’s front-runner.

Onstage, however, she reigned. Her perfectly groomed beauty was as reassuring as the parade of Supremes hits that she performed with an efficient band and two backup singers. As long as we can sing along with “Where Did Our Love Go?,” “Baby Love” and “Stop! In the Name of Love,” and shake our collective flabby booty, we are all forever youthful in the Sound of Young America.

It has been a long time since Ms. Ross sold records in significant quantities, and her recent album, “I Love You” (Manhattan/EMI), from which she sang two numbers on Friday, hasn’t burned up the charts. Produced by Peter Asher and Steve Tyrell, this studious attempt at a personalized oldies museum on the order of Rod Stewart’s “Still the Same: Great Rock Classics of Our Time” is as sterile as its prototype, polite but lifeless.

Those two numbers were the 1969 Spiral Starecase hit, “More Today Than Yesterday,” arranged with a toughened disco beat, and a treacly new ballad, “I Love You (That’s All That Really Matters),” written by Fred White, which Ms. Ross poured over the audience like watered down corn syrup.

Her voice, never powerful to begin with, has diminished in strength and flexibility. In particular her version of “Don’t Explain” during a brief Billie Holiday segment faltered on several sour notes. As she did in “Lady Sings the Blues” all those years ago, Ms. Ross translated Holiday’s animal woundedness into a weepy, soap-opera pseudo-sincerity.

It would be foolish, however, to underestimate the influence of Ms. Ross’s singing, which established a style of sassy, streetwise girl talk as a permanent strain of pop. You could even argue that she was pop’s original Mean Girl, who enabled Madonna, Britney and the rest.

Ms. Ross’s most revealing performance on Friday was her version of “It’s My House,” from the 1979 album “The Boss.” While singing this curt expression of self-empowerment, she coyly shimmied and did some discreet bumps and grinds.

The song may be about real estate, but Ms. Ross transformed it into an expression of physical self-possession, a celebration of the body beautiful. I imagine that she will be singing it into her 80s and that — with the help of makeup, costumes and lighting — she will still look approximately the same as she did on Friday: as the man said, 35.

From Diana Ross, hits and a few misses

2007-04-09T05:19:00.000-07:00

By Kevin L. Carter
For The Inquirer

Associated Press, File
Diana Ross . Visual highs and some musical onesat the sold-out Borgata.
For a self-described "aging diva," Diana Ross certainly looked beautiful Saturday night at the Borgata. As she always does when performing, she made a series of wardrobe changes during the show, each more spectacular than the next.

Shame that her music wasn't always as beautiful as she was.
The majority of Ross' hits, especially during her Supremes and post-Supremes period, were characterized by sophisticated, multilayered orchestral backdrops that surrounded her soft but dramatic - even melodramatic - singing style.

But at the Borgata, Ross, 63, performing with a stripped-down seven-piece band, only sometimes achieved the intended effects of her three-decade array of hits.

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is, arguably, one of the greatest pop songs ever written and recorded. The lyrics (by Ashford and Simpson), the meticulous, clockwork-precise instrumental and vocal charts, and Ross' partly spoken, partly sung lead on the recording were all spectacular then and remain so today. But live, the song came out as little more than a weak, ghostly projection of the original. A quarter-century after the fact, you would have a right to expect a bit of a dropoff, but this was just too disappointing.

Nevertheless, Ross did provide the sold-out crowd with some nice moments in the quick-moving 90-minute show, even a few that were gorgeous. She was sassy on the assertive "My House" and "The Boss," shaking and shimmying her shoulders sexily.

"Love Child" began earnestly but lost focus and passion, which she and her band regained by adding an exuberant Latin coda.

Later, an instant of pure beauty: playing an intimate version of "Don't Explain," Ross commanded full attention with her exacting, jazzily enunciated wordplay. While she never had a jazz diva's voice, she always had the attitude and certainty. It came out to great effect when Ross was at her most quiet and vulnerable.

Diana Ross still reigns supreme.

2007-04-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

Diana Ross still reigns supreme
Saturday, April 07, 2007
By RAY KELLYrkelly@repub.com

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. - Fresh from a stint as a coach on "American Idol," Diana Ross continues to show would-be pop divas how to do it right.

Ross kicked off her North American tour Thursday night at Foxwoods Casino's intimate 1,463-seat Fox Theater. The sold-out show served as a warm up for last night's scheduled stop at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

In a 75-minute set, Ross managed to pack in 18 fabulous songs and five dazzling costume changes.

She teasingly opened the show by singing "I'm Coming Out" off-stage before making a grand entrance in a form-flattering, red sequin gown. Her slightest shake or shimmy provided squeals from the audience.

Ross quickly followed with a faithful cover The Spiral Starecase's "More Than Yesterday," which is featured on her new album, "I Love You," a collection of classic love songs.

"We're going back to the good old days," Ross promised the audience before beginning a trio of No. 1 hits from her days with The Supremes: "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love" and "Stop! In the Name of Love."

Those early Motown classics were followed by two solid Ross solo hits, "Touch Me in the Morning" and "Love Hangover."

Ross' five-piece band and two backup singers continued to play "Love Hangover," while she exited the stage for a quick costume change. Returning in a yellow sequin gown with feathered cape that would have made other women resemble Big Bird, Ross launched into "The Boss" and "It's My House."

Ross and company shined on a calypso-tinged "Love Child," the well-received "Upside Down" and the jubilant "Ease on Down the Road" from the box office dud "The Wiz."

The musical high point of the night came in a pair of songs from the 1972 Billie Holiday film biography "Lady Sings the Blues," which earned Ross an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. "Fine & Mellow" and "Don't Explain" showcased Ross sans back-up singers and most of her band and revealed how well her 63-year-old voice has aged.

The full-band returned for a rousing "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," the stirring "Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" and Ross' first solo hit "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

Ross ended the night with the Gloria Gaynor disco-era hit "I Will Survive," which she recorded for her 1995 disc "Take Me Higher."

Will Diana Ross Style Cause A Chain Reaction?

2007-03-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

Singing sensation Diana Ross attended Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight Night XIII at the Marriot Desert Ridge Resort and Spa wearing a monochrome pattern dress.

Diana Ross, who shot to fame in girl group The Supremes, is something of a music icon, even though in 2005 she teamed up with Westlife for a remake of her 1991 hit When You Tell Me That You Love Me.

We'll forgive Diana for that particular misdemeanour, after all people have done worse things. But we won't forgive (or forget) the shawl she has teamed with her gorgeous monochrome dress!

She arrived at Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight Night XIII on trend with a monochrome dress but undid all her good style work by throwing the fuchsia coloured shawl over her shoulder.
Never mind Why Do Fools Fall In Love? this is more a case of Why Do Fools Team Fuchsia Pink With Monochrome?!

Monochrome is a hot trend for the spring summer 07 season and the look works well when top to toe monochrome marries subtle splashes of red and orangey tones in shoes, make up and accessories (see bottom right).

If you're going to snap up the latest fashion trend go for John Zack's Monochrome Wrap Dress - but don't team it with fuchsia like Diana.

Hopefully the fashion faux pas won't cause a Chain Reaction and Diana will look in the Mirror, Mirror before going out!
Talk to the Style Team today over at MySpace!

CELEBRITY FIGHT NIGHT XIII with musical performances by Diana Ross and more...

2007-03-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

Billy Crystal, Donald Trump, David Foster, Reba McEntire, Sharon Stone, Muhammad Ali, Diana Ross, Patricia Smith, Emmitt Smith, Kevin Sorbo, Khalia Ali, Michael Buble, Shaun White, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Doug Flutie, John Elway, Tony Hawk, Lhotse Merriam, Derrek Lee, Michael Johnson, Missy Peregrym, Buzz Aldrin, Kurt Warner

(News Item):CELEBRITY FIGHT NIGHT XIII with musical performances by Diana Ross, Michael Bublé and Neil Sedaka under the direction of David Foster.

Muhammad Ali will honor Sharon Stone with the “Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award,” Donald Trump will receive the “Muhammad Ali Entrepreneur Award,” Steve Nash will receive the “Muhammad Ali Sports Achievement Award” and John Elway will be honored with the “Muhammad Ali Sports Legend Award.”

This black tie event begins with cocktails and a silent auction with dinner, a live auction and entertainment immediately to follow.

The Celebrity Fight Night Foundation established The Muhammad Ali Awards as a way to acknowledge leaders in the sports, entertainment and business communities who best represent the qualities associated with the Champ and his fight to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease.

In recent years, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Magic Johnson, Tony Hawk, Billy Crystal, Michael J. Fox, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chevy Chase, Jack Nicklaus, Wayne Gretzky, Joe Montana, Barry Bonds, Emmitt Smith, Evander Holyfield, Chris Evert, and Jerry Colangelo have received these awards.

Additional award recipients have included Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, Luis Gonzalez, Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, and Bob Emfield and Tony Margolis, Founders of Tommy Bahama. Each year dozens of celebrity guests attend the event that has raised more than $38 million dollars in twelve years

Diana Ross' teen could be the next big thing

2007-03-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

In the movie "ATL," someone told the character Ant, "You tell me. You're the one that's shinin'."
The same could be said of the acting career of Evan Ross, who made his film debut as Ant.

This is a big year for 18-year-old Ross. Earlier this month, he co-starred in the HBO film "Life Support" with Queen Latifah.

And on Friday, his latest project, "Pride," opens to tell the true story of a black swim team in Philadelphia. Ross plays the stuttering, shy Reggie, who comes up with the bright idea to form the team.

"Things are good; heading in the right direction," says Ross in a recent telephone interview from Los Angeles. "I'm so passionate about what I'm doing. My focus is in the right place."

