|
|
|||||
CD NOW - ALLSTAR NEWS 
Nile Rodgers Taps Diana Ross, Sugar Ray, Sheryl Crow, & More For 'We Are Family' Remake Kevin Raub, Sep 20, 2001, 11:20 am PT Not to be outdone by Michael Jackson, former Chic member Nile Rodgers is doing his part for the terrorist attack relief efforts as well. Rodgers, who co-wrote "We Are Family" for Sister Sledge in 1979, has roped in a slew of talent to re-record the disco anthem this weekend at the Hit Factory in New York City. Entertainers confirmed for the song thus far, according to the New York Post, are Diana Ross, Sugar Ray, Sheryl Crow, Run-DMC, Dionne Warwick, Mos Def, Cyndi Lauper, Mick Jones, Charlotte Church, the Fugees' Pras, Patti Smyth, Andre Agassi, Joan Rivers, John McEnroe, Montel Williams, Eartha Kitt, Tyson Beckford, the New York Knicks, and members of the New York Police and the Fire Departments. VH1 will reportedly film the making of the song for a future documentary. As with Jackson's "What More Can I Give" (allstar, Sept. 17), proceeds from the song will benefit victims and families involved in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.
|
|||||
|
ASSOCIATED PRESS The Associated
Press Robert Gault on Sunday reflected on his descent into despair when the aircraft carrying his wife and three children disappeared and his ecstasy when his family was found alive in the wreckage. "I am more
than willing to share the story with the world because of the
outcome," Gault said in a telephone interview.
Gault was near the crash site when his family was discovered. He heard
the news of his family's survival from a snowmobiler.
|
|||||
|
A & U Magazine Supreme Lady . . . Diana Ross Raises her famous voice to talk about AIDS with A&U's Nick Steele (AUGUST 1999) "When I was a child, I remember sneaking off by myself. I would stand in front of the mirror in a trance, watching my lips move and my body sway as I sang along with an Etta James record like, 'Dance With Me Henry', performing for a wildly cheering, imaginary audience. At those times, I felt alive and in my element", recalls the woman who grew to embody the sweet promise she whispered to her own reflection all those many years ago. "When you want something bad enough, somehow it happens". Diana Ross is resplendent as she answers the door wearing a sleek black dress and a reluctant smile, washing away all the black and white memories that clutter my mind. In fact, as we sit and chat, I find it impossible to marry together all I know and have read about her with the woman who sits demurely before me. We all have our preconceptions about those who have eclipsed stardom to dwell in a sacred and mythic place in our collective consciousness, and by all accounts, the woman before me should be an impossibly difficult diva with a "sprayed on smile" and the ability to keep me at a distance with one well-placed look. Hey, I've seen it in print. It must be true. The truth is the image couldn't be further from the Diana Ross that I find myself face-to-face with today. She is refreshingly candid, relaxed, and natural. Recently Ross has been raising her famous voice to talk about an issue close to her heart. "Many of my fans, people who have followed me for years, have died of AIDS. And, I've lost a lot of friends to this deadly disease. That has affected me deeply", she reveals. "I can remember being around when we first heard of someone being sick. I had heard from one of my close friends that this beautiful young man had died and it was frightening. That was before they even had a name for this thing, before any of us knew what it was. Then slowly but surely there grew an understanding of where this was coming from, and of course that caused a big scare. We have lost so many creative and talented people to AIDS". The losses have inspired her to make a commitment to do what she can to raise awareness. "I want to be supportive in heightening AIDS awareness. There is still a great deal of ignorance about this devastating disease", she explains. Ross' commitment to the cause is not mere celebrity lip service - Over the last few years she has avoided high-profile starry back slapping fund-raisers to concentrate on low-key grass-roots projects, involving herself in schemes like the New York inner city recreational space drive for children suffering from HIV. "As parents, we must not be afraid to talk openly to our children about sexuality. It seems to me that the younger generation is filled with confusion. They have very little understanding about the illness and as a result, they view sexuality and their human needs with fear. It's our responsibility to teach our young people how to take care of themselves sexually. They must know that if they don't, they could die". She shows the early passion and optimism of someone who is just joining the fight. And that, of course, is just what is needed at a time when so many have lost the drive which is so essential to making progress against this disease. "We also have to continue moving ahead with the research to find a cure. Because I believe there is a cure somewhere. We can find it, but we have to stay on it. I really believe that. Don't you believe that?" she questions. "There has got to be a cure. And maybe that's just my faith talking, but I know there has to be a cure for both AIDS and cancer out there. We just need to make a stand like when President Kennedy said a man will be on the moon by this certain year. We have to declare that this is what we want to happen by this time. Because if we make that goal we have a better chance of realizing it. And until that happens, while this virus is here, we have to keep trying to raise awareness". We arrive at the end of our allotted time and when one of her publicists sweeps in to usher me away, she protests on my behalf, "But he's barely gotten to any of his questions. Can't he just have some more time? It's my fault. I've been talking too much", she says in an endearingly sincere and completely un-diva-like fashion. "How can we fix this?" she continues. "Is there some last question you'd like to ask?" Expecting a polite brush off, I ask for a second interview. "Well, we'll have to see. I'm not sure we..." the publicist begin to say as she leads me out. "You know what, I can do that", Diana Ross says catching up with us. "I can really do that. You give me a call and we'll set it up. That's really no problem". A day or so later I am welcomed home by a friendly message on my answering machine, "Hello...this is Diana Ross. You can call me when you like and we'll set up that interview. Thank you...Oh, and this is Diana Ross calling". "I'm in a great mood today", she announces when we sit down for the second installment of our interview. It is the day after the airing of her television movie, "Double Platinum", costarring teen pop star Brandy. Good reviews of the movie and the success of her latest album, "Everyday Is A New Day", have, at least temporarily, distracted her from her impending divorce from her husband of thirteen years, Arne Naess. "I choose my songs from where I am at that time in my life. If there is a struggle going on you can hear it in the music", she says quietly. "I can't help that". The struggle that her current album seems to hint at is the personally devastating deterioration of her marriage. The song, "Until We Meet Again", feels like a direct appeal to Naess and there is a startlingly revealing moment in "Not Over You Yet", where the propulsive R&B rhythm track momentarily stops and she murmurs a very uncharacteristic, "I hate you for what you've done to me". But Diana Ross is no stranger to difficult endings. She has already lived through one of the most public and overblown breakups in history. Second only to the Beatles in global sales, The Supremes were so much more than just "The Sound of Young America" (as Motown championed itself throughout the sixties). Their aspirational glamour - from the Detroit projects to Vegas in a few whirlwind years - embodied in the supernaturally kohl-eyed, stick-thin Ross, was a dream of post-war black womanhood. When they broke apart at the end of that decade to the bittersweet strains of "Someday We'll Be Together", it seemed for many that that dream was lost forever. "That was such a dynamic time for us and, of course, it was my foundation", Ross recalls. "We just didn't fit anymore. It was like any other relationship or marriage. You put your time and energy into building something, and then, one day, you realize you have to walk away with nothing". "I feel like what I went through with the Supremes was a reflection of what was happening in the world. We went through this incredible period of time in the sixties and came out into a kind of rebirth in the seventies", she continues. "It was like going through the storm and coming out the other side and looking at the world in a new way. The sixties were very turbulent, but the seventies were a beautiful, wonderful time for me". There would be years of accusations and recriminations to follow - the death of fellow Supreme Florence Ballard, then near destitute, in 1976, has been