Diana Ross

Diane Ernestine Earle Ross — Diana Ross — is one of the most successful entertainers in American history. As lead singer of the Supremes, she became the face of Motown Records and helped bring Black popular music to mainstream white audiences in the 1960s. The Supremes recorded twelve number-one singles — more than any American group except the Beatles. As a solo artist, she continued to dominate, with hits spanning four decades and a film career that earned her an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues.

Born in Detroit in 1944, Ross grew up in the Brewster-Douglass housing projects and formed the Primettes vocal group as a teenager with Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard, and Betty McGhee. Berry Gordy signed them to Motown, renamed them the Supremes, and the group became the label's most commercially successful act. Ross's voice — airy, yearning, impossibly elegant — defined the Motown sound.

Ross left the Supremes in 1970 to pursue a solo career and never looked back. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "I'm Coming Out," and "Upside Down" became anthems. Her concert in Central Park during a rainstorm in 1983 is one of the most iconic performances in music history. In 2012, she received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring a career that bridged eras and genres.