In fact, Ross -- the youngest son of Detroit native Diana Ross -- is so focused on acting that he says his mother worries about him constantly. When he's home, he resides with her. Like most mothers, the Motown diva gets concerned about whether her baby is eating properly and getting enough rest when he's on location.

"My mom tells me, 'Don't get overtired, and don't get yourself sick."
Of course, the teen always listens to his mother, but on this point, the actor, singer and dancer says he's taking advice from Terrance Howard, his "Pride" co-star: "Let me get through the door, and then I'll sleep."

"Terrance said something like that. I said to him, 'You've got back-to-back films, and you're shooting two at the same time.' He said, 'Until I get comfortable, I'm going to work and work and work until I canpass out for a minute.'

"There are no breaks," Ross says. "There is nothing given to you, even when you think there is. You take things in your own hands; that's how things get done."

It's that attitude that has Ross rising so fast in his career, says Nelson George, pop culture critic and director of "Life Support."

"It always sounds corny when people say somebody is going to be a big star, but Evan Ross is going to be a big star. When I first saw him in 'ATL,' I was like, 'Who is that kid?' "

Ross is heading straight for the top because he possesses the right attitude, work ethic and talent, George says.

"He's got all the elements. He's got vulnerability, and he's got lookability," George explains. "He's got acting chops. He can project pain and anger. He's really committed to be a great actor. He gets in there, he's super prepared and he's thought the character through very well.

"Yeah, he's Diana Ross' son, but that's not a big part of why you hire him. You feel like he's totally committed to what he's doing. There's none of that rich kid (stuff). None of that."

Lately, Ross has been filming "Life is Hot in Crack Town" and "Brooklyn to Manhattan." Soon, he will begin work on "Burning Sands." Those films are set for release next year.

He says acting doesn't look like it, but it's really hard work. He says the work also can take a toll on his emotions.

In "Life Support," he played Omari, a gay young man who was born HIV-positive. His biological sister, Tracee Ellis Ross, played his sister in the film, and that, he says, was especially emotional for him.

"I have a lot of emotions," he says. "A lot of people don't know this. A lot about people don't know about my struggles, and that's not important for them to know."

One of his struggles, he says, was spending time with street kids to learn about them for his upcoming movie "Gardens of the Night," his third 2007 release.

In the film, he plays 17-year-old Donnie, who is among a group of children who were abducted into a prostitution ring. They escape but continue having sex for food and cigarettes while living on the street.

"It was hard sitting in that room and listening to them and being around them for the day," Ross says. "It puts so much pressure on your heart."

While true love hasn't happened for Ross yet, he has been romantically linked to Lindsay Lohan. And no Hollywood actor can be taken seriously as a star until he's romantically linked to Lohan, quips Robert Thompson, professor of media and popular culture at Syracuse University.

On a more serious note, though, Thompson has paid close attention to Ross' career, and rattles off information about him effortlessly.

"Every now and then, you see someone and you think you are watching them at the very beginning of a big career," he says. "I watched every episode of 'St. Elsewhere.' It was amazing how little that show used Denzel Washington, and I never got that sense watching him that here is a really big star. I didn't get it when I watched Jim Carrey in the sitcom 'Duck Factory.'

"Evan Ross is 18 years old, and you can see this guy could really be a big star. … If I was asked to invest in the futures market of stars, he would be a good bet."

Ross says he never thinks about whether he will be a star. He is, however, beginning to realize his heritage as the son of singing and acting star Diana Ross.

"I don't mind being in such an incredible shadow," he says. "More and more, I've been watching her career and learning about her career in the Supremes. She's so incredible, and she's done such amazing things. I'm in awe and I'm inspired by the things she's done. I saw a clip of her playing a schizophrenic, and I was like, 'Oh, my gosh! I'll work harder.' "

When he's not working, he's just working on being himself.
In free moments, he says he enjoys shopping and partying. He says he's already getting flak for wearing his hair long, a deviation from his close-cropped look in "ATL."

With that and the rumors about his $100,000 birthday shopping spree, which he says aren't true, he's found people want you to be who they want you to be, and he has empathy for young Hollywood stars such as Britney Spears and Lohan.

"I hope to affect people," Ross says, "and I want to keep doing things differently. I'm not trying to look like everybody else. I'm wearing my hair long, and I'm comfortable being different, being new. You don't have to be one way, look one way. You can go against the grain. That's what I'm doing."

Diana Ross on American Idol review!!

2007-03-14T05:50:00.000-07:00

It was Diana Ross night on American Idol’s first finals show Tuesday, and the women reigned supreme. Most of the men misfired attempting to sing material from Ross or The Supremesa.

Brandon Rogers delivered a lukewarm You Can’t Hurry Love, Phil Stacy demolished I’m Gonna Make You Love Me and the Sanjaya Malakar travesty worsened with a pathetically weak Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.

Even front-runners Chris Sligh and Blake Lewis flopped with rearragements, Sligh injecting a Coldplay vibe into, oddly, Endless Love and Lewis executing a sub-par You Keep Me Hanging On.

The women were at least competent — a passable Love Child by Gina Glocksen, an appealing Missing You by Haley Scarnato — and at times better than that. LaKisha Jones won the night with an impressively nuanced God Bless the Child.

And Melinda Doolittle and Jordin Sparks picked dull Ross ballads (Home, If We Hold On Together) but sang them skillfully. The first finalist is eliminated tonight (Fox, 9 ET/PT). Malakar would be the logical choice.

Diana Ross Gets 'Idolized!'

2007-03-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Delicious diva DIANA ROSS is heading out on tour, with a valentine for her audience in the form of her I Love You CD. One of the stops along the way is FOX's monster hit series, "American Idol," where the music icon will mentor the Final 12 as they prepare to sing songs from her catalog for Tuesday night's competition.

For Ross, who will perform live on the Wednesday night results show, the most exciting part of her "Idol" visit is mentoring the contestants."I like the idea of them knowing that they have someone they can talk to who has a supportive voice," she tells ET's KEVIN FRAZIER in a one-on-one sit-down. "Not someone who is there to criticize them, or someone who is trying to tell them what to do.

As I told them, I want to be supportive to help them bring out the best from who they are."Ross says it is incredible how much pressure these 12 hopefuls are under during this process. Truth be told, she has never undergone anything like it in her career. Still, she hopes to teach them to turn a negative into a positive."They said they were nervous with me, and I was trying to tell them that nervous and excited feel the same, so they should change their language and say they are excited.

Turn nerves into excitement and use it as a good thing," she explains.As for the criticism and advice that is imparted by the three judges -- PAULA ABDUL, RANDY JACKSON and SIMON COWELL --

Ross feels that the recipients need to listen, but not necessarily internalize the comments."There are a lot of people who can pi$$ on your dreams," she adds. "I remember there was someone who tried to keep me from being a performer. I wouldn't be here today, if I had listened to that. You have to learn what to listen to."Ross knows that the price of fame can be high.

While she has successfully raised her four children, her life has not been without its own difficulties, so when asked about the very public trials and tribulations of young pop stars such as BRITNEY SPEARS, she has the following to say: "It is not an easy task to have this attention all the time. You hope they can recover and have a life that is graceful."

Diana Ross on American Idol.

2007-03-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

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."

"INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO: DIANA ROSS" MON., FEB. 19, 2007

2007-02-14T14:22:00.000-08:00

"INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO: DIANA ROSS" MON., FEB. 19,2007

LEGENDARY SINGER AND ACTRESS DIANA ROSS SITS DOWN WITH BRAVO'S JAMESLIPTONON "INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO" FOR A SPECIAL TWO-HOUR PREMIERE MONDAY,FEBRUARY 19, 2006, 8-10 PM ET/PT

Ross Wows The Actors Studio Audience, Performing 8 Songs Of Classic Hits And New Releases NEW YORK - February 13, 2007 - Host James Lipton sits down with the legendary actress and singer Diana Ross for the special two-hour premiere of Bravo's 12-time Emmy-nominated series "Inside the Actor Studio: Diana Ross"on Monday, February 19, 2007, 8-10 PM ET/PT.

Lipton,who is well known for his ability to get personal with the lives and careersof his guests, delves into Ross' life and career, which the Golden Globe winning "Dreamgirls" is loosely based. In addition, Ross will grace the stage to perform a compilation of hit songs including "Baby Love" and "Do You Know Where You Are Going" along with songs from her current album "I Love You."

Durin her wide-ranging interview with Lipton, Ross reveals how she handled fame at the age of 14; what life was like with her former manager Berry Gordy and her critically acclaimed role in "Lady Sings The Blues," among other topics. The following are excerpts from the interview.

ON HOW SHE GOT INVOLVED WITH THE PRIMETTES: "Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson, they wanted to put together a girlsgroup and they came and asked my parents if I would sing with the Primettes.They heard I could sing and asked if I would sing with the group."

ON BEING TURNED DOWN BY BERRY GORDY: "I was only 14 years old at the time and Berry Gordy said I was too young and should go back to school. So I persevered and got a job working with Berry Gordy as his secretary. I couldn't type or anything so I would organize his desk. I was a really good organizer."

ON BERRY GORDY BEING A MENTOR: "He was the person who gave everyone inspirations. I wouldn't be here today if he didn't believe in me. Not only as a performer but also as an actress"

ON BECOMING THE SUPREMES: "They were trying to find names that were really catchy, they asked us to go away and come up with something other than the Primettes because they didn't think that had the right ring to it. Florence [Ballard] was the one who came back with the name "The Supremes."