well-documented, not least in Mary Wilson's viciously Diana-baiting autobiography 'Dreamgirl' - but Ross would prove that the sum isn't always greater than it's parts. Always a woman of great independence and steely determination, she set off to secure, for herself, the kind of success that she had largely been responsible for helping the Supremes achieve. "It was like walking into a dark room and not knowing what it's going to be like until you turn on the light. It was very difficult because I had given up everything I had worked so hard to achieve", Ross states. "I worked very hard to earn the name Diana Ross and the Supremes. So I had to really trust that it was time to move forward and make a change. Everything could have gone just the opposite of how it went. It certainly wasn't all positive right away, but I just had to have faith and hold on". It didn't take long for Diana Ross to rise to the top of her game and secure a place for herself among the greatest musical talents in history. As a solo performer, she shed her sophisticated former image to become a vibrant force of nature onstage. Her energy and showmanship were electrifying and transformed her into a world-class diva. "Yes, I am a diva...The Diva!", she says laughing even before the words have finished coming. "I'm kidding, you know...come on you can't take me seriously. I mean, I never considered it a negative word. It's certainly a positive word", she continues. "But it's been used so much recently that it has lost it's value. It's supposed to refer to someone who's on the top, someone who has earned the title of the best. But what has happened now is that any female performer who's had any success at all is being labeled a diva". She has, of course, earned that right and is quick to point out that she and her fellow first ladies of song have nothing left to prove to the world. "I am really excited that Cher has a hit song right now. It's great to have a hit record, but Cher, Tina, Aretha and I have a solid foundation we created for ourselves. So even if we don't have a hit right now, it doesn't matter. People know who we are whether we do or not", she declares. "Our careers are not determined one record at a time. Whether I have a hit record or not, I'm not forgotten". It is a powerful and defiant statement and one she feels compelled to make. Her body of work is a monumental achievement and her early recordings have had a profound effect on the way we sing, the way we dance and the very way we define popular music. "I've been part of people's lives for a long time, for some people their entire lives. And even though I don't feel that old, I've been singing for almost forty years", she says as if the thought is only just forming in her mind. "Is that right?" She counts out the decades in a whispered tone. "Yeah, in the year 2000, it will be forty years that I've been performing. And you know honestly, I don't feel like an old person. I feel vital and young and full of energy. And I don't really know how people see me. I think I still look good", she laughs. "I mean, I'm still working on it!". Her image has, at times, earned her the unflattering nickname, The Plastic Princess of Pop. "I don't care what people tell me, I love makeup and hair and dressing up", she beams. "My hair has always been a big issue, it's still a big issue for me. I will have big hair one day and straight hair the next. In fact, I also love wigs. I have always loved them and I always will. So if I feel like being a blonde today, I'll be blonde. That's why drag queens can easily make themselves look like me", she continues playfully. "Really, it is not hard to look like me, you just put some fake eye-lashes on and fix that hair". As to whether she thinks imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, she claims it goes without saying. "Of course it's a compliment and it gives me a chance to see myself in another way. Did you see that wonderful movie called 'Trevor', it's all about this little boy who wants to be Diana Ross", she explains. "It's such a wonderful film and it really touched me". Ross considers the material on her new album to be some of the best she has had a chance to explore in a very long time and points to the music as an insight to where she is at this moment in her life. "What you learn as you get older is that if you can stay honest and stay real, that's what works best". But for Diana Ross the work doesn't end there. She is a devoted and hands-on mother and she credits her children as being the true grounding force in her life. "My kids mean everything to me", she offers. "There's just so little time in life and I know where my value needs to be and that's with my kids. I don't try to instruct them on how to wear their hair or who to fall in love with. I am just there to support them in whatever they want to do with their lives". In fact, Ross claims she'd raise the rainbow flag in support of one of her children. "If one of my kids was gay, I wouldn't have a problem with it", she declares. "The only thing I care about is whether or not they are happy. So, I would be alright about it. I don't know how my parents would have felt about it because they were from a completely different generation. But, I don't judge people by their sexual orientation or the color of their skin. I never look at someone as gay or straight, so it wouldn't even occur to me to separate people out like that". She is also grateful for the years of faithful devotion from her huge gay following, but explains that even at it's camp best, her music was never directed at any one group. Instead it was a deep reflection of what was happening inside of her at the time. "I know that the song, 'I'm Coming Out', was a huge anthem for gay men, but it was also an anthem for women. It was for everybody and it came from what I was feeling at the time", she recalls. "I can remember being asked what I wanted to sing about and I said, 'I don't know. I'm up and down and all over the place...I'm just coming out!' I'm glad it speaks to gays. It's such a blessing for me to know that gay people really like me". Her sincerity is tangible and her understanding of her immense influence is a powerful tool. "A lot of people see me as a role model. You want to be perfect for everyone and not let anybody down", she admits, growing a little pensive. "It's a heavy responsibility. Wisdom is something that you learn over time. You certainly don't know at the beginning that you have to set a standard". But the standard she has set is undeniable. Over the course of her long and remarkable career, she has even exceeded that childhood dream whispered to her own reflection. "Success can be lonely --- isolating, disappointing", Ross says candidly. "You don't get used to it. You deal with it and use it and make it helpful". When you are in such close proximity to someone fame has magnified to such epic proportions, you look closely and carefully as you possibly can. You bask in their sheer flesh and blood presence, watch for a familiar gesture, wait for a revealing moment and ultimately you assess them with a certainty you never possessed before. We all do it and we revel in that defining moment when we can say, "Oh, I've met her and I can tell you she's..." But it's not possible to understand the complexities of a person like Diana Ross over the course of two short visits and then reduce her essence into a concise paragraph. As I sit across from the fifty-five year old icon, I am satisfied with all she has given and promises to give. Her earlier statement about not needing to prove herself to the world with hit records resonates in my mind and I wonder why she has anything left to prove to anyone. Sitting across from her, I am aware that our time is almost over. I study her one last time. There is the smile that has been burned on our collective memory, the wild hair she loves so much and the slender arms that have long promised an embrace. "For me, the saddest thing over these past years has been losing really, really close friends to AIDS," she reveals. "They're just not here anymore! I'll mention a name, and someone will say, 'Didn't you know he passed away?' All of a sudden you don't see them and you wonder why". She grows quiet for a moment and pulls herself out of the sad thoughts that have begun to collect around her. "You know I do something you wouldn't believe", she says grinning. "I put up these huge notes all over my bedroom to remind me of what's important. If anyone saw it they'd think I was crazy, but it really helps me. Over the weekend, I put up this sign on the wall that said, "If you had three wishes come true what would they be?" She hesitates as though reconsidering her admission. "Do you want to hear about this?" she asks. "okay, the first one is that I wish my kids have long, healthy, happy lives. The second is that I want to be there to see their lives. The third...I'm not going to tell you the third one...I can't", she says with a wicked laugh. "No, I'm not going to tell you!" she insists while still laughing. "I'm really not gonna tell you".
