Diana Ross Through the Years
Look back at the iconic career of Motown queen and living legend Diana Ross.
Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The Early '60s
As a teenager raised in Detroit,
Diana Ross began her singing career when she joined a quartet called the Primettes, along with Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard and Betty McGlown. After Betty was replaced by Barbara Martin, the Primettes signed with Motown Records in 1961 and changed their name to the Supremes.
Take a look back at other Motown Royalty
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The Mid '60s
Barbara Martin left the Supremes in 1962, and the group became a trio whose hit songs—including "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love" and "Stop! In the Name of Love"—landed on the top of the charts.
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1967
In 1967,
Motown founder Berry Gordy replaced Florence Ballard with Cindy Birdsong, pictured above with Diana and Mary. The group then became known as Diana Ross and the Supremes.
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The Late '60s
Throughout the late
1960s, Diana Ross and the Supremes traveled the world and recorded more memorable songs such as "Love Child" and "Someday We'll Be Together," as well as covers like
The Temptations' "I Second That Emotion."
Photo: Evening Standard/Getty Images
1970
In 1970, Diana performed with the Supremes for the last time and embarked on her successful solo career, performing internationally and recording hits like the Grammy®-nominated "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."
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1972
At age 29, Diana starred as singer Billie Holiday in the film
Lady Sings the Blues, based on Billie's tragic life story. Diana later won a Golden Globe® and received an
Oscar® nomination for her performance.
Photo: Keystone/Getty Images
1970s - 1980s
In the mid-'70s through the '80s, Diana recorded more hit singles, including "I'm Coming Out" and "Upside Down," and won more music awards, such as an American Movie Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist.
She also won a Tony® award for her Broadway one-woman show, An Evening with Diana Ross and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1982.
Photo: Richard Corkery/Getty Images
1983
While performing a free concert in New York's Central Park in the summer of 1983, Diana found herself stuck in the middle of a
torrential downpour with hundreds of thousands of fans. Despite the rain, Diana continued to sing until the weather became too severe, and the show was rescheduled for the following day.
Photo: S. Granitz/Wire Image
The '90s
After being named the Most Successful Female Singer of All Time by the Guinness Book of
World Records in 1993, Diana—pictured above with
Motown's Berry Gordy—was inducted into the Soul Train Hall of Fame. She was also named Female Entertainer of the Century in 1996 by
Billboard magazine.
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images
The 2000s
For the past decade, Diana has toured, performed and sung for sold-out crowds of devoted fans.
Photo: George Burns/Harpo Studios
2011
In February 2011, Diana
appeared on
The Oprah Winfrey Show to talk about her family life, her greatest achievements and her iconic career.
More from this show:
Published 02/25/2011
