At 79, Diana Ross Makes ‘Memories To Last A Lifetime’ On Stage & In Her Home Life

Jul 12, 2023

Though many musicians have achieved significant success over the past century, few are considered legends. Not many have the talent, charisma and drive to stand the test of time and become irrefutable icons.

Among that small handful of people is none other than Diana Ross. Diana began her music career back in the 1950s and quickly took the world by storm with her phenomenal voice. Even as a teenager, Diana showed she had that special something that only future stars seem to have.

Diana has had an illustrious career spanning several decades, marked by numerous chart-topping hits and accolades. With her timeless songs and magnetic stage presence, she became a music icon after she left The Supremes in 1970. Her debut self-titled album spawned the chart-topping hit “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and she continued to release a string of successful albums for over a decade.

Throughout her career, the 79-year-old singer has released 24 solo albums and received 12 Grammy Award nominations. In 2012, she was honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys.

Having been married twice, Diana has five children from her marriages and one from a relationship with Berry Gordy. Her children, including Evan Ross, have started their own families, giving Diana a total of eight grandchildren. The Ross family continues to grow, and Diana's legacy extends through her children and grandchildren.

Today, she remains one of the most successful and influential divas of her time. Even in 2023, the icon has wowed her fans with her illustrious career and impressive tour.

When someone reaches the kind of status that Diana has achieved, it is always interesting to look at where she came from. Many celebrities and musicians are born into wealth or families that make their climb to stardom easier. Diana’s origins, however, are of an inspiring and humble nature. Diana was born in the projects of Detroit, Michigan, on March 26, 1944, according to IMDb. Her father was a former U.S. Army soldier, and her mother was a school teacher. Diana was the second of six children in total and often took on the responsibilities of an older sibling.

Diana kept herself busy for most of her childhood and adolescence. She became close friends with other kids in the neighborhood who happened to include future producer Smokey Robinson. She attended Cass Technical High School as a teenager. At the time, Diana aspired to be a fashion designer and dedicated her time to classes that would help her become one. On top of clothing design and tailoring classes, Diana also took classes in modeling and cosmetology.

You can safely say that Dianas’ work ethic was clear even from a young age. Somewhere along the way, however, Diana’s career aspirations began to change. Before she had even graduated, she was invited to join a new all-female singing group called The Primettes. At the age of 15, she was one of the four members of the group that would quickly take the world by storm. If you don't remember The Primettes, you may have an easier time recalling their later, more widely known name: The Supremes.

The Primettes were originally created as the female equivalent of The Primes, an all-male singing group based in Detroit. The all-female group consisted of two members at first: Florence Ballard and Betty McGlown. The third member to join was Ballard's best friend Mary Wilson, who consequently recruited her talented classmate — a young Diana.

At only 15 years old, Diana was suddenly a part of something much larger than herself. The Primettes were performing at talent contests, sock hops and clubs all around Detroit. They were diligent, performing anywhere they could where they could have an audience. With their catchy duo-wop style and vocal talents, the quartette gained recognition and a solid local fan base rather quickly.

Not everything was a piece of cake, though. Despite scoring an audition with Berry Gordy of Motown Records thanks to Diana’s connection to Robinson, they were turned away because of their age, according to the Los Angeles Sentinel. Plus, to top it off, McGlown had to be replaced when she got engaged, introducing new girl Barbara Martin to the group.

It wasn't all a loss, though. Gordy was finally swayed by their determination and passion, and he agreed to sign the girls to Motown Records in 1961, as the Los Angeles Sentinel reported. Their work had paid off. However, there was an important catch: they had to change their name. After much deliberation, and despite Diana not caring for the name, the group signed to Motown Records as The Supremes. It was only a matter of time before they went on to become legends.

Changing the name of the group, however, may have been one of the greatest things to happen to Diana. Despite losing another member of the group, Martin, in 1962 and becoming a trio, The Supremes were about to experience their first big success. Just two years after signing, The Supremes managed to score their first Billboard Hot 100 hit with “When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes” in 1963. 

Shortly following this achievement, Diana was officially made the lead vocalist of the group. Even though she wasn't always singing lead, the new role did establish her position as the frontrunner of the group.

That wasn't all The Supremes would achieve, though. The ladies were in for a tidal wave of successes with not only their first No. 1 Billboard hit but a slew of them! “Where Did Our Love Go” from 1964 soared to the coveted first spot on the charts, and it was only the beginning. The hits continued to come with songs like "Baby Love" (1964), "Come See About Me" (1964), "Stop! In the Name of Love" (1965) and "Back in My Arms Again" (1965), which all went to No. 1. It was one win after another for The Supremes. They earned 12 No. 1 songs on the Billboard 100 and two Grammy nominations within the next decade.

During that decade, there was of course the occasional obstacle. One of the original members of the group, Ballard, began to struggle with the pressures she was facing. Ultimately, Gordy was forced to remove Ballard from the group and find a suitable replacement. As a result, Cindy Birdsong took Ballard's place as the third member of the group. 

Additionally, production behind Motown Records was tense. Certain people involved with production left the company, and sales began to suffer. It was simply time for Motown Records to shake things up, and Gordy knew just what to do.