ON FINDING FAME AT A YOUNG AGE: "I don't think we ever tried to figure out how many records we were selling. It was just something you never really imagined was going to happen to your life."

ON BERRY GORDY'S PROFESSIONAL FOCUS ON DIANA ROSS: "As time went on it was expressed that it did put a strain on the group. At the time I didn't think that it did. I felt like we were all growing in different directions. I don't really know if it was Berry's focus on me, I think it was just time, it was part of growing."

ON LEAVING THE SUPREMES TO PERSUE HER SOLO CAREER: "It was like stepping into the darkness, not knowing really if it was the right thing to do or not."

ON PREPARING FOR THE ROLE OF BILLIE HOLIDAY IN "LADY SINGS THE BLUES": "I read a lot, I watched everything I could about Billie Holiday. No one taught me this. I had to learn this all on my own. All I listened to was Billie Holiday so it just became a part of me like osmosis or something."

ON HER CAREER TODAY: "The record industry is changing so much. They don't have time for veteran artists. And I guess that's the way it is, we are supposed to move over for the younger artists. But I think that until they drag me off the stage, I want to continue!"

ON HER NEW CD "I LOVE YOU": "I'm so grateful to the record company that helped me release this message because this is a message of love. It is what I want to be able to give out and every song is a positive affirmation of love."

Best known as the lead singer of the popular 1960s singing group The Supremes, Ross was born in Detroit, Michigan, the second of six children. Ross started singing in the gospel choir of a Baptist church and at age 14, she formed a vocal group, "The Primettes," with friends Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard and Barbara Martin. Later, Martin left the group and the remaining three girls inked a deal with Motown Records and were renamed The Supremes. Ross became the lead signer of the group and they were renamed "Diana Ross and the Supremes." From 1965 to 1969, The Supremes had astring of #1 records.

In late 1969, Ross left the group to begin a solo career. Ross' first two songs reached #1 on both the pop and R&B charts. She later 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. Ross later starred in "Mahogany" (1975) and "The Wiz" (1978).

She was also nominated for a Golden Gobe for her role in the TV movie "Out of Darkness" and won a Tony Award for her one-woman show on Broadway.

Ross recently released her first album in over six years, I Love You. The new album proved to be a comeback of sorts, achieving Hot Shot Debut status on the Billboard 200 by debuting at no. 32, and giving Diana her first Top 40 album on that chart since Swept Away, over two decades earlier.

Bravo is the cable network that plugs people into arts, entertainment and pop culture with original programming, acclaimed drama series, movies, comedy and music specials, and by showing a whole different side of celebrities.

Currently available in more than 83 million homes, Bravo is known for breaking exciting new personalities, shaking up the way we lookat style, media, fame and Hollywood, pulling back the curtain on the creative process, and making influential and inventive original programming. Its critically acclaimed original programming includes the Emmy-nominated"Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List," 12-time Emmy-nominated "Inside the Actors Studio," "The Real Housewives of Orange County," "Top Chef," "Celebrity Poker Showdown," as well as the 2004 Emmy winner for Outstanding Reality Program, "Queer Eye," and the four-time Emmy-nominated hit competition series, "Project Runway."

DIANA ROSS TO THE ACADEMY: ARE YOU KIDDING?

2007-02-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

We hear that the Academy of Motion pictures had the colossal nerve to ask Diana Ross to sing one of the nominated songs from Dreamgirls on the Oscar show.

Are they out of touch or WHAT? First of all, when Diana was asked by Diane Sawyer what she thought of the movie, Diana replied " I haven't seen it - maybe I should see it with my lawyer."

The movie is based on the Supremes, but doesn't focus on the "Diana" character. Diana recently released an album "I Love You" and sales are dismal.

We can only IMAGINE what she thought when the Academy asked her to sing a Dreamgirls song. So far, no response.

Diana Ross Attitude interview 2007

2007-02-07T05:36:00.000-08:00

For over four decades Miss Ross has reigned Supreme as the pre-eminent Diva to outclass all others.
The records, the hair, the seqiuns, the films, al rise fore the First Lady of Motown

It maybe a cliché, but it's also true. When they invented the term diva there was only one woman who would not only embody all the drama, glamour, excess and cool aloof the term entails, but single-handled take it to a whole other level.

Even the email setting up this rare interview to promote her sumptuous new album” I Love You" came with the request” please address her as Miss Ross at all times."

Miss Ross knows maintaining her status as a living legend means a whole lot more than the latest CD or concert appearance. Since her earliest days of being groomed in etiquette and poise in the Motown"Artist Development" school as a fledging Supreme.

Diana has almost unfailingly projected an alluring, cool glamour. Her recording career has crisscrossed pop, soul, disco, rock,and jazz and yielded more classics than there is space to mention here-amongst them Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Touch Me In The Morning, Love Hangover, Upside Down and Chain Reaction.

Her supposed rivalries and unstoppable ambition are the stuff of rumour and speculation, but are as much a part of her legacy as the records and the performances-and are due to be whispered about all over again with the imminent release of the film version of Dreamgirls-the Broadway musical that borrowed liberally from the story of Diana Ross and The Supremes in its depiction of Deena Jones & The Dreams.

On the day Attitude puts you’re questions to the Diva Supreme herself, we find Miss Ross in a particularly no-nonsense regal mood.

Whether it's thanks to Motown boss Berry Gordy and his old school training to never stray” off message” and the fuel the rumour mill industry, or a particularly fierce diva moment, Miss Ross wasn't too enthralled with some of our readers questions.

Attitude was gutted, obviously, though of course we'd happy have Miss Ross gouge our eyes out with her stiletto heels as when are not worthy of even breathing the same air as her. Anyways, here's Miss Ross...

I just bought your new album "I Love You" and must say it’s my favourite since Red Hot Rhythm and Blues you sound really connected to the songs and your vocals are great! My favourite track is What About Love from the musical of the Color Purple-would you have wanted to be in that?
Daniel Lloyd, Bristol

Diana:

Not really, no. It's a wonderful play, and off course the film was great. I went to see the play on Broadway and there were many great songs in it, but this one really spoke to me.

It's a really good melodic song, with a great message that really spoke to me and it was written by a good friend of mine, Brenda Russell. I tracked down the producer of the play and then I putt in a call to Oprah to let her know I was going to record it.

All the songs on the album are covers, but they're not the obvious choices at all. It seems like a very personal choice of songs.

Diana:

Well, it was my decision that all the songs should be about an affirmation of love. This project was about three years in the making, then it got down to a year when we really got clear about what we wanted the concept to be.

We wanted it to be all positive songs. Not about loss or betrayal or jealousy-just great love stories. So the search was on.

I listened to hundreds and hundreds of songs that really spokes to me about positive love lyrics and the songs that we really about love

In Boy Georges autobiography "Take It Like Man" there’s a lot about you and Marilyn and how you became friends and wanted to manage him and then fell out. What do you remember about him?
Alfi via e-mail

Diana:

No, no I think Marilyn was someone who liked me. I don't now this person. I think I met him-just like I've met a lot of people

So, you never really knew him?

Diana:

No, not at all.

When Chic was writing the classic Diana album for you. They based the songs on the idea of where you were in your life at that time-in your mid-30s. Having just moved to New York and enjoying your new freedom.

Nile Rodgers has said that when they wrote I'm Coming Out for you there was a double meaning that they intended but you weren't aware of it. Is that true?
Robert Clark, Clapham

Diana:

(laughs) You now that, the interesting thing about a song to me it’s like a poem. Poetry really makes you think deeper than what the actual lyrics mean.

For instance, I´m Coming Out is more about where you are in your life. Like waking up, opening up and being clear about what you want in life. Do you understand?

Maybe growing up or taking a step, or leaving home. It was a time in my life where I had decided to take responsibility for my own life.

I was an adult and I wasn't going to rely on other people to take care of me. It spoke to a lot of people about a lot of things in their lives. It was about saying" yess" to who you are and"yess" to your responsibility. Same thing with the song "Upside Down".

It was about a time when you feel like growing up is confusing and a struggle and you’re coming through it. A lot of the songs to me are not the words but what comes underneath the words.

For you gay fans, I´m Coming Out` was a very important song though. It was an affirmation for them , It can mean that, it can mean whatever it means to you, for your life. It’s an individual meaning.

People don’t think on a mountain when they listen to “Ain´t No mountain High Enough”, it’s about reaching for your dreams.-nothing is unreachable; you have to go for your dreams. It's not about a mountain. It’s more than that. Mostly of my songs give a voice to those that don't have a voice.

I have been a secret rebel through my career because I don't speak about anger and hate, but I use my words trough love. Do you understand? I used my songs to lift people. Sometimes their favourite songs can almost save a life sometimes.

That's why I recorded "I Will Survive”, because in a sense it is a song about survival and it says that tomorrow is another day, life is peaks and valleys and you know nothing is the end and you can survive.

It's almost in that movie, "Gone With The Wind", tomorrow is another day (laughs). Even the song "The Boss" is really just about strength of character. It's not about being the boss and telling people what to do, it’s about taking charge of your own life.

Obviously you hold the Diva crown, but if you had to pass the Diva crown on to someone performing now. Is there any hone who deserves to be a Diva queen?
David Greenwood, Croydon

Diana

I don't now what you mean

I think it means who do you think is good?

Diana

I'll pass it on to you.

I'm really excited that the musical Dreamgirls is finally about to come out as a film. What do you think about it? I thought you weren't happy about the supposed parallels between the story of the Dreams in the musical and the real story of The Supremes, but then I read an interview with Beyoncé where she said you had given your blessing to play the role of Deena
Gary Bardot, Hackney

Diana

I did not. I had nothing to do with that play and I had nothing to do with the movie. I have never spoken to Beyoncé about the movie. And no, I was not happy about the play. And no, I did not give my sanction to the movie because no one has ever spoken to me about the movie.