|
|||||
|
ATTITUDE MAGAZINE, The (excerpts) HER HUSBAND - Arne Naess "If you open his fridge you won't find champagne. There'll be a half-finished can of sardines and some cold potatoes. He doesn't spend much on himself. He's still got flares from the first time around"
|
|||||
|
AXIOM (BRITISH MAGAZINE) (Full page color pic EDIAND cover and small b/w pic in text from CD booklet. The interview was conducted by telephone.)
DR: Hi Phil, it's Diana Ross. A: How ya' doing darlin'? DR: I'm fine, how are you? A: Well I'm talking to Diana Ross. How do you think I'm doing - valium seems like a good idea at the moment! So you've got another album out? DR: Yep! Another album. A: How many is that now? I mean do you know how many albums you've released? DR: No. Ha Ha. I tried to find out, but it got a bit ridiculous. I did find out about a single by The Supremes called, 'I Want A Guy'...That was like, one of the first ones. Did you know it can fetch up to 1,200 pounds at auction now? A: Really? You don't have a couple of copies stashed under your bed you can let me have? DR: Ha Ha Ha. No I don't. Actually I have a wonderful friend in Paris who has kept everything and if I want copies of anything he always sends them to me. He's got everything from the beginning on, compilations and everything. A: There are some real fanatics out there. I was looking at web pages about you last night, have you seen them? DR: Yes, I've actually been trying to get control of that. It's hard now y'know, there's no real standards for the web and anyone can set up these pages... A: Do you get any money from them? DR: No. There's only one that is my page. Basically I took it out and decided to reconstruct it because there are too many other things out there. There's even an estate agent in Colorado that uses the name Diana Ross. Ha Ha Ha! It's just amazing! A: Well you've got to realize you are Diana Ross. DR: Ha ha ha! A: No, seriously. it's a big deal. I mean do you ever think about that? Do you ever get up in the morning and go, 'Shit! I'm Diana Ross.' DR: Ha ha ha. No. Ha ha ha. Well y'know I wake up and and say look, this is a good day and let's keep it good. You know what I want to do? Can I call you right back 'cause someone's trying to get me on the other line. I'm waiting for a call from my son. A: Okay. DR: ...Hello? I am sorry. I'm expecting a call from my 12 year old, who's about to get on a plane. A: Where is he? DR: He's in Norway. A: Cool. A 12 year old with air miles! DR: Ha ha ha. He's on his way home and I wanted to talk to him before he gets on the plane. But I'll wait for the call on another line. A: Do you find it easy, bringing up kids? DR: I think bringing up kids is complicated, especially if you have a career or business and so each day is like, just trying to stay organized and trying to get your priorities straight. It's complicated , but a lot of fun. I really like my life. A: Do you think your kids are growing up balanced and well adjusted? DR: I'm doing the best I can. You raise kids a day at a time and if they know that you love them and that you're really there for them, I think it really does make a difference. In the early years of there lives , especially. I've always wanted to have children, I got them, so now I really need to do what I have to do to make sure it's ok. A: It can't be easy having you for a mom... DR: Why not? A: Well y'know being teased and stuff at school. But I think it's easy. I would want to have Diana Ross as my mom. DR: Ha ha ha!
A: So would I! Now, you've done a couple of
Diane Warren tracks on your new album, she's the best ballad writer...
A: Well I haven't got it now.
A: Have you ever had your heart broken?
|
|||||
|
BBC October 13, 1999:
Diana Ross is back in Britain
following her caution for alleged assault Three weeks ago, Ross left under a cloud after she was released by police with a caution over an alleged assault on a security officer at the airport. But on Wednesday she was back, and talking on the BBC Radio One Breakfast Show, presented by Zoe Ball. The 55-year-old singer hardly touched on the subject of last month's incident, except to tell listeners that she had always been treated well in the UK, where she had lots of fans. Instead, the mother of five discussed tips on juggling the demands of children and work with Ball, who is to quit her show early next year to start a family. Asked how she balanced family life and an international career, Ross said: "I think it is a matter of organising. I keep a great organiser, I try to keep my priorities in the right place. "My children come first and the career comes in around that." She then added: "It's about having really a lot of simple abundance, and looking at the beauty in your life." Ross is believed to have flown into Farnborough Airport on a private jet from Geneva. She is here for a series of promotional events, including an interview with BBC Radio Two's Steve Wright and a Top Of The Pops recording. Her major commitment is to film an ITV special called An Audience With Diana Ross, for transmission later this year. Among those who will be in the studio for the LWT show are the All Saints, Catatonia's Cerys Matthews and soap stars from EastEnders and Coronation Street.
|
|||||
|
BE (BLACK ELEGANCE) - January 1998 We can not rightfully discuss the art of reinvention without examining the "original glamour girl" of our day. Diana Ross left the projects of Detroit behind, and created a world of glamour for Black women. Though she was a third of the Supremes, she made an impression that immediately thrust her into the spotlight. Perhaps it was how she interpreted the 1960s Twiggy look, which, at the time, belonged to White women. Or maybe it was the particularly sophisticated way she posed in her glittery gowns, peering at us through mascara drenched eyes that were undeniably larger and brighter than life. Of course, nothing lasts forever. The magical era of the Supremes faded, but Diana moved on. America waited to see if Diana could be the same show stopper as a solo act. Navigating outside the boundaries of music, in the 1970s, Ross entered the coveted world of Hollywood. Even in film, at a time when women were playing both aggressive and submissive roles as leading ladies, Ross gave us glamour. She credits the movie 'Lady Sings the Blues' with forcing her to pull deeply from within. By the time she starred in 'Mahogany' it was obvious that she had it all together. Her star quality was dazzling. Her personal style became the focal oint. The beaded dresses became a distant memory. The hari was slicked back into a simple elegant bun and she acquired a wardrobe of funky, chic gowns. At the close of the '70s she decided to leave Motown. Her sentiments for the new decade were "I'm Coming Out," and "It's My Turn." She declared "I'm the Boss" and "It's My House." Her hair styled in a wave of curls, streamed down her back. A hip Diana made ripped jeans and a T-shirt, especially for a mature woman, sensual attire. Today, Miss Ross very rarely appears publicly, more concerned with her private life as a mother. She still, however, remains one of our classic divas, a gracefully timeless woman.
