Diana Ross

Diana Ernestine Earle Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer, actress and record producer.

Born and raised in Detroit, MI, she rose to fame as a founding member and lead singer of the vocal group The Supremes, which, during the 1960s, became Motown’s most commercially successful act and is to this day America’s most successful vocal group.

As part of the Supremes’, Ross most notably rivaled the career of The Beatles in worldwide popularity, and their success made it possible for future African American R&B and soul acts to find mainstream success.

Following her departure from The Supremes in 1970, she released her debut solo album, Diana Ross, which contained the hits “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough“.

Ross also ventured into acting, with aGolden Globe Award and Academy Award nominated performance in Lady Sings the Blues. Later starring in two other big screen films, Mahogany and the cult-classic The Wiz. Later acting included roles in the television films Out of Darkness andDouble Platinum.

Beside ventures in Broadway, Ross was named the “Female Entertainer of the Century” by Billboard magazine. In 1993, theGuinness Book of World Records declared Diana Ross the most successful female music artist in history due to her success in the United States and United Kingdom for having more hits than any female artist in the charts with a career total of 70 hit singles with her work with the Supremes and as a solo artist. Diana Ross has sold more than 100 million records worldwide when her releases with the Supremes and as a solo artist are tallied.