In a remarkable career spanning over 30 years, Diana Ross
has proven herself the consummate music artist as well as the most successful female
singer of all time. In the 1960s as lead singer of the pop
group The Supremes, she achieved the unprecedented feat of fourteen consecutive number one
hit records, rivaling The Beatles for the position of most successful recording act of
that generation.
To the delight of her fans, both young and old, Ms. Ross is
returning to her roots and embarking on a national tour with The Supremes, Lynda Laurence
and Scherrie Payne. The "Return To Love" Tour gives Ms. Ross the chance to
perform the songs that seduced and dazzled an entire generation since she left the group
in 1970.
Diana Ross also has the distinction of being honored when the VH1
network salutes her with "VH1 Divas 2000: A Tribute to Diana Ross." Some of the
acts paying tribute to this legend include Mariah Carey, Faith Hill and Donna Summer.
In 1970, Ms. Ross moved to a solo career and for two decades has
continued to produce an endless stream of number one records and sell-out world concerts.
Her repertoire has covered popular music, the works of such diverse
and legendary writers as Sam Cooke, Jules Stein, and Rogers & Hart, and when she made
her film acting debut in 1972 portraying the late Billie Holiday in the film that won her
an Academy Award nomination, "Lady Sings The Blues," she also showed her
extraordinary gift for jazz performance.
Ms. Ross has also shared recordings with Marvin Gaye, Michael
Jackson and Julio Iglesias. Another duet, "Endless Love," with Lionel Richie
topped the U.S. charts for nine weeks - one of the longest residencies at the top of the
chart in the history of American music.
Diana Ross continues to break records and receive honors. In Japan,
Ms. Ross is the biggest selling foreign artist of the past two years. In Britain - where
she was invited to headline the Royal Command Performance appearing in front of Her
Majesty The Queen - she has been recognized by The Guinness Book of World Records as the
most successful female artist of all time with over 70 hit singles to date. Her most
recent album, "ONE WOMAN: The Ultimate Collection, released in the U.K., has gone
triple platinum.
A special honor which Ms. Ross recently received was France's
prestigious Commander in the Order of Arts and Letters, presented to her at the request of
the country's Minister for Culture. An entire day of celebration during the international
musical festival of Midem in Cannes, was dedicated to Ms. Ross. The achievements of Ms.
Ross do not lie solely within the music industry. As well as being Oscar nominated for the
motion picture "Lady Sings the Blues," she also went on to star in the popular
feature films "Mahogany" and "The Wiz."
Through her own company, Anaid Film Productions Inc., Ms. Ross has
executive produced her last five television specials for ABC, CBS, HBO and Showtime,
including "Diana in Central Park" and "Diana!"
Ms. Ross has also entered into a production deal with the ABC
Television Network in which she will produce made-for-television films. Ms. Ross made her
dramatic television debut when she starred in the made for television movie, "Out of
Darkness." Her stunning and inspired portrayal of a woman's personal battle with
paranoia/schizophrenia aired on ABC Television as part of that network's prestigious
"ABC Theater" presentations. Ms. Ross also produced the critically-acclaimed
project.
She also stars in the ABC Television Movie "Double
Platinum," and emotional story of a mother-daughter relationship that also features
eight extraordinary musical numbers. Her co-star is the singer/actress Brandy.
In 1992, Ms. Ross starred in a special pay-per-view television
event, entitled "Diana Ross Live... The Lady Sings." The program featured Ms.
Ross performing jazz and blues and music that she loves, and was shot live from New York
City in an intimate setting, evoking a smoky after-hours scene.
Also in 1992, at Christmas, Ms. Ross came together with two of the
world's greatest tenors of the 20th Century: Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo, and the
three performed a special Christmas concert which was seen around the world. In 1993,
"Diana Ross Live: Stolen Moments" was released. The successful "Take Me
Higher" followed, and now her newest release is "Every Day is a New Day."
The past few years have proven to be exceptional for Ms. Ross, as
she has celebrated her 30 years as a performing artist. A distinctive 30th Anniversary
4-CD commemorative Box Set album "Diana Ross The Ultimate Collection" was
released, and Random House published the artist's very special and long-awaited memoirs,
Secrets Of A Sparrow, authored by Ms. Ross herself.
In the summer of 1995, Ms. Ross traveled to Russia where she made
her historic first performances live, to two sold-out audiences at the Kremlin Palace in
Moscow.
In her continuing commitment to helping children, recently, Ms. Ross
joined the board of directors of "A Better Chance," the oldest and only national
program that provides a variety of educational opportunities to academically talented
children. The organization, based in Boston, is best known for assisting inner city
children in gaining access to the nation's top college prepatory schools.
In addition, Ms. Ross is spokesperson for National Children's Day, a
day in which children have the opportunity to share their hopes and concerns with
America's leaders.
With an amazing capacity to combine many different interests and
with a seemingly tireless energy, Diana Ross continues to be a leading figure for each
generation.