|
|||||
|
BET (Entertainment Wire), October 13, 1999 Legendary Superstar, Diana Ross to Receive Black Entertainment Television's Walk of Fame Award The incomparable Ms. Ross to be inducted into the BET Walk of Fame as part of a gala award ceremony benefiting the UNCF, Saturday, October 23, 1999 WASHINGTON (ENTERTAINMENT WIRE) - Exclusive press conference scheduled for Friday, October 22, 1999 Diana Ross, the extraordinary Motown legend and Academy Award-nominated actress, has been designated as this year's recipient of Black Entertainment Television's (BET) exclusive Walk of Fame award. The award will be presented to Ms. Ross on Saturday, October 23, 1999, as part of the network's annual fund-raising event benefiting The College Fund/UNCF. In addition to the award presentation, Ms. Ross will captivate Washington area political and music industry VIPs with a spectacular private concert performance from the BET studios. BET will produce and air a Walk of Fame television special that will include exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the event and excerpts from her performance. The special will air during Black History Month in February, 2000. "Ms. Ross is a renown legend in the entertainment industry and one of the most successful performers in history, said Robert L. Johnson, Chairman and CEO of BET Holdings, Inc. "Her contributions to the music industry have touched us all and we are proud to honor Diana with the Walk of Fame award. She is a perfect recipient for this honor which acknowledges African-Americans in the entertainment industry who have made significant and ground-breaking contributions to the music industry." Recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful female artist in history with more than 70 hits, Ms. Ross has recorded 18 number one hits and is second only to the Beatles with 20. Coupled with her Oscar nomination for the motion picture Lady Sings the Blues, Ms. Ross' success as an actress and achievements in the music industry have solidified her place as one of the world's greatest entertainers. The BET Walk of Fame Award was established in 1995 to recognize the significant contributions of African-American artists to the entertainment industry. Honorees are saluted at an annual BET award ceremony benefiting The College Fund/ UNCF. Following the awards ceremony, the honoree's plaque is installed on the network's "Walk of Fame," located in front of their corporate headquarters in Washington, DC. Previous recipients include Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Boyz II Men.
|
|||||
|
BLUES AND SOUL MAGAZINE
The new single - "Not Over You Yet" - October 25
|
|||||
|
CDNOW ALL STAR NEWS Luther Vandross Makes Surprise Appearance At Diana Ross & The Supremes Tour Kick-Off June 15, 2000, 12:15 pm PT The kick-off of the Return to Love tour proved to be a fine return to form for Diana Ross as she performed for the first time in 30 years with members of the Supremes Wednesday (June 14) in Philadelphia. The concert, held at the First Union Spectrum, featured many of the Supremes' biggest hits performed with a full orchestra, backing band, nine dancers, and fellow Supremes Lynda Laurence and Scherrie Payne. The concert also included a couple of surprises -- most notably a guest appearance by a thin Luther Vandross, who Ross beckoned out of the audience to back her up on "Amazing Grace" for the concert's first encore. But for ecstatic fans -- many of whom could be heard screaming "I love you, Diana" -- it was definitely Ross' show. "We're just going to hit you with the hits," Ross told the audience as she plowed her way through song after song and numerous costume changes during the two-and-a-half-hour concert. The show opened with the appropriate "Reflections" as Ross and the Supremes appeared in matching silver metallic gowns at the top of a long, white staircase. A giant projection screen above them showed videotape of Martin Luther King Jr. as they descended hand-in-hand to cheers of screaming fans as if they had traveled back to the 1960s. "I love doing these songs again after 30 years and a solo career," Ross said, describing her fellow Supremes, who both joined the group after she left, as her "two new girlfriends." She added that "these girls, for me, have kept the legacy alive." The early part of the show focused on some of the Supremes' biggest hits, including "My World Is Empty Without You," "Stop! In the Name of Love," and "Baby Love." Many of the songs lost nothing in their new live versions, which differed little, if at all, from the original recordings. Some, including "You Keep Me Hangin' On," proved even more impressive thanks to the outstanding band and the fact that Ross' vocals held out well, despite a few moments in the show when she appeared to have difficulty keeping her voice. A surprise performance of "Somewhere" from West Side Story and a solo performance by Philadelphia native Laurence on "Up the Ladder to the Roof" were also included in the first half of the concert. After a 15-minute intermission, Ross returned for a set of solo hits that included "I'm Comin' Out," in which she appeared at the top of the stage in a black gown with a giant hot-pink train carried by her dancers. During an especially impressive version of "Love Hangover," Ross ventured down into the audience exchanging kisses with many of her fans and even brought a little girl onstage to dance. "When I was in high school, I never dreamed I would be a diva 2000," Ross told fans. "All of this is because of you, you know that, don't you?" A surprise performance of "Reach Out I'll Be There" provided the show's finale, but the biggest surprise of all was Vandross' appearance. It took a couple minutes of coaxing by Ross, but the singer was all smiles as he finally ascended the stage to join the diva for "Amazing Grace" near the end of the show. Vandross sang backup harmony and embraced Ross as the two sat at the bottom of the stage's main staircase for the duration of the song. Following this performance, Laurence and Payne rejoined Ross for the final encore -- a showstopping rendition of "I Will Survive" in which Ross changed costume twice, switching from a silver sequined dress to a teal gown and finally to an orange-red pants suit with matching sneakers. Streamers and confetti -- many of which were in the shape of hearts -- were blasted through the Spectrum. "I believe in you, because you believe in me," Ross told the audience before bidding farewell. Diana Ross & the Supremes set list:
|
|||||
|
Web posted on:
Diana Ross: Ain't No Valley Low Enough
From Michael Okwu NEW YORK (CNN) -- As the supreme Supreme, she rose to the top of the charts 12 times. On her own, she had eight No. 1 hits, according to Billboard. And she managed to make the transition to the big screen, winning an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe as Billie Holiday in "Lady Sings the Blues." Now, after a five-year musical hiatus, Diana Ross has a new album out from Motown -- "Every Day is a New Day" -- and she's starring in the ABC film "Double Platinum" as a singer who leaves her child to pursue a career. Ross' first CD in five years coincides with the break-up of her 13-year marriage to Norwegian shipping magnate Arne Naess. Her music and acting, she says, have given her solace. "I think the album really is about -- it's a reflection of where I am and (where) I've been for the last year or so in my life," says Ross. "I choose my songs that way because I become the lyric. I mean, I live the songs before I record them." And while she may look like the stuff divas are made of, Ross is remarkably unassuming and reflective while musing about her life and her latest CD with its dance tunes and love-centric ballads. She has reason for optimism: Her previous album, the 1994 "One Woman: The Ultimate Collection," released in the United Kingdom, has gone triple-platinum. Now, with the release of her new album of ballads and dance tunes, Ross might hope to follow Cher's lead with a comeback she can "Believe" in. Second only to the Fab FourWhile prolifically successful as a solo artist, Ross first found fame as part of, and eventually the frontwoman for, The Supremes. Originally a quartet called the Primettes -- including Ross, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Barbara Martin -- they signed with Motown in 1960, and a year later changed their name. Martin's departure left the group a trio. For some eight years, The Supremes indeed reigned. Reaching the tops of charts a dozen times, they're ranked second only to the Beatles (20 times) for number of No. 1 hits achieved by a duo or group, according to Billboard. In 1967, the group changed its name to Diana Ross and The Supremes, and Ballard was replaced by ex-Bluebell Cindy Birdsong. After The Supremes' last hit in 1969, "Someday We'll Be Together," Ross exited to pursue a solo career. Although The Supremes soldiered on, with Jean Terrell replacing Ross in 1970, the group officially disbanded in 1977. On her own, Ross released a number of hits, including "I'm Coming Out," her duet with Lionel Richie "Missing You" and "Upside Down." All told, she hit No. 1 eight times, according to Billboard. In 1995, she received the Heritage Award for Career Achievement at the ninth annual Soul Train Music Awards. The other Supremes were less successful after the group's collapse. According to her official Web site, Wilson toured Canada for a year with the play "Beehive," about a girl group. She made her off-Broadway debut in "Grandma Sylvia's Funeral." She's written two books about her tenure with the all-girl supergroup: "Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme" and "Supreme Faith: Someday We'll be Together." Ballard ended up on welfare and died in 1976. Career shiftRoss made her film debut in 1972, playing blues singer Billie Holiday in "Lady Sings the Blues" and getting an Oscar nomination. Since then, she's starred in 1975's "Mahogany" and 1977's "The Wiz." As executive producer and star of ABC's "Double Platinum," Ross has played a part behind the camera. In the drama, which airs on May 16, she plays a singer who sacrifices motherhood for her career and tries to become reacquainted with the daughter she left behind. The role of the daughter is played by Brandy, with whom Ross is to sing a duet -- "Love Is All That Matters," written by Diane Warren. Ross says her producing work is part of her effort to take charge of her career. "I see this with my own children, too, how they decide what they want to do ... being able to be in charge of their own destiny which is so great. Again I was reminded that I don't really think I took charge of my life until I was about 35," she says. 'In one of those valley times'Today, Ross says she's taking her life one day at a time. She'd like to reach out to developing artists, she says. "I was looking at making a shift in my career. I've been so blessed I'd like to be able to give that back. If I could find young artists, young performers I can nurture to have a career I would really like that," says Ross. So where is Diana Ross in her life? "I'm not sure. I'm really not sure. I think we go through peaks and valleys in our lifetime and I'm in one of those valley times, you know," she says. "But right now, I gotta take a deep breath, take one step at a time and figure out what I want to do."
|
|||||
|
DAILY NEWS Supremely Happy: Meet Two Former Supremes Who Are Glad to be Part of the Return to Love tour
by Jenice M. Armstrong
Scherrie Payne is just 5-foot-2, radiantly beautiful and ladylike. Lynda Laurence is outspoken and sophisticated in a world-weary, been-there-done-that kind of way. What they share is that for brief periods during the 1970s, they got to live the fantasy of just about every American girl who grew up listening to Motown music. They were members of the legendary Supremes. Dressed in the group's trademark evening gowns and high-heeled shoes, they toured with Diana Ross, performing such classics as "Baby Love," "Where Did Our Love Go?" and "Come See About Me." No, they never enjoyed the success - or the notoriety - of the group's original members during their record-setting heyday. But for a short time, they became part of the legend that is and always will be the Supremes. And, now, they will get a chance to experience it all again as they kick off the Diana Ross and the Supremes "Return to Love" tour at the First Union Spectrum tomorrow night. Even though their role will be to serve primarily as Ross' back-up singers, they said they are thrilled just to be on the tour and are dismayed by all the negative publicity it has gotten. Critics have slammed Ross for hiring Payne and Laurence instead of Mary Wilson, the other surviving original member of the group, and Cindy Birdsong, who replaced Florence Ballard. (Ballard, who left the Supremes in 1967, died in 1976.) "The thing that bothers me is how ready the public is to always go with the controversy," said Laurence, while sipping cranberry juice at the Philadelphia Westin Hotel last week. "Without a shadow of a doubt, it has cast a shadow on this tour. "And that's unfortunate because we've got a wonderful show. We're working hard to make it so and Diana is one the nicest, kindest, most generous women. I mean, I have nothing bad to say about the woman because she is really truly, genuinely that way." Both Laurence and Payne are particularly peeved that Wilson has made such a public fuss over her dissatisfaction with the financial arrangements offered to her. Ross initially offered Wilson $2 million to participate on the tour, but she opted to hold out for a sum similar to what Ross got, which was projected to be in the $15 million to $20 million range. "It's not about the money," Laurence said. "Mary took this into a whole other place that it really didn't need to go." Payne pointed out that Return to Love began as a Ross concert tour and not as a Supremes reunion. "We all love Mary and hold her in the highest regard, but she was wrong in this particular instance," Payne said. "This is not a reunion tour. It is Diana Ross and the Supremes. There were eight Supremes total." So who are these Supremes who will be filling Wilson's and Birdsong's shoes tomorrow night? Laurence grew up at Broad Street and Columbia Avenue and attended West Philadelphia High School. The daughter of Ira Tucker, the long-time lead singer of the Dixie Hummingbirds gospel quartet, she's a veteran of the music industry who began singing as a toddler. "My mother had a dream when I was 3 years old that she saw me singing on top of the Empire State Building," Laurence recalled. "She asked me if I could sing and I said 'yes' and I started singing all my dad's stuff." Laurence went on the road with her father and at 15 she and her brother, Ira Tucker Jr., put together a band that performed at fraternity and sorority parties at Temple University. She tried to get signed by Philadelphia International Records, but got a "don't call us, we'll call you" response. So Laurence headed to Detroit, where the Motown sound was blossoming. Stevie Wonder hired her to sing backup on "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours." Along with her sister, Sundray, and Terry Hendricks, she toured with Wonder as part of the group Third Generation. Then Laurence learned that Birdsong was leaving the Supremes and the group was looking for a replacement. Originally, the Supremes were interested in Sundray, whose voice was similar to Ross', who launched a solo career in 1969. But Laurence's slim build fit better into Birdsong's expensive beaded evening gowns. Of course, Laurence felt bad about taking her sister's job, but Sundray told her to "keep it in the family," so she joined the group in 1971 and stayed until 1973, when she left to raise her son. That's when Payne became a Supreme. A native of Detroit, she grew up taking piano lessons and studying ballet. Encouraged by her mother, she attended Michigan State University, where she thought about becoming a pediatrician or a medical technologist. "My heart wasn't really into it," she recalled. "I didn't know what I really wanted to do." But she knew she loved music, especially the work of Billie Holiday and Gloria Lynne. Meanwhile, her sister, Freda Payne ("Band of Gold") had been discovered by Motown chief Berry Gordy. One day, while Freda was on the phone with Eddie Holland of the famed Motown songwriting team Holland Dozier Holland, Scherrie began playing the piano and singing as loud as she could, hoping that he would notice her. Holland, who had left Motown to start his own label, did and put her under contract. In 1969, Scherrie Payne joined the group Glass House and had a minor hit called "Crumbs Off the Table." When the group disbanded four years later, Payne went on tour with Charo. Then, her longtime boyfriend at the time, Lamont Dozier, learned that Wilson was looking for yet another replacement Supreme. Payne jumped at the chance. Payne stayed with the group until it disbanded in 1977, and then went on to record as a solo artist for Motown. She had dance-chart success with "I'm Not in Love" and "One Night Only," from the Tony-winning play "Dreamgirls. She also worked with Smokey Robinson, Jose Feliciano, Gloria Gaynor and other music legends. During the late 1980s, some former members of the Supremes formed a group called the Former Ladies of the Supremes, and Payne became a part of that, touring mostly overseas due to legal disputes over the use of the Supremes name. In 1998, Ross surprised the group's members, which by then consisted of Payne, Laurence and a woman named Freddie Poole, who had never been a Supreme, by coming backstage after one of their Las Vegas shows and praising their act. And the rest is, as they say, Supreme history.
|
|||||
|
Daily News
Diana Ross Still Singing In the Key of Me
By JIM FARBER
At the tour's opening night Wednesday at the Spectrum, Ross kept a huge and telling distance from the two other singers. Seldom did she make eye contact, and only once did she reach out and touch them. While the early Supremes wiggled and cooed shoulder-to-shoulder, this time the spangled backup women knew their place. There's something honest about this. Before this tour, Ross had never sung with these women (Linda Laurence and Scherrie Payne), though the star made sure to mention twice that Laurence's association with the post-Diana group dates to 1972 and Payne's to '73 (after the hits ran dry). I'm sure there's enough blame to go around in the breakdown of negotiations between original surviving Supreme Mary Wilson and Diana. But the resulting, high-profile catfight cast a pall over the tour, which surely helps account for the hundreds of seats that went vacant in Philly. (Tickets likewise remain for the tour's stop at Madison Square Garden, July 6.) The fact that the top ticket price is $250, and lots of seats go for $85, probably hasn't helped move things along. So what do the fans get for their big cash payout? Some worthy musical bits and campy theatrics amid the usual Diana weirdness. Of course, true fans consider Diana's weirdness a draw. The fun began even before the show did. A generous assortment of drag queens showed up in full '60s regalia. Apparently, cross-dressers are to a Diana Ross show what panty-throwers are to a Tom Jones tour. One trio, decked out in hot-pink miniskirts, won the "realness" prize hands-down. Ross divided the night into two one-hour segments. The first was devoted to 16 Supremes hits. The second featured just Diana on her solo smashes, plus a group return the latter a letdown, since by then they had run through the hits. In the first Supremes section, Ross never sounded fuller of voice. She soared through some of her most-exuberant hits, such as "Come See About Me" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On," with conviction. It was a pleasure to hear the songs in their full form, free of the usual, cynical, Vegas-style medleys. The group even served up such second-string hits as "Forever Came Today" and the post-Diana winner "Up the Ladder to the Roof," which was sung with real power by Laurence after Ross left the stage. Meanwhile, the video screens provided some mystifying moments. During "Reflections," the visuals centered on protest marches and Martin Luther King, as if Ross were Angela Davis. During the socially conscious "Love Child," we were treated to a visual history of Diana's hairstyles. Ross had her own visual aid in the show: The largest TelePrompTer in history, hung from the roof. She made good use of it, even reading lines like "I'm so thankful" and "Love is all I ever hoped for." When the screen failed, during "Touch Me in the Morning," Ross stopped singing cold. But the star turned more blabby in her solo segment. Mainly, she gushed over fans: "I believe in you!" "I knew you would be here!" At one point, she had the audience breathe with her. Ross also enjoyed one big diva moment, staging a sit-in when she couldn't hear the band. "I'll wait until you get it right," she told an unseen, and no doubt cowering, sound man. The crowd gave this moment a special cheer. Even if such ego fits helped nix a real reunion of the greatest girl group in history, fans know that's part of what makes Diana Ross supreme.
|
|||||
|
Detroit News
By Susan Whitall
What: The Women of Motown (fund-raiser for the Motown Museum) Tickets: $200 a person, includes open bar, strolling supper, valet parking. Call (313) 875-2264
Entertainment: The Velvelettes and the Contours, with Billy Dee Williams as co-host and Claudette Robinson as celebrity co-chair And while males like Barrett Strong and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles recorded the label's earliest hits, it took the Marvelettes' "Please, Mr. Postman," Mary Wells' long run of hits, and, later, all those Supremes and Martha Reeves smashes to really put the label over. Friday at the Roostertail, the Motown Museum pays homage to those ineffable women who helped put Motown on the map with a celebration honoring The Women of Motown. Claudette Robinson, a founding member of the Miracles, is the celebrity co-chair, and Billy Dee Williams, who co-starred with Supreme Diana Ross in the Motown feature films' Lady Sings The Blues and Mahogany, is the guest host. Performing at the event will be the venerable (and very male) Contours, whose contribution to the war between the sexes is their pragmatic song "First I Look at the Purse." The Velvelettes will also perform. One of the later Motown girl groups, they've been one of the most enduring, with all four original members still in the group. Many of the women who wrote, produced and performed Motown's greatest hits will be circulating at the party, including singers Brenda Holloway, Syretta Wright, Carolyn Crawford and Mable John; writer/producer Sylvia Moy, Supremes Scherrie Payne and Lynda Laurence, and Gordy's longtime assistant, Rebecca Giles. In their mother's honor, the daughters of the late Florence Ballard will attend. Next year, the U.S. Postal Service will roll out a series honoring Legendary Girl Groups of the '60s, and the Motown women are well represented: Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Marvelettes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the Velvelettes will have their own stamps. The other stamps will depict The Angels, The Chantels, The Crystals, The Cookies, The Dixie Cups, Patti LaBelle and the Blue Bells, The Shirelles, and Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes. "For us to be included is such an honor," says Velvelette Bertha McNeal. "The Chantels and the Shirelles -- they're the reason I'm in this business." McNeal belts out the memorable opening of the Chantels' best-known hit, "Maybe," -- "May-yay-beeeee ..." as well as the Shirelles' famous line: "Tonight you're mine, completely ..." Those songs from the girl group lexicon -- including the Velvelettes' contributions, "Needle in a Haystack," and "(He Was) Really Saying Something," have endured through wars, riots, presidential impeachments and a general coarsening of pop culture.
