Abstract
My story on Diana Ross and the things she has accomplish in her life have inspired me. I have always loved Ms. Ross and what she stands for a go getter, loving, caring and beautiful woman. Ms. Ross has open a brand new world for a lot of black artist of her time, the paths that she has paved for young black female artist are breath taken. She set the stage for how hard work and motivation along with preservation go hand in hand. Ms. Ross was the key element of the Supremes her up-tempo vocals kept her as the lead soloist on most of the songs performed with the group. She impressed when he first heard her voice and he new he had a winner for his record label. Even though it took some years before Ms. Ross performed as a solo artist she still performed with the Supremes until the end. Ms. Ross hit the top of the charts when she became a solo artist and never looked back for several years. She kept the lime life going as she stared in sitcoms, movies, talk shows. Ms. Ross is still singing here and there but mostly spending a lot of time with her family. She is one awesome lady, who I admire and love… My Story on Diana Ross
My paper is on the real Diana Ross, who born at Hutzel Women’s Hospital in Detroit, Michigan on March 26, 1944. She was the second eldest of Ernestine, a schoolteacher, and Fred Ross, Sr., a former United States Army soldier. Diana Ross’s real name is Diana Ernestine Earl Ross there was a story to be told if Diana’s name ended in “a” or an “e”. She said her actual name is “Diane” it was a clerical error that resulted in her name being “Diana” on her birth certificate. She went by the name “Diane at home and at school, her yearbook listed her as “Diana” and in 1963, when The Supremes released their first album; she listed her name as “Diana”. Ms. Ross grandfather John E. Ross, a native of Gloucester County, Virginia, he was born to Washington Ross and Virginia Baytop, the Gloucester County family were considered mulatto for many generations, which suggests some European ancestry. Virginia Baytop’s mother Francis “Frankey” Baytop was a former slave who became a midwife after the American Civil War. Ms. Ross was raised at Belmont Road in the North End section of Detroit, near Highland Park, Michigan. She was neighbors with Smokey Robinson, who she met when she was around eight years old. When she was around 14 her family moved to Brewster-Douglass housing projects, were they grew comfortably around the street’s working class residents. Later in Ross’s teenage years, she had dreams of being in fashion design, millinery, pattern-making and seamstress skills while attending Cass Technical High School, and then went on to a four-year college preparatory magnet school, in downtown Detroit. Where she was on the swim team, participated in 3-4 other extracurricular activities (according to listings in her graduation photo) she took modeling and cosmetology classes, which was paid by a loan from her former boyfriend William “Smokey” Robinson. Ms. Ross also worked at a Department Store called Hudson’s, it was also claimed in biographies, that she was the first black employee “allowed outside the kitchen”. Providing hairdressing services for her neighbors for extra income was some of her other talents. Ms. Ross graduated for Cass Tech in January 1962, one semester earlier than her classmates. These are a lot of things that we really don’t hear about of Diana Ross’s life, she really fought hard to accomplish her road to stardom.
At the early age of fifteen Ms. Ross was introduced to the music impresario Milton Jenkins, manager of a local doo-wop group, The Primes, by Paul Williams, then member of The Primes, who convinced Jenkins to include Ms. Ross in the Primettes, who were considered a “sister group” of the Primes, created by Mr. Jenkins. She was part of a lineup that included Wilson, Florence Ballard and Betty McGlown, who completed the lineup. In 1960, after winning a singing contest in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, where Ms. Ross featured as lead singer on the version of The Drifters’ hit song. “There Goes My Baby”, the group auditioned for Motown Records.