I don't now anything about it, I never read the script. Beyoncé never spoke to me about the movie and I never spoke to Beyoncé about the movie. I'm totally in the dark about that and I've not given anyone my blessing because no one has ever spoken to me about it.

When you did the video "Muscles"and you were rolling around with all those naked man that was very ahead of its time. Whose idea was that, was that your idea?
Alex O"Connor, Dublin

Diana

You have done your research! That was the video director, it was basically his idea. I hadn't done a lot of videos at that point that was a lot of fun. Didn't I fly in that video to? I did a lot of flying in "The Wiz"as well.

Michael Jackson wrote "Muscles” for you didn't he? There was a point where you were quoted as introducing the song in concert saying,” I don't no whether it's supposed to be Michaels fantasy ore mine".

Diana

What? I don't remember that. You know what? The interesting thing about quotes is people have said things and then things have been repeated, they go over and over again till somehow people think they are fact. Like misquotes and rumours that become real. I don't know if that's true.

There was a rumour that...

Diana

I don't really like to deal with rumours, I would like very much for this conversation to be about music and thins like that. For instance, this new album, there are people on this album who are very, very important: Peter Asher the producer, Steve Tyrell-these people has been very important in making this project.

You know the song "I Want You" on the album, did you now that my brother wrote that with Marvin Gaye? We made "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" into a New Orleans-style march. That was really a concept that came up actually in the studio when we are recording.

I loved the idea of doing that song. It's the anniversary of Queen right now. Did you know that?
Anyway, Peter Asher is a very special, he has a classical musical training and he knows about chords and tones and textures.

Even recording the string sections with these musicians was such a treat. A lot of artists don't go into the studio anymore, they do things with Pro Tools and they're not really there. There are a lot of artists today that don't do anything with real musicians. Did you now any of that?

I get the impression that you've been more involved in this album, that it's more close to you than some of you other albums in the last ten years or so.

Diana

No. I've always been involved in my music. I know it’s something people don't really know because people don't ask that question, maybe because they're more interested in other things.

I'm always involved with the instrumentation of the music, selection of the musicians, who the producers are, witch studio are used.

All the things behind the scenes. There are a lot of things that go into making a cd, there's a lot of telephone calls and emails before a record is made, a lot of that goes into the record. It doesn't just appear a lot of work goes into a record.

In Andy Warhol’s diary’s, he said that your giant open-air Central Park concert in 1983 was the most incredible thing he had ever seen. He called it” the event of the century”. What are your memories of that night bad were you afraid of getting electrocuted when it started to rain?

Diana

That was such a night. It was a moment in time that will always stay in my memory. When it started to rain it was like a monsoon! I felt like a parent on the stage, I felt responsible for all the thousands of people there, and I wanted everyone to be safe, so I stayed on the stage to actually try to talk everyone calmly out of the park and make sure no one got hurt.

Was it one of the biggest audiences I've ever played to? I don’t now; I’ve performed to a lot of big audiences. I didn't now Andy was say that. He was a good friend of mine, a very interesting character. He did a portrait of me and my children and the cover of my "Silk Electric” album.

What is your favourite cover of one of your albums?
Duncan Black, Manchester

Diana

There's one that goes way, way back where I'm sitting on the floor with an apple in my hand. It wasn't my first, well; it could have been the first by myself maybe. I don't know, there’s been so many. I look like a little Biafran child, a little skinny thing.

Your so-called"lost"album from the early 70s,"Blue"was released earlier this year. There's rawness to your voice and a kind of magic in that period when you are filming "Lady Sings The Blues". What was going on there? Were you submerging yourself into the character of Billie Holiday?
Ed White, Somerset

Diana

I'm not sure what was going on in my life during that time. I recorded those songs right after finishing the film. That was the only time when I wasn't in charge of my own recording career. I stayed in the studio the entire time recording.

People think you go into a studio just record a cd project but that's not really the truth. I go into the studio and record all the time, every time I find a song of love. I even have to the studio inside my home and as an idea come up, I just record.

So at that time I went into the studio and would record these songs and they would be put on something they call "the self”"and Berry Gordy sold Motown and hiss publishing company to Universal and I guess Universal are trying to get their money back.

When they sold Motown they hired someone to take the entire catalogue and that includes everything Diana Ross had recorded at Motown. I don't know how this process works*. I'm on the outside. I'm an artist. Then what happened is.

I run into this person at the Polo Lounge in Los Angeles and he says; "I'm releasing one of your records at Starbucks' and I said "Oh, yeah?" I mean, it was news to me; no one had contacted me or asked me anything.

Same thing as Dreamgirls, did David Geffen call me and tell about Dreamgirls? No! I don't know anything about Diana "Blue", nor did I know anything about Dreamgirls.

What happened is they released Diana "Blue" and It became a big success and Universal is now releasing it internationally. And that's it. But it was never intended to be an album at the first time I recorded those songs.

They took those songs and got a great photo shoot from the time and came up with that title. That's the way record companies work. Bottom line is the concept is a good one. I like the songs and I'm happy with it

Have you ever seen the film Trevor about the suicidal little boy who spends all this time lip-synching to your records?
Matthew Holmes. Birmingham

Diana

Yes I have! My British publicist first talked to me about Trevor and it's so good. It's wonderful. It was released in America, it’s a wonderful film. It won an Oscar for Best Short Film.

It's very much homage to four tongs and what it's like to grow up on the outside of things. Yes and there's now an organisation in America called the Trevor Project. Did you know that? It helps kids o be able to get through their lives and talk to their parents

I'm a huge Patti Labelle fan and a huge Diana Ross fan too. I read about the supposed rivalry between you two stretching back to when you were in The Supremes and she was in the Bluebells. Is there any truth in it?
Adrian Lester. Coventry

Diana

Never Absolutely not Patti and I are best friends Never, never, never. There's never been any falling out between me and Patti. We've always been best friends and no one should try and create something like that.

Didn't you all meet up at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Weekend?

Diana
Yes. It was wonderful, moving, exciting Three days of the most special, over- the-top events. Oprah is a one-of a-kind person, there is no one else like her

When will you do a book? You obviously did Secrets Of The Sparrow - do you have any plans to do another book at any point?
Carl Paxton. Leeds

Diana

No, not at all Not right now. Do you want me to retire, to stop and write a book? It takes a lot of time. I could only do that if I were to stop doing what I do and I'm not ready to do that right now

Miss Ross’ new album” I Love You” is out now on EMI Records

Happy Valentine E-Card Miss Ross

2007-02-02T06:15:00.000-08:00

I'm very pleased to unveil the Diana Ross "I Love You"
custom Valentine's ecard.
This is the first FULLY custom ecard EMI Music Marketing has created -
and is a great viral piece.

Send it around to your friends and loved ones.

http://www.dianarossecard.com/

Thanks Jim / Phil Symes
http://www.dianarossfanclub.net/

Diana Ross in TV Land with thanks to Diana's P.R.

2007-01-27T10:01:00.000-08:00

Click this link to watch Ms. Ross' January 16 interviews and performances on "Good Morning America," "Live With Regis & Kelly," and "The Late Show With David Letterman": http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/emicat/diana_ross/dianaross_appearances_001_300.wvx
Click this link to watch release week TV coverage from "Inside Edition," "Extra," BET's "Black Carpet," "Inside Edition Weekend," and WFAA's "Metro" (Dallas, TX): http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/emicat/diana_ross/dianaross_appearances_002_300.wvx
* * * *
DIANA ROSS
CONFIRMED TV APPEARANCE SCHEDULE (as of 1/26/07)

AIRING Monday, February 19 (President’s Day)
Inside The Actor's Studio (BRAVO) – PRE-TAPED - 2-HOUR SPECIAL - interview, audience Q&A session and multiple-song concert performance with her band [songs include tracks from I Love You and other solo and Supremes hits]. Carried in 80 million U.S. homes and in 125 countries.

AIRING Wednesday, March 14
American Idol (FOX) -- LIVE AND PRE-TAPED - Live guest appearance on the show with pre-taped coaching/mentoring sessions with contestants.
_________________________________________________

NATIONAL TV APPEARANCES THAT AIRED TUESDAY, JANUARY 16 (I Love You release date)

Good Morning America (ABC) – LIVE - interview with Diane Sawyer and 3-song concert performance with her band [songs from I Love You: “Lovely Day,” “Look Of Love,” “More Today Than Yesterday”]. Daily viewers: 4.3 million

Live With Regis & Kelly (ABC) – LIVE – interview and 2-song performance, live vocals to track ["I Love You (That's All That Really Matters)" and “More Today Than Yesterday”]. Daily viewers: 3.8 million

The Late Show With David Letterman (CBS) – interview and 1-song performance with her band ["More Today Than Yesterday"]. Nightly viewers = 5.8 million

NATIONAL TV APPEARANCE THAT AIRED FRIDAY, JANUARY 26

Martha: The Martha Stewart Show (NBC) – PRE-TAPED – craft-making segment and 1-song performance with her band [“I Love You (That’s All That Really Matters)”]. Daily viewers = 2.7 million

(http://www.dianarossfanclub.net/)

Diana Ross at the Martha Stewart Show!!

2007-01-27T07:42:00.000-08:00

Soul queen DIANA ROSS is set to focus on her famous style in a new picture book.

The singer, who studied design at college, has kept all the outfits she has worn throughout her career and now plans to show them off in a newbook.