It takes a 29-year-old woman who didn't grow up with the music, to explain why. "Most of the great pop songs are about longing or desire, those kinds of adolescent semi-sexual themes," Laughter adds. "There's something about the idiom of the girl group that's particularly appealing because it has that innocence, and a nice balance." And they didn't have to bare their midriffs. (Motown's etiquette teacher, Mrs. Powell, would have no doubt gone ballistic). Although girl groups are a staple of today's teen pop scene, Laughter doesn't see many similarities. "There isn't much continuity between Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and a current group like Destiny's Child," she says. "Today's girl groups are so sexualized, and so explicit, it's hard to relate it to the innocent questioning and longing of the early girl group songs." Part of the pull of the girl groups for fans of both sexes is the gauzy glamour. In the very early days, the Marvelettes and Supremes made do with simple dresses, but it wasn't long before the well-oiled Motown machine kicked into gear. The sequins and glamor came in and Mrs. Powell had everybody in shipshape. The Velvelettes are keenly aware that they must keep up the image by wearing those silver stiletto heels and glittery black and silver gowns. Like all the Motown acts, they were trained as much to give polished live performances as they were to record music. "It's why Motown acts are still in demand," says McNeal. "The expectation of a Motown group is unity, uniformity and nice, glamorous clothing, great choreography and a professional blend of voices." That the Velvelettes can still do it, and look good doing it, is a feat in itself, McNeal agrees. "People say, 'You girls are still doing this?' But just the fact that we're women, at this time of our lives, and we're up there doing what we want to do, it gives women a lot of hope. We're telling women, 'Yeah you can go out there and do whatever it is you want to do, you can be glamorous. You go, girls!'"
The Velvelettes's longevity may be attributed to a hiatus -- three members quit to raise families in the early '70s, and lead
singer Carol "Cal" Street hired two new Velvelettes and kept the group going. All four also had solid day jobs. Catch them while you can, it may be harder to see all four Velvelettes together in the future. Cal Street, who became lead singer of the Motown group when she was just 14 and hasn't drawn a non-Velvelette breath since, may be doing some solo gigs in the future. She's talked to producers Narada Michael Walden and Clay McMurray about branching out.
"I have visions, goals and initiatives that are not embraced by some members of the Velvelettes," says Street.
"Therefore I feel like it's time for me to step out and do some independent work if I'm to realize those visions and dreams."
|
|||||
|
EMI Oct 11, 1999
|
|||||
|
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Thursday August 03
06:48 PM EDT By Gary Graff Singer-songwriter Leona Naess isn't at the point yet where she has to worry about what to do for an encore. Her debut album, Comatised , has been out barely five months, and it's made only a modest commercial impact though you won't have any problem finding critical praise for it. But even as she continues to tour in support of Comatised, including a stint opening for Scottish foursome Travis, Naess is taking any chance she can to get back into the studio and start working on songs for her next album. "I know it's pretty early, but I've been writing, and I really wanted to do it," the 25-year-old Naess says from a New York studio. "Usually that stuff hangs over you, like 'I'm never going to be able to write another record.' I wanted to do it, get it started, so that when it's time to start the record, I've already got a head start. It's good to have your foot somewhere else; then it puts everything in perspective. This way, it's not like everything in the world is hanging on one record; you've already got your foot somewhere else, going, 'This is just as much fun.'" Naess is also pleased to report that she's seeing a perceptible growth in her songs after spending time on the road to support Comatised. "Playing live really helps you when you go back in to record some more," says Naess, whose father, shipping magnate Arne Naess, was married to Diana Ross until last year. "We've been playing so much. It helps your vocals; your voice gets so much stronger. My rhythm guitar playing is a lot better, too. It seems like a joy to be in the studio now; I can feel the difference." With the second album beginning to gestate, Naess notes that she does hear "things I would change now" on Comatised. But she isn't beating herself up about that. "I do still love the first record, which I think is important," she says. "I can hear that I've grown, and I like that. I think it's important to hear artists change and mature over time. It's good to come out strong in the beginning, but you have to realize that whatever you do, it's going to be two years later, and you just say, 'This is what I was doing then. I don't want that now, but it was OK back then. "It's okay to make mistakes, you know?" she continues. "All the artists I've ever liked, they've made their mistakes not just in their music, but in things they've done in the public. These artists that are trained what to say and do and all these things, they're not human. I can't relate to them. You've got these kind of teen artists, they're told what to say, told what to wear, told what to do. That's not human! We're not like that." Naess adds that the one mistake she hopes to never make is continuing to make music just for the sake of having a career. "I hope I'm constantly inspired, but I don't want to be one of those people that don't accept that this is no longer the thing I should do, and just keep doing it and singing out garbage. I don't know; I may wake up after doing this record and say, 'OK, thanks, I'm not interested in this anymore. I'm going to open a shop.' I wouldn't think that isn't possible, really."
