Diana Ross

Pop/R&B singer, disco diva, heralded jazz vocalist and award-winning actress Diana Ross led the first mega-successful girl-group, The Supremes, before going on to sell millions as a solo artist. Because of this dual success, she is one of a tiny elite of musicians to have two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is one of the biggest-selling female artists ever, with sales exceeding 100 million records.

The Supremes shot to superstardom when they enjoyed five No.1 singles in succession from 1964-65: "Where Did Our Love Go?", "Baby Love", "Come See About Me", "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Back in My Arms Again". After a short break of one comparatively disappointing single, ("Nothing But Heartache"'s No.11 is a flop after five No.1's), they returned to the top in 1966 with another amazing string of No.1's: "You Can't Hurry Love", "You Keep Me Hangin' On", "Love is Here and Now You're Gone" and "The Happening". By this time Motown boss Berry Gordy believed that lead singer Ross deserved top billing, and re-named the group Diana Ross & The Supremes.

The move wasn't appreciated by Florence Ballard or Mary Wilson, and Ballard -- exhausted from years of non-stop travel, performing, recording, interviews and learning intricate routines for TV -- was dismissed from the group after sinking into alcohol dependency and depression. She was replaced by Cindy Birdsong. As many of The Supremes' singles had featured background vocals supplied by other than Wilson & Ballard, few of the singles that followed contained Wilson or Birdsong on backing vocals, and with the departure of their now-legendary writing/producing team from Motown, the group's chart success began to dry up. "Love Child" and "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" (a duet with The Temptations) topped the charts in 1968, as did 1969's "Someday We'll Be Together". During this time, Diana Ross & The Supremes concentrated on highly successful tours and TV specials. Diana Ross left the group in 1970 to pursue her solo career, while The Supremes soldiered on with initial success, before rapidly waning public interest in the group and numerous personnel changes. Ross' second solo single, 1970's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" topped the R&B and Pop charts for weeks and laid the foundation for global solo superstardom that, for many, would eclipse her history-making years with The Supremes -- at one point she had three Top 10 singles in the Top 40 in the same week.

In 1972, Ross starred as Billie Holiday in the Motown-produced biopic Lady Sings the Blues. Her performance was widely praised and she was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for Best Actress, winning the Golden Globe. The accompanying soundtrack album was a No.1 hit too. She continued to enjoy hit singles, such as "I'm Still Waiting", "Touch Me in the Morning" and "Love Hangover". Her second film, 1975's Mahogany, broke NY first-week box office records held by The Godfather, landing her another No.1 single and additional acting awards around the world. Her 1980 album diana, which featured chart-topper "Upside Down" and the No.5 "I'm Coming Out", became her biggest-selling LP yet, shifting six million copies. A duet with Lionel Richie in 1981, "Endless Love", was the biggest-selling song of the year as well as Motown's biggest single ever, staying at the top of the charts for nine weeks. It was her last single for Gordy's Motown.

Ross then left Motown to sign a mammoth $23 million deal with RCA. Through the 80s her albums continued to sell in millions and she enjoyed more massive hit singles, such as "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" "Muscles", "Missing You" and "Chain Reaction".

The record industry bible Billboard Magazine named Diana Ross 'Female Entertainer of The Century'.

Her unparalleled versatility is supported as the artist topping the most varied number of music charts at No.1: Pop Singles, Pop Albums, R&B Singles, R&B Albums, as well as Easy Listening, Jazz, Classical, Dance and Adult Contemporary Charts. Her latest album, 2006's I Love You, was the highest debut CD on the Billboard Pop Album chart that week. Ross continues to tour, selling out venues around the world. Her most recent concerts in Fall 2009 sold out the 30,000-plus Holland amphitheater necessitating the addition of more performances.