She says, "I was thinking of doing a book and putting them all in -like a style book. It's time."

More news, clips and pictures on www.dianarossfanclub.net

Diana Ross to mentor American Idol.

2007-01-17T04:46:00.000-08:00

January 17, 2007 Associated Press

NEW YORK – Diana Ross says she's a busy woman these days. So busy, in fact, that she hasn't had time to see the hit film Dreamgirls, which is loosely based on her life as a Motown starlet.
The singer told CBS Late Show host David Letterman on Tuesday that she is going to be a mentor on Fox's American Idol and is planning a world tour in March to promote her new album, I Love You.

Ross said she didn't see the musical version of Dreamgirls, either.
When Letterman asked her if she was curious about the film, Ross joked: "Yes, I've heard a lot about it. I'm going to see it with my lawyers."

The film, which won a Golden Globe for best musical or comedy at the awards show Monday, tells the story of a Motown trio similar to the Supremes and their rise to fame. Eddie Murphy won a Golden Globe for best supporting actor, and newcomer Jennifer Hudson, a former American Idol contestant, won for best supporting actress.

Ross went on to say that she's heard there is a lot of her image and likeness in the movie. (Beyonce Knowles' character, Deena Jones, looks a lot like Ross during her early solo days.)
"What I would like to do is to be able to see it," Ross said. "I like to inspire the talent that it is out there today."

Diana Ross makes TV appearances to support new CD

2007-01-13T05:11:00.000-08:00

Diana Ross makes TV appearances to support new CD

Former Supreme to begin media blitz for album 'I Love You' as interest in group surges.
Susan Whitall / The Detroit News

Don't look now, but after several quiet years, the Supreme diva is emerging from her cocoon.
On Tuesday, Detroit's own "Dreamgirl" -- Diana Ross -- will be appearing on "Good Morning, America," which airs from 7--9 a.m. on WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) in Detroit, and "Live with Regis & Kelly" at 9 a.m., also on WXYZ-TV.

That night, she'll be the musical guest on the "Late Show with David Letterman." Later in the month, at 10 a.m. on Jan. 26, Ross will appear on "The Martha Stewart Show," and on Feb. 19, she will be James Lipton's special guest on "Inside the Actors Studio" on Bravo (exact time to be announced).

Ross is embarking on the media blitz to support her new album "I Love You" (Manhattan), which hits stores and online retailers on Tuesday.
It's a bit of synchronicity, for interest in Ross' group of origin, Motown's Supremes, has picked up recently with the success of the film "Dreamgirls," starring Beyonce (as the Ross-like "Deena") and Jennifer Hudson.

Peter Asher produced nine of the tracks and Steve Tyrell did five on "I Love You," which is a collection of some of Ross' favorite songs about love, including "I Want You," a song co-written by her brother T-Boy Ross, for Marvin Gaye; "More Today Than Yesterday," the uptempo '60s hit by one-hit wonder Spiral Starecase; "To Be Loved," the '50s ballad written by Berry Gordy Jr.; and Paul McCartney's "I Will," among others.

Apart from "Dreamgirls," interest in Ross' music has also increased since Motown's well-received release last year of "Blue," an album of jazz standards recorded in 1971 and '72, as a companion to the soundtrack to Ross' movie, "Lady Sings the Blues."

Diana Ross and Mary Wilson ????? Just fiction!!

2007-01-09T15:34:00.000-08:00

THE SCENE AND HEARD

A Las Vegas reunion of Supremes stars Diana Ross and Mary Wilson? I hear rumblings that it's being discussed, with the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood as a possible venue. Wilson, who moved to Henderson about five years ago to be close to her grandchildren, is working on several projects, and a Las Vegas show makes sense. Wilson and Sheryl Lee Ralph, who played the original Dena Jones in Broadway's "Dreamgirls," recently had dinner in Las Vegas. Jones' character was based on Ross. ...

As confirmed by the agent of Miss Ross this is pure fiction!!

Diana Ross Preview

2007-01-09T12:45:00.000-08:00

(PR) Diana Ross is a global entertainment icon, a legendary musical treasure whose music has, for decades, inspired romance, happiness and joy. For her new studio album, Ms. Ross has drawn inspiration from romantic songs that have touched her heart through the years, and she has dedicated the album to this most powerful universal emotion: love. I Love You, to be released by Manhattan/EMI in CD and deluxe CD/DVD packages and digitally on January 16, presents 14 songs personally selected for the album by Diana Ross in appreciation of their timeless, classic expressions of love and romance, including a brand new song, "I Love You (That's All That Really Matters)," a gentle ballad that captures the emotion of romance.

In connection with the release of I Love You, Diana Ross will also be making several national television appearances. Ms. Ross will perform live on Good Morning America, Live with Regis & Kelly and The Late Show with David Letterman on the day of I Love You's release, Tuesday, January 16. Ms. Ross will also appear on The Martha Stewart Show on Friday, January 26 and Inside the Actors Studio on Monday, February 19. Be sure to tune in! [listen to the CD at the full story link] - Click here for the Full Story

Click here to read the full Day in Rock report for 01/09/07

Diana Ross TV programs in January 2007.

2007-01-07T05:23:00.000-08:00

Good Morning America airs Tuesday, 16 January 2007
Couch time and live performance of three songs from the new CD

Live with Regis & Kelly airs Tuesday, 16 January 2007
Couch time and live performance of one song from the new CD

Inside the Actors Studio: 17 January ,2007 (taping)
In addition to the usual interview (and the intimate question-and-answer session with students from the Actors Studio MFA Program at Pace), Ms. Ross will be performing some of her best-known musical numbers with her band, live onstage at the Michael Schimmel Center on Pace's downtown campus.

Campus: New York City Downtown , Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts

Audience: This event is open to the Pace Community Only,
(Students, Alumni, Faculty, and Staff).

Dreamgirls & The Supremes & Diana Ross .....

2006-12-22T06:59:00.000-08:00

Supreme effort channels Motown's diva
'Dreamgirls' dazzles with its display of jaw-dropping costumes reminiscent of Diana Ross' glamour
By Tanika White
Sun reporter
Originally published December 21, 2006
Is Deena Jones Diana Ross? Are the Dreamettes really the Supremes?

Dreamgirls, the much-buzzed-about movie version of the 1981 hit Broadway musical, doesn't say so flat out.

But the costumes in the film (in theaters nationally Christmas Day) -- from the many extravagant gowns to those used for the transformation of the once-meek lead character into a fabulous, fashionable diva -- say it all too well.

"This is pure, unadulterated glamour," says Jacqui Stafford, executive style director for Shape magazine, about the outfits worn in the film by Deena Jones (Beyonce Knowles), Lorrell Robinson (Anika Noni Rose) and Effie White (Jennifer Hudson). "And in that era, the Supremes, they were the first girls to be really incredibly glamorous, to have a very stylish wardrobe."

Deena, Lorrell and Effie's girl group, the fictional Dreamettes, dazzle in the film, wearing jaw-dropping numbers in rich jewel tones and sparkling metallics -- glittering, body-hugging gowns and cocktail dresses in shades of ruby, turquoise, mother of pearl and aquamarine.

In a memorable scene at the end of the movie, the group performs onstage in elaborate gowns with heavy boning and chain mail formed from platinum sequins. The dresses are so tricked out that each weighed 15 pounds.

Such intricacy and sophistication is not just reminiscent of the Supremes; it was the Supremes.

"Even today, the Supremes gowns are legendary," says Tom Ingrassia, a pop music/culture historian who specializes in Motown's impact on society in the 1960s. "The gowns became part of the image and part of the whole package."

Wardrobe credits for the film, which spans 13 years in the lives of the characters, go to Sharen Davis, whose work designing costumes for the movie Ray earned her an Oscar nomination.

For Dreamgirls, Davis combed through archives of photographs, old issues of magazines such as Ebony and Life, and spent hours viewing shows such as American Bandstand for footage from the Motown era.

In a Paramount-distributed production booklet about the film, the studio says Davis' challenge was "to produce clothes that would evoke a sense of period, but not exist merely as reproductions of the clothing of the '60s and '70s eras."

But some ardent students of that time period say the Supremes' famous glamour clearly influenced Davis -- in a big way.

"It seems to me that the producers of the Broadway show really went out of their way to say that this really was not the story of the Supremes, that it was really a generic story about the era, about girl groups and black performers in general. The film version seems to be going in just the opposite direction," says Ingrassia. "There are so many direct connections that make it very obvious. And one of them is some of the costumes are direct knockoffs of actual costumes that the Supremes wore in the '60s. When I look at the clips I've seen of the movie, and the stills, they are dead on with the look and the feel of the era from a fashion point of view."

Ingrassia says female groups that predated the Supremes -- such as the Marvelettes, the Chantelles and the Shirelles -- were elegantly turned out but fairly plain.

"They weren't wearing cocktail dresses or sequin gowns. Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells usually performed on stage wearing bell-bottom pants. The Shirelles wore just very basic black dresses," Ingrassia says.

But it was clear after the Supremes' early years -- of homemade frocks and off-the-rack dresses -- that Ross and her group were aiming higher.

"As the popularity of the group skyrocketed, they started wearing designed gowns, gowns designed by Michael Travis and Bob Mackie," says Ingrassia. "They were in head-to-toe sequins, very glamorous. That was what set the Supremes apart from the other girl groups of the era. They went on stage dressed to the nines, and that's what fans came to expect."

As Dreamgirls moves into the 1970s, it becomes especially clear -- through fashion as well as other cues -- that Ross is the inspiration for Knowles' Deena.