The chance of Diana leaving The Supremes quickly became an inevitable reality. Though all the women in the group were talented, Diana was clearly a powerhouse who belonged in the spotlight. Motown Records even changed the group's name to Diana Ross & the Supremes. It was clear as day to everyone that Diana had something that set her apart from her bandmates.

Apparently, Gordy considered pulling Diana to go solo back in 1966, but held off because the group was so successful. Nonetheless, she began performing solo on television by 1968 and announced her departure just a year later. In 1970, Diana released her highly anticipated self-titled solo album just a few months after her final performance with The Supremes as a full group.

The album contained “Ain't No Mountain High Enough,” which became Diana’s first No. 1 as a soloist. The song also got Diana her first solo Grammy nomination.

With the overall success of her first album, Diana’s career became a whirlwind of success, ambitions and various creative projects. Not only was she creating more albums, but she began working in film as well. She performed as both an actress and a vocalist on soundtracks for different projects. 

Perhaps her most notable performance in film was her portrayal of Billie Holiday in “Lady Sings the Blues” in 1972. Despite skepticism among critics at first, her delivery garnered recognition and approval from audiences, along with a Golden Globe award and Oscar nomination. It turns out that Diana could almost do it all.

Success from her role as Holiday continued when the soundtrack topped the Billboard 200 chart. Diana continued making new music, often collaborating with fellow stars such as Marvin Gaye and Lionel Richie. Over the span of the next few years, she snagged five more No. 1 songs on the Billboard 100, including “Touch Me in the Morning” in 1973, her rendition of “Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)” in 1975, “Love Hangover” in 1976, “Upside Down” in 1980 and “Endless Love” in 1981.

Over the next few years, Diana accumulated a vast selection of awards. In fact, she earned so many that she was once crowned "The Most Successful Female Singer of All Time" by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1993, according to IMDb. From her music career, Diana was nominated for nine and won seven American Music Awards. She earned 12 Grammy nominations and was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

Her acting chops got her an Academy Award and BAFTA Film Award nomination. She was nominated for 3 Golden Globe Awards, winning one in 1973. She even won a Tony in 1977. Diana was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1993), received a Heroes Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (1999) and was honored by various other organizations.

In 2016, Diana was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama. The president awarded her the nation’s highest civilian honor for making history in the music industry.

Despite being a superstar, Diana is just as human as the rest of us and now has a beautiful family. Eventually, Diana became romantically involved with Gordy, Motown's CEO who signed her in the beginning. After a long, six-year relationship, Diana and Gordy became pregnant with her first child, Rhonda Ross Kendrick. However, not far along in her pregnancy in 1971, Diana married her manager, Robert Ellis Silberstein. Despite knowing the child's paternity, Robert agreed to raise her as his own daughter.

Robert and Diana had two more daughters together in 1972 and 1975: Tracee Ellis Ross Chudney Lane Silberstein. Unfortunately, things didn't work out, and the couple split in 1977. 

Later, Diana married Arne Naess Jr. in 1986, which brought his three children into the family mix. They had two sons together in 1987 and 1988: Ross Arne and Evan Ross. This marriage also wasn't meant to be, as the two divorced in 2000 after rumors of Naess' infidelity. Diana’s big family has expanded even more with grandchildren.

It's been a long journey since Diana lived in her childhood home in Detroit. In fact, that same home she grew up in was put on the market in 2018. The 2,112-square-foot, two-story house was built back in 1913. It has four bedrooms, large porches and 2.5 bathrooms. After being remodeled in 2018, Diana’s childhood home went on the market with an asking price of $132,000, according to Architectural Digest.

Real estate broker Darin McLeskey said, "The owner is interested in selling the home now because of its history and it's at a point that if someone wanted the home because of that they could finish it in a way that embodies that history."

However, Diana’s most extravagant home lies elsewhere. The most notable of her homes is probably “Quarry Farm,” her beautiful mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut. The home has an envious 11 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and numerous amenities, according to Berg Properties.

Shortly after purchasing the property in 2006, Diana put the mansion on the market, but never sold Quarry Farm. In 2015, Quarry Farm doubled as the venue for Evan and Ashlee Simpson’s spectacular boho-themed wedding, according to the Daily Mail.

Despite residing in a place known for its “quieter money,” Diana has not seemed to shy away from her fame. Nowadays, the superstar is 79 years old and still owns every stage she steps on. On June 11, 2023, she posted a photo and video compilation on Instagram that showed several highlights from previous stops on The Music Legacy Tour. 

The following day, she reminisced on the fun times she had at her stop in San Diego, California, at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. Diana uploaded a post that was captioned:

“We had such a lovely time by the sea at @theshellsd! I am having so much fun with all of you. Your energy lifts me up!”

Diana continued to enjoy her accomplished tour. The following month, she posted another video from a different tour stop and wrote in the caption, “We made memories to last a lifetime.” She added, “My heart is filled with love and gratitude 💋 sending a big thank you to everyone who came.”

There’s no doubt that Diana Ross will always be an absolute legend and will forever reign supreme.

What do you think about Diana Ross’ incredible legacy? Are you a fan of her music? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends.