Tag: berry gordy

A Short Biography of Motown Legend Diana Ross

27 May 2010

Known as one of R&B’s original divas, Diana Ross is a famous singer and actress who was instrumental in shaping the “Motown sound” in the 1960s and partly responsible for helping to change a country’s attitude about many social issues. As lead singer of the famous group The Supremes and as a solo artist, Ross has amassed over 100 million record sales across the globe.

Ross was born Diana Ernestine Earle Ross on March 26, 1944 in Detroit, Michigan. During the era, young black teenagers used to form into singing groups and perform on corners, in schools, or anywhere else they could showcase their music. Ross formed a group with some of her friends, including Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard. Barbara Martin was eventually added.

The group, known as The Supremes, was signed to Motown Records in 1961. Barbara Martin left the group in 1962, and instead of replacing her, the trio of girls powered on without a fourth member. Berry Gordy felt the set up was better this way. He also noticed that Diana stood out among the girls, and in 1963, Ross became the group’s lead vocalist.

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