A brief fashion montage of Deena -- of beautifully backlit photos on a wall -- is reminiscent of a similar one in Mahogany, the 1975 movie starring Ross and Billy Dee Williams. Mahogany was produced by Ross' Svengali at the time, Motown founder Berry Gordy, who was clearly the inspiration for Curtis Taylor Jr., Jamie Foxx's character in Dreamgirls.

Ross, who designed many of her own costumes in Mahogany, was the epitome of black glamour in the 1970s. And it's apparent that the costume designers for Dreamgirls used the Motown diva as the style template for Knowles' character.

In Deena's fashion sequence, her makeup (the heavy lashes, the bold eye shadows) and hair (the mushroom Afro, the pretzel braids) mirror Ross' classic look in Mahogany.

"Diana was very chic," says Jackie Rogers, a New York-based couture designer who made many dresses for Ross in the 1970s. "She's very knowledgeable about clothes. She's got more style than any of those girls walking around who had stylists. She didn't need a stylist. She knew what to wear."

The ever-confident Ross was incredibly tiny, but her expertly made clothes fit her in a way that was sexy and sophisticated. But women need not be Ross' size, or Knowles' even, to wear Supremes-style dresses, fashion experts say.

"The great thing about the movie is that it shows you don't have to be skinny or starve yourself to wear a glamorous, form-fitting dress," says Stafford, of Shape. "Jennifer Hudson will never be a size 0, but she is easily as gorgeous as the other girls in the show because she loves her curves and that works for her.

"I think this movie will hopefully herald the return to glamour," Stafford continues. "It's beautiful to be feminine, it's beautiful to show your curves, it's beautiful to show them off in a sexy form-fitting dress. It's not about being safe. It's about loving your body. So wear that dress. Own it. Love it."

tanika.white@baltsun.com
Sun Pop Music Critic Rashod D. Ollison contributed to this article.

Diana Ross shopping Ralphs

2006-12-19T12:41:00.000-08:00

Last night while Henry was doing his grocery shopping, he noticed one of the great Divas of all time. Diana Ross! He captured this amazing photograph of her at the check out counter at Ralph’s. Yes, she looks a bit deshelved, but she is still a class act. Just got off the phone with our London office and they are sure that several of the daily papers will pick up on the photo. The recent release of Dream Girls and her new upcomming album also make this iconic image newsworthly.

More pictures!!

Waking the Dreamgirls: The Complete Motown Press Releases, 1964-1966.

2006-12-18T15:49:00.000-08:00

Waking the Dreamgirls: The Complete Motown Press Releases, 1964-1966.

2006-12-18T15:44:00.000-08:00

Waking the Dreamgirls: The Complete Motown Press Releases, 1964-1966. Compiled by Al Abrams, the Motown publicist who originally crafted the releases, the book features a foreword by Mary Wilson, one of the original Supremes.

The book chronicles the cultural transition of the Detroit-based Motown Sound from its roots in urban soul music through its breakthrough as The Sound of Young America. It is a story that closely parallels the rise and emergence of the civil rights movement in the United States. The music of Tamla-Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr. broke generations of racial barriers, and every victory was eagerly reported to the media by his press man Abrams.

Any Motown fan who has wondered when the Supremes taped a Shindig TV show, or had a Number One record in Singapore or played the Copa in New York will find all the answers here – and more. It is a treasure trove of trivia – and facts, covering not only the Supremes but the entire Motown family of artists.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Martha and the Vandellas, the Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations are just some of the Motown legends whose career moves you’ll find reported here in the era before the Internet and cable network shoes such as E! provided celebrity news to eager fans.

The book reproduces all of the original press releases as they were issued. They are copied from the only set in existence – that in the author’s Motown archives held at the University of Michigan’s Bentley Historical Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Typed and crudely mimeographed, they are presented un-retouched, with typos, sometimes strange syntax and even bad puns. If the news was truly breaking, the press releases went out as “Deliver, do not phone” Western Union telegrams.

Barbara Holliday, a veteran Detroit Free Press reporter, once wrote of Abrams’ press releases, “This is the rhetoric of Al Abrams … the baroque but amazingly effective approach (through which) Abrams has the knack for making the unlikely possible.”

Certainly there has never been another PR campaign like this one – and because the world has changed, there will never be one like it again.

The book also contains many hitherto unpublished Motown artist biographies, compiled by Abrams for the use of the media, as well as rare newspaper stories generated by the press releases.

Motown in those days was said to be a factory turning out hit records. Abrams had his own assembly line, sometimes issuing three different news releases on the same day.

The book is a useful addition to the library of anyone who practices the art of publicity.

Abrams, who became the first employee of Motown in May, 1959, is completing his Motown memoirs, to be published under the title of Hype. His planned Broadway musical, Hitsville USA, has been temporarily sidelined because the widely announced funding for the project never materialized.

Bank House Books is the world’s foremost publisher of Motown-themed books.

The book sells for $30 in the US and £15 in the UK. You can also view the dust jacket at

DreamGirls singing dance versions

2006-12-13T21:39:00.000-08:00

A new concept CD featuring real-life DreamGirls singing dance versions of key tracks from the show/movie.

The website is in development, not ready for primetime, but you all are welcome to check it out. The cover art is in draft form,(the cover will definitely have to be artwork). There can and will be pix inside ....

Clips [visual and soundwise will be added]. The videographer is putting together highlights of studio sessions to date .... and also snaps from same.

http://www.dreamgirlsdanceproject.com

It started a couple of months ago with Charlotte Crossley ...

Charlotte Crossley singing "And I'm Telling You"

More news ....

In 1984, when Dreamgirls hit Los Angeles, I had a major 12" dance single hit with "One Night Only" on my label, Altair Records [distributed by Megatone Records]. Scherrie Payne, final lead singer of the Supremes [74-77], was the vocalist, and the Stars on Background were Cindy Birdsong [Supremes], Pat Hodges [Hodges, James & Smith], and Edna Wright [HoneyCone]. I have remixed the original master for today's dance market as well as remastered the original version, which will be released New Years Eve of this year promotionally and will be the centerpiece of the CD album DREAMGIRLS DANCE PROJECT. "One Night Only" sounded so good remastered that I was inspired to find more real DreamGirls and record my favorite songs from the show, all in dance format. The results so far are beyond my expectations and I think will be a fun listening [and dancing] experience for many DREAMGIRLS fans!

www.scherriepayne.com

Original 'Dreamgirl' Diana Ross Plots Return

2006-12-13T14:51:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK (December 13, 2006) – The original ‘Dreamgirl,' Diana Ross is gearing up to release a new studio album I Love You, January 16.

Her first artist album since 1999, Ross recruited a host of former producers to work on the new album including Marylata E. Jacob, Peter Asher (of Peter & Gordon) and Steve Tyrell. The fourteen-track effort was recorded in studios in New York, Los Angeles and London using a host of instrumentalists and vocalists.

"When I was in the studio, sharing these songs, I was filled with strong emotion," the singer said in a statement. "These songs, these singers, these musicians and all my fans are a gift of love to me."

Ross sang a number of covers for the record including the Burt Bacharach and Hal David standard "The Look of Love," Paul McCartney's "I Will," The Drifters "This Magic Moment" and "To Be Loved," penned by Berry Gordy Jr. "What About Love," which was written for Oprah Winfrey's stage production of "The Color Purple," is also on the upcoming album.

Photo: C. Randee St. Nicholas/EMI

"We wanted to create the quintessential album to be played at celebrations of love and life: weddings, family gatherings, intimate moments," Jacob said. "I Love You is Diana's personal offering to honor these celebrations of love, from the glance of your first true love, through the joy of children, and love everlasting."

Famed photographer Herb Ritts, Douglas Kirland and director Randee St. Nicholas took a number of images of the legend, which make up the CD booklet. The deluxe edition of the effort features a DVD with a photo gallery and a behind the scenes look at the making of I Love You.

The 'Dreamgirls' Get A Supreme Surprise

2006-12-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

It was a dream come true for the cast of “Dreamgirls” Monday night, as Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy encountered a Supreme surprise on the red carpet: one of the original Supremes, Mary Wilson.

As the all-star ensemble hit the L.A. red carpet alongside fellow A-listers including Teri Hatcher, Dr. McSteamy, Shirley MacLaine, Snoop Dogg, Vivica A. Fox, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, they had no idea “Extra” was about to unleash our very own secret weapon.

Wilson, who is enjoying a resurgence in fame thanks to the DVD, “Reflections: The Definitive Performances,” was part of the legendary group whose story loosely shaped the “Dreamgirls” script.

When our “Extra” special correspondent stepped out on our behalf, she herself created a photo frenzy and left the “Dreamgirls” cast in utter disbelief.

“This is all very surreal to me,” Beyoncé admitted. “If it wasn't for you and The Supremes, Destiny's Child, well, everyone, we wouldn't have had the success that we've had.”

Even Snoop Dogg was in musical awe over the legend. “It’s a beautiful thing to be in your presence, baby,” the rapper admitted.

Speaking of presence, Hollywood was well represented on Monday night’s “Dreamgirls” red carpet.

From Teri Hatcher’s sing-along to “American Idol” judges Paula and Randy, who came out to praise Jennifer Hudson, it was a night to remember.

“I'm really proud,” Randy said of Hudson, who was eliminated from “Idol.” I'm really proud that she kept her nose down, kept pushing.”

“I just believe in myself and I held onto my dream,” Hudson revealed.

Meanwhile, the dream may continue for the cast of “Dreamgirls,” as buzz mounts that they could be picking up a few golden trophies this awards season.

“I’m so nervous this week,” Jennifer continued. “The pressure is on.”