The group was turn away by Mr. Gordy after he realized how old they were and asked them to come back after their graduation. Ms. Ross was persisting in her efforts to be under Motown records, she continued to return to the studio every day offering any assistance they she could. She would render hand-claps, background vocals. Ms. Ross was the costume designer, stylist and make-up artist for the group, during their early years. In 1961, one of the members was replaced by Barbara Martin and the group was asked to change their name before they could be signed to Motown. There was a lot of input in the changing of the name from “Primettes” to “Supremes”. Several years later the group would loose another member and need to choose a lead vocalist for their group. Mr. Gordy agreed on the new name and suggests that Ms. Ross would lead the group being that she led most of the songs in the past and he thought her voice had the potential to achieve. In the late 60s the group recorded their first hit “When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes” this song hit 23 on the Billboard Hit 100. They then made good with their next hit “Where Did or Love Go”, which hit number one on the charts. These ladies became a hit through the mid to late 60s, where they reached audiences both in the U.S. and overseas, and was one of the best successful female groups in the sixties.
The Supremes would have many disagreements but would stop them from moving on with their careers. Mr. Gordy would like to have Ms. Ross to continue on as a lead vocalist, but this would mess up the financial success of the Supremes. The Supremes were later renamed Diana Ross and The Supremes by Mr. Gordy and that made it easier form him to charge more money for a soloist verses a group. Ms. Ross remained with the Supremes until the early 70s, were she began staring in several TV shows. Ms. Ross started appearing on television shows as a solo artist in 1968, such shows as Dinah Shore Show and Bob Hope special.
Ms. Ross was to start her solo career but she first had to establish a new image, she would no longer be Diana Ross and the Supremes, she would become the one and only Diana Ross. This is when Ms. Ross first met the Jackson 5 and set her eyes on the young and adorable Michael Jackson. It was said that Ms. Ross was the one who discovered The Jackson 5 she would always refer to the group as Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5. This really annoyed Mr. Jackson, his brothers and Mr. Gordy. Ms. Ross would get the credit for Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5 for introducing them to the world via The King of Pop the Jackson 5 album. Ms. Ross and Michael became very close through out the years, he even wanted her to be guardians of his children if something was to happen to him and his mother or father could not. This happen in 1971, where their relationship grew and they remain friends until Michael’s death.
The Supremes final number-one hit on the Hot 100 was Ms. Ross’s first solo recording, “Someday We’ll Be Together”, Ms. Ross also confirmed her split with the Supremes. Their final appearance as a group would be the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas on January 14, 1970. Ms. Ross continued on singing all around the world and she appeared on various TV shows, talk shows. And even stared in movies such as the “WIZ” (1978) featuring Michael Jackson and Nipsey Russell, my favorite “Lady Sings the Blues” (1972) and “Mahogany” (1975), these both stared the one and only Mr. Fine himself “Billy Dee Williams”. These movies were a hit back then and are still today, hitting the number on charts every where. Other songs Ms. Ross recorded along with small TV series are:
“Upside Down” and “I’m Coming Out” (1980)
“Muscles” (1982), written by Michael Jackson
“The Force Behind the Power” (1991)
“Out of Darkness” (1994) – television movie
“Double Platinum” (1999) – television movie
“Everyday Is a New Day” (1999) featuring “Brandy” – television movie Ms. Ross was married twice and divorced twice, it is not noted whether she is seeing anyone at this time, she has five children which are all grown as of today.

Conclusion
Ms. Ross has always been one of my favorite singer and actress, has really been an inspiration to me my whole life. She has achieved more in her life time that more has ever achieved. Ms. Ross has captured the heart of many young and old, black and white, rich and poor her music with its up-tempo has touch souls and minds of everyone. Her ability to withstand the test of times through songs and the people she has betrayed in movies and sitcoms are very over whelming. From the time Ms. Ross was a small child she had great expectations for herself and that is what I admire about her. I believe Ms. Ross as to be a great daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend to all who have come in contact with her. I have followed Ms. Ross for a long time and lost track for the last ten to fifteen years. One thing about Ms. Ross that is different than other celebrities is that she stayed out of the media, and you have not heard about her children being on drugs or in any kind of trouble. This is a very classy lady who deserves high honors for all that she has accomplished. If I could render a salute or give a grand honor for someone it would be Diana Ross for being that which she sings “The Boss”.

Reference
Diana Ross. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 04:13, Jun 15, 2014, fromhttp://www.biography.com/people/diana-ross-9464240.