So where can we find Jamie Foxx Thursday morning for the Golden Globe nominations?

“I’m going to be at your crib,” he joked with Mary. “Holler at me!”

Judge “Dreamgirls” for yourself when the film opens everywhere Christmas Day.

Singer says she has no gripes with Diana Ross....

2006-12-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

Singer says she has no gripes with Diana Ross, Jennifer Hudson; trek to start end of April.

Beyoncé fans who have believed chatter that she's feuding with Diana Ross over "Dreamgirls" are about to get a wake-up call: Knowles says there is no truth to the rumors.

"I actually spoke to her at a Clive Davis party," Knowles said to a roomful of reporters earlier this month while promoting the upcoming film. "She was so nice. And it made me very happy because I respect her and I want her to be happy."

In "Dreamgirls," Knowles plays Deena, lead singer of a fictional '60s trio called the Dreams (see "Jamie Foxx Raves About Beyonce, Ribs Eddie Murphy At 'Dreamgirls' Event" and "Beyonce Slimming Down And 'Completely Becoming Deena' "). The story spans several years, and audiences get to see each woman's plight as the group rises to fame. The movie is based on the play of the same name that opened in 1981, and to this day, there are still rumors that the characters were inspired by Diana Ross & the Supremes.

"Deena is not Diana Ross," Knowles clarified. "It was very clear that a lot of the story lines never happened to Diana. I kind of borrowed some of her posture and makeup, but it stops there. She's definitely stronger and has a different story."

In recent weeks, reports have swirled that Ross has taken offense to the movie and is even protesting its release. But the veteran singer has not come out publicly and addressed the star-studded project, which hits L.A. and New York in limited release Friday and opens nationwide Christmas Day. Ross' camp was unable for comment as of press time.

"I would hope she wasn't," Knowles answered when asked about rumors that Ross was upset over the film. "I love her. I think she's amazingly talented. I hope she enjoys the movie."

While pumping up the flick, Knowles also shot down talk that she didn't get along with co-star Jennifer Hudson because of jealousy over the newcomer having the meatier role in the film. Hudson has been receiving a myriad of accolades for her portrayal of Effie White (see "Jennifer Hudson's 'Dream' Is Reality: R&B Album, Starring With Beyonce, Jamie Foxx").

"I didn't have the part with the most drama, I was fine with that," Knowles clarified. "I'm not doing this to become a star or prove that I can sing. I've already won nine Grammys and everyone knows that I can sing. I did this mainly to know I can act, to know myself and show everyone else that I could. I'm extremely happy with the movie. I'm extremely proud of Jennifer. I think she's incredible. It's so unfortunate that once again the media is starting things with women. ... You hear I'm mad. Why would I be mad? I'm a part of an Oscar-buzz-[worthy] movie.

"Why would I be mad at Jennifer?" she continued. "I can only imagine the pressure she had being a woman that's never had an album, never done a movie. When I told people I'm doing 'Dreamgirls,' they were like, 'That's good. Who's doing Effie? Is she singing "And I Am Telling You [I'm Not Going]" right?' ... That [song] is what the [production] is famous for, [and] she pulled it off. She's sweet, she incredible and I hope she maintains that same sweetness. ... She's gifted, and I hope she maintains that."

In fact, B says she would have been happy with any role she could get her hands on — she wanted to be part of the movie that badly. Knowles became familiar with the play 10 years ago as a teen and instantly fell in love with the story. She says the onetime Broadway musical was inspiration for some of the choreography and staging that Destiny's Child used over the years.

To show you how things come full circle, Knowles revealed that she first met with director Bill Condon while on the road with her group.

"He said, 'I'm not sure if you can play this part. I'm not sure if people will believe you as Deena when she's more plain and younger,' " she recalled. "I did a screen test. I found the ugliest wig I could find and put the thickest eyebrows on my eyes I could. I got the part. I was the first one cast. I knew this would be important, I knew this would be history. I knew Deena was not written as the strong powerhouse singer. She's actually not even the star of the movie — it's an ensemble cast — but I didn't care. I just wanted to be a part of something so wonderful, and I did it."

In the movie, Hudson has her crescendo scene when she sings "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," the epitome of a power ballad, made famous 25 years ago by Jennifer Holliday. Knowles gets her chance to sing out via the tune "Listen" — the scene comes toward the end of the movie, when Deena goes through a life change.

"Bill Condon suggested 'Listen,' " she said of the song, the only original one in the movie. "Actually, it was in the script I read. He felt the second half needed another song. ... It was exciting for me. ... It was important for Deena's character, because she was so controlled [throughout] the whole movie — so manipulated — and finally, when she stands up for herself, it's so effective. I love the record. I think it's something that's still relevant now. Everyone has a moment when they decide they're taking control of their life."

Offscreen, Knowles has another one of those empowering women anthems, "Irreplaceable," to her own name. The song is #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"I love 'Irreplaceable,' " she said. "I think it's important to have those songs. I've had so many people come up to me in tears saying, 'I experienced my first breakup. If it wasn't for the song, I wouldn't be strong enough to not call. I wouldn't know how much I'm worth.' I'm happy to be a part of that. I wrote 'Independent Women' and 'Bootylicious' and 'Survivor,' and it helped women with their self-esteem. I'm happy to continue to do that."

B and the girls are hitting the road next year, and she's taking her all-female band on tour this spring (see "Beyonce Asks Women To Battle Over Her For Backing-Band Roles"). They'll need a few suitcases, as the multitasking star plans to be out for a while.

"I go on tour the end of April until September," she divulged. "I love to tour. I love to perform every night. It's kinda like I get to be my own director and do my own production. It's exciting. I always try to find new dancers. I was given an opportunity and I like to give new people opportunity ... so I have auditions all across America. It'll be the same type of show: broken down with me singing, big production, and dancers and a band, the whole nine."

Knowles says there are currently no new movies on her horizon. She's waiting for producers to get a load of her chops in "Dreamgirls" first.

"After the movie comes out, I know [the] scripts [I'm offered] will change," she determined.

Tracee Ellis Ross daughter of Diana Ross

2006-12-01T14:26:00.000-08:00

Actress Tracee Ellis Ross daughter of Diana Ross grocery shopping

'Dreamgirls' taps into the '60s girl-group zeitgeist

2006-12-01T04:37:00.000-08:00

'Dreamgirls' taps into the '60s girl-group zeitgeist
Pic's music is conjured through a filter of Broadway-styled show tunes

By KEN KUBERNIK

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Supremes, the biggest girl group ever, provided the inspiration for 'Dreamgirls.'

In her memoir, "Dreamgirl -- My Life as a Supreme," Mary Wilson recalled the transformative experience of seeing a "new Broadway musical called 'Dreamgirls.'
"By the second act I was crying because while many of the incidents depicted in the play could have happened to any number of female singing groups, I knew in my heart that this story rang far truer than the producers could have imagined. There were bits and pieces of my life -- and the lives of my two best friends -- up there."

If Wilson saw her life and career unfold before her eyes, the "Dreamgirls" story follows a dramatic arc that has proved surprisingly universal in reflecting the girl-group craze of the '60s and the common linkage throughout: the controlling Svengali, the ego clashes, the breakout diva, the struggles with personal demons and the changing nature of a music business that left many out in the cold.

The Effie White and Deena Jones characters in "Dreamgirls" were inspired by the Supremes' Florence Ballard and Diana Ross, respectively, and the saga's impresario, Curtis Taylor Jr., might be viewed as an amalgam of Motown chief Berry Gordy Jr., record producer Phil Spector and other key '60s music kingpins. But the Broadway musical-turned-Paramount/DreamWorks release also, in a larger sense, reflects the enduring appeal of a moment in pop when comets, crickets and duck walks gave way to chiffon, crystal and the promise of Shangri-la.

Pop music has always had an address as well as an attitude. In the Jazz Age it was Tin Pan Alley. By 1960, it was 1619 Broadway in Manhattan -- the Brill Building -- and 2648 Grand Ave., Detroit, the home of Motown. They were song factories rolling out top-40 staples like Chevy Novas.

The birth of the teen girl market sent the post-Elvis-in-the-Army boy crooners into exile. With their first chart topper, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," the Shirelles set the template in motion. "It had a profound, spiritual effect on me; it transcended sex, it had ... a sound," exclaims Steven Van Zandt, longtime guitarist for Bruce Springsteen, whose Sirius Satellite Network radio show "Little Steven's Underground Garage" spins a wealth of classic girl group A and B sides. "It was the arrangement, the production, the fact that great musicians were backing these graceful vocals. And it was one hit right after another; 'Soldier Boy,' c'mon, where do I sign up?"

This explosion of sentimentality and sass not only liberated its Revlon-eyed listeners, it was a get-out-of-hell card for young black women. In her liner notes to the Rhino box set "Girl Group Sounds, Lost and Found," writer Gerri Hirshey has Mary Wells of "My Guy" fame reveal the stark reality: "Until Motown in Detroit, there were three big careers for a black girl: babies, factories or day work. Period."

Soon, every church social, every bedroom, every high school bathroom resonated with girls harmonizing, searching for that felicitous marriage of pitch, blend and range. Even the Supremes, the most successful girl group ever, struggled mightily to find that winning combination. "Everyone at Motown was calling us the no-hit Supremes," Wilson says in the "Girl Group" liner notes. "We were the first girl group to sign with the label, but the last to get a hit record."

Heavenly singers & glittery gowns

Bill Condon, writer-director of the bigscreen "Dreamgirls," was one of those adolescents struck by the Supremes' alchemy of longing and heartbreak. "I was 8 years old, glued to my transistor radio, and I heard 'Where Did Our Love Go,'" he enthuses. "It changed me forever. I begged my father to take me to the Paramount Theater in Brooklyn to see the Supremes, around '63 or early '64. Anybody, black or white, could dance to it. And it sounded great on an AM radio."

If Motown coveted a suave, polished sound that appealed to crossover audiences -- a recurring motif in "Dreamgirls" -- with its roster of heavenly singers resplendent in glittering gowns, New York City countered with a one-two punch of edginess and insolence. "The Tycoon of Teen," Phil Spector, headed an all-star lineup of producer-writers who concocted "mini-operas for the kiddies." They embraced the innocence and anguish of the wonder years and served them up in three-minute passion plays, replete with character, conflict and setting.

Under the stewardship of George "Shadow" Morton, the Shangri-las, four looking-for-trouble teens from Queens, ran the table in 1965 with "Leader of the Pack," "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" and "Out in the Streets."

Miriam Linna, co-owner of Norton Records, a Brooklyn-based label long associated with artists of the '50s and '60s, recalls the period with a girlish glee. "The early rock 'n' rollers all wore their hearts on their sleeves; and that made them great boyfriend material," she says. "But they didn't sing about me, my loneliness, my sense that no one understood me. And then came the girls, and they're singing about what I'm feelin' right now! And it was fashion, it was style. A group like the Shangri-las was way ahead of their time. They were finally in control."

If just a few years earlier the Shirelles lovingly cooed "Dedicated to the One I Love," Lesley Gore was now announcing that "You Don't Own Me." With the likes of Quincy Jones behind the board, arranger extraordinaire Jack Nitzsche and a minyan of precocious tunesmiths lurking in the rabbit warrens of the Brill on Broadway, it was "a renaissance period that will never be repeated again," according to Van Zandt. "The best music being made was also the most popular. It was a convergence of opposing disciplines -- hustlers who knew how to make great records."

Motown in spirit

In "Dreamgirls," the music is conjured through a filter of Broadway-styled show tunes -- originally penned by composer Henry Krieger and lyricist Tom Eyen, with additional songs written for the movie -- that not only attempt to capture the zeitgeist of girl-group glory but, in a sense, the whole spectrum of black music in the '60s as it hurtles headlong into the disco era. Beyond the Supremes, "Dreamgirls" the movie offers, at least in spirit, flashes of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and the Jackson 5.

Krieger will be the first to admit that the music for "Dreamgirls" is more Motown in spirit than style. "I defy anyone to find anything that sounds like Motown in my show," says the composer. "They're theatrical, character-driven songs. (The music) makes you think of a Motown song -- the technicality of the music. It evokes the period."

Looking back, it is surprising how uninterested Hollywood has been in exploring the cherishable girl-group legacy as fodder for films. Just one title, a mid-'70s release, "Sparkle," starring Irene Cara and featuring the music of Curtis Mayfield, authentically captured the milieu. Something of a cult favorite today, "Sparkle" also provided the storyboard for an En Vogue video.

With the arrival of "Dreamgirls," however, the prospect of renewed interest in this fabled past looms tantalizingly near. But, like the songs themselves, it may well be a bittersweet symphony. The artists rarely heard the cha-ching of royalties or enjoyed the respect of their peers. According to Hirshey, "Martha Reeves told me that the Marvelettes name was lost one night in a poker game between Motown founder Berry Gordy and his staffers. 'That's how easily your life can get tossed from one place to another,' she said."

Andrew Loog Oldham, legendary record producer, author, and host of his own program on satellite radio, was there at the beginning and offers this rueful benediction:

"The memories of our time period remain great and the audio recalls of what our life was about: Dusty Springfield, Lesley Gore, the Shangri-las, the Ronettes, the Crystals, Darlene Love. It's a shame that their collective royalties might just cover a Paris Hilton shopping spree. But if the aforementioned ladies had fun getting the job done, they got the only blessing that's secure."

Dreamgirls C.D

2006-11-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

Scheduled to release Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Volkswagon presented the Tiguan. (Evan Ross son of Diana Ross)

2006-11-30T04:39:00.000-08:00

Volkswagon presented the Tiguan, its new mini SUV, and all the little starlets clamored to see. Paris Hilton ditched her new best friend, Britney (perhaps she's pissed for this?), to reunite with Nicole. There was a gnarly Laguna Beach reunion with Kristin Cavallari and Lauren Conrad. Noticeably absent, however, was one Mr. Steven Colletti, who, as far as I know, is still dating Hayden Panettiere. Though Miss Panettiere was looking fairly cosy with Diana Ross' son on the red carpet. Confused yet? Zooey Deschanel looked adorable as usual. Christian Slater brought his newly single self to the party (look, can you blame him? There was plenty of ass to grab) and Ludacris performed. Just another Tuesday night, eh?

NEW DVD THE SUPREMES / DIANA ROSS/ MOTOWN

2006-11-28T08:05:00.000-08:00

See compilation of the new DVD "REFLECTIONS"with Diana Ross and The Supremes

Diana Ross' son Evan.

2006-11-27T15:25:00.000-08:00

Evan made an appearance at Brandon T. Jackson's party for his new sketch comedy show "The Brandon T. Jackson Show". Evan and Brandon are both starring in a new movie entitled "Burning Sands". BTW, the guy in the first photo is Marcus T. Paulk, from "Moesha".

Diana's new album "I Love You" will be released in the U.S.A, January 23th, 2007.

2006-11-17T06:39:00.000-08:00

It will be released on the Blue Note label (part of EMI). The U.S.A sequencing is different to the European release.

Tracklist: (sound samples)
01. - Remember
02. - More Today Than Yesterday
03. - I Want You
04. - I Love You (That¹s All That Really Matters)
05. - What About Love
06. - The Look of Love
07. - Take My Breath Away
08. - Lovely Day
09. - Only You
10. - To Be Loved
11. - I Will
12. - This Magic Moment
13. - You Are So Beautiful
14. - Always and Forever
15. - Remember Reprise

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is not on the North American CD, although it may be released as a bonus track

Diana Ross, The American Dreamgirl," ..a lifetime to get here..." by Tom Adrahtas

2006-11-14T05:15:00.000-08:00

The new biography of Diana Ross that will be available in mid-December. "...A LIFETIME TO GET HERE..." is the unauthorized biography of
legendary
entertainer Diana Ross. This is the true story of the woman who
fronted the most
successful female singing group of the 20th Century and went on to
an unparalleled
solo career. Certified by the Guiness Book of World Records as the
most successful
female entertainer of all-time, Diana Ross's voice was the lead on a
record 18 #1 singles,
earning 12 Grammy nominations along the way.

Featuring a text of more than 450 pages with over 60 photographs,
including many
that have never been previously published, this comprehensive work
reveals the truth
behind the break up of The Supremes, recounts the inspirational
effect Miss Ross's
career has had from the 1960's through the present, and details the
amazing success
of her Oscar nominated portrayal of Billie Holiday.

Detailed descriptions of her unique concert performances (including
the seminal
performance in Central Park) put the reader in the front row. Essays
throughout the
book help to elucidate the effects her 5-decade career has had on
popular culture.
For the first time anywhere, "...A LIFETIME TO GET HERE..." sets the
record
straight by not only refuting many of the unfair criticisms and
stereotypes that she has
been subjected to, but calls into account those who've propagated
them.

"...A LIFETIME TO GET HERE..." is the story of a strong woman who
reached
the pinnacle of show business on the strength of her vastly
underrated talent, her immense
capacity for work, and her desire for perfection, all starting at a
time in history when people
of color were not accorded equal access or equal hope for
realization of the American Dream.
Perhaps most significantly, it is the story of a woman who realized
the greatest of career heights,
while successfully making the priority of her life the raising of
her 5 children.

The Diana Ross captured in these pages is the woman who inspired the
likes of
Oprah Winfrey, Alicia Keys, and Beyonce, the woman who opened the
door for the
Halle Berrys of the world, the woman whose name instantly conjures
up the essence of
glamour and elan.

Finally, in "...A LIFETIME TO GET HERE..."
Diana Ross receives the historical due that she has long deserved.

This release may be copied as long as it is copied in total with all
credits.
The cover photo and information is published here with the permission
of the Author - Tom Adrahtas.

"I Love You" Diana Ross New CD

2006-11-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

Diana Ross' kids party time.

2006-11-10T06:03:00.000-08:00

TMZ.com had a party on November 8th in Hollywood to celebrate their one year anniversary. People at the event include Chadney & Evan Ross (Diana's kids), Karrine "Superhead" Steffans and Bootz ("Flavor of Love").

CLAUDE FRANCOIS & DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES sings "I'll Be There"

2006-11-10T05:54:00.000-08:00

When the Supremes was in France in 1968. They appear in a French Show "Studio 21", with Claude Francois. The Supremes song also a medley of hits.

Bette Midler and Cher will be performing at Caesars Palace, while talks with Diana Ross to perform have halted.

2006-11-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

The deal is done, or at least two thirds of it!! Despite a veil of secrecy dropped over the news, very reliable inside sources confirm that the ink is drying on the mega-buck contracts with legendary entertainers Bette Midler and Cher to star at Caesars Palace. However, negotiations for third diva, Diana Ross, broke down and allegedly won't be reactivated. But, as one executive privy to the secrets laughed with me, "Instead, they've extended Sir Elton John's contract out for another year so they get their three divas anyway." Luxe Life has long rumored that contract talks were seriously underway for a rotation of the three female performers to take over for Celine Dion when she "retires" from her Colloseum theater after New Years Eve next year.