|
|||||
|
GRAMMY - THE RECORDING ACADEMY
New York's Heroes
Among those scheduled to attend are Recording Academy President/CEO Michael Greene, New York Chapter President Beth Ravin and Executive Director Jon Marcus, as well as top New York industry executives and music people. The event will be hosted by comedian Robert Klein. Heroes Awards presenters include GRAMMY Award-winning recording artist and 1999 Heroes Award honoree Tony Bennett. Other celebrity presenters will be announced shortly. "The Heroes Awards continue to be one of the Recording Academy's most prestigious events and is in the spirit of the New York Chapter's commitment to service and education," said Recording Academy President/CEO Michael Greene. "Each of these very gifted individuals has made extraordinary contributions to our culture through their endeavors and each has recognized that their unique talents also come with the responsibility to give something back to the community." ...Diana Ross has been called "the most successful female singer of the rock era." From her career with the Supremes, to her remarkable solo career and starring roles in films, Ross is one-of-a-kind. She has transcended the role of pop star to reach the rarified position of "diva." In addition to her exalted show business career, Ross is known for her charitable work, most notably in New York City for her donations to the parks. In its fifth year, the Heroes Awards honor outstanding individuals whose creative talents and accomplishments cross all musical boundaries and who are integral to the vitality of the music community. Heroes Awards are the highest honor bestowed by the New York Chapter and recipients embody the high standards of excellence and integrity that the Academy champions and promotes. Past Heroes Awards recipients include Tony Bennett, Mary J. Blige, Michael Bolton, Chuck D, L.L. Cool J, Philip Glass, Lou Reed, Salt 'N Pepa and Carly Simon. For more information, visit http://www.grammy.com/news/chapters/newyork.html , or call the Chapter office at 212.245.5440.
|
|||||
|
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Feb. 16, 2001 A Diamond in Dirt: Diva Does RodeoBy MICHAEL D. CLARKCopyright 2001 Houston Chronicle
Supremes or no Supremes, Diana Ross is still a Motown legend. On the fourth night of RodeoHouston on Friday the original diva of R&B and disco made her rodeo debut as the first non-country music act to play the big dirt square this year. Unlike Ross' last trip to Houston, there was no back-up singer controversy or high-ticket-price grumbling. The crowd, a little light in the year of forced rodeo busing compared to opening weekend crowds from last year, was just eager to welcome her classic Detroit sound to Houston, no matter who was on stage with her. Ross may be at the rodeo, but that doesn't preclude her from being a diva. Wheeled around the Astrodome in a white horse-drawn carriage she waved to fans from under a huge white fur. A pink-and-salmon train fit for a royal wedding streamed from behind the carriage. Opening with I'm Coming Out she uncloaked bearing a silver-sequined gown and a pelt of brilliant hair. The look was slightly out of touch with the denim and suede rodeo chic, but her glitzy effort let all know she felt a night among the cowpokes was as important as a night at the Met. No problem there. Hanging her voice over the opening piano tinkles of Touch Me in the Morning, her miniature backing orchestra built into a full string and fusion arrangement of the R&B classic. Not shy of her contribution to the age of disco, her hips and shoulders hooked and dived with the wah-wah guitars on Upside Down. Even though she only had an hour for her set, she managed three wardrobe changes, sneaking off to change into pink ball gown for her Motown showcase. Starting with Where Did Our Love Go, she moved fluidly through a medley of Supremes hits including Stop! In The Name of Love and You Can't Hurry Love. Fans were on their feet when Ross took off her heels and ran across the arena in her bare feet to meet them. Ross did suffer some problems that come along with playing the rodeo. The acoustics wreaked havoc with her timing on early songs, and the dirt all around the moving stage seemed to dry out her voice. But it was singing to an audience beyond her sightline in the expansive Dome that appeared most disconcerting. "This is hard for me because I like to be close to my audiences," said Ross. "I wish I could be closer to you." Yeah Diana, that's been a common rodeo rant for year
|
|||||
|
LARRY KING LIVE, September 1999 LARRY KING: Why don't you do more film work, by the way? DIANA ROSS: What about film work? LARRY KING: Why don't you do more? DIANA ROSS: The projects don't seem to be there, Larry. I've done some good pieces on television. I've tried to -- I've worked Hollywood, trying to do more film projects. It's not that easy. My agent said that for "artists like myself, in this age-group," it's just very difficult to find work as an actress.
|
|||||
|
June 5, 2000 (live interview) "Dish Diva" : This event will last 45 minutes! It's great to see people here from Norway and France and Morocco and the UK! "Dish Diva" : Welcome to MSN Live where tonight we welcome Diana Ross and The Supremes--Lynda Laurence and Scherrie Payne! Please Join us in welcoming this legendary musical group as they start their summer Return to Love Tour. "Dish Diva" : Please welcome Diana Ross, Lynda Laurence and Scherrie Payne! "Dish Diva" : It's great to meet all of you. Thanks for being our guests this afternoon. I understand this is your first online event. We have hundreds of questions for you, so let's get started! DianaAndSupremes : Diana: Hello to everybody out there. This is very new to us, we've never done this before. I'm just excited about talking on the internet. DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: I'd like to say Hi to all my cyber budies. This is really a unique experience and one that I'm really happy to be a part of. DianaAndSupremes : Scherrie: Hello to the world, this is Scherrie and I'm really excited about this and I'm really a computer dinosaur and it's not as bad as I thought. I can't believe this is really possible to talk to people all over the world. "Dish Diva" : You all looked fabulous on "The Today Show" this morning, by the way! DianaAndSupremes : Thank you! Thank you very much! "Dish Diva" : The dresses were a great choice! DianaAndSupremes : Sherrie: Yes, Diana was right. DianaAndSupremes : Diana: Trying to find something to wear on the Today show that had pazaz but we were singing on a daytime show around 8am and to figure out if we should be wearing a sequend dress at 6am in the morning. DianaAndSupremes : Scherrie: I'd like to say that we had fun! We had a girlfriend chat before the show about our shoes. We didn't have the same shoes and we went back and forth about not having matching shoes and it was really cute and special. "Dish Diva" : Lynda and Scherrie, did you also have boas? DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: I think we did, but we weren't able to take our jackets off because a little problem with the back of Scherrie's dress. Then my dress came undone a little as we moved and more and more as we moved more and then I knew we couldn't take our jackets off. <laugh> DianaAndSupremes : Diana: I was wondering why you didn't take your jackets off. <laugh> "Dish Diva" : wrs says: What are your favorite recordings that you've made? What gives you the greatest satisfaction in your career? DianaAndSupremes : Diana: I have a lot of really special ones from the Supremes and my solo career. I know the type of song I like to record are inspirational songs that touch your heart. Because I know that me and my fans are going through the same peeks and valleys. I really feel this strongly, that the people that care about you, are the ones that are at the same place you are. "Upside Down"came out at a time I was very confused "ain't no Mountain High Enough" Came out when it was important to me. "Not Over You Yet" is about starting all over DianaAndSupremes : Sherrie: There was a song "Color My World Blue" that was my favorite. It was a very personal song that I was coming off a tumultous relationship. The thing that means the most to me is the emotional feedback that I get from the fans. They will say the right thing right at the right moment that validates you and rejuvinates you. DianaAndSupremes : Diana: I think that things that are going on with other people are going on with us. They think that because we're celebrities, we don't have that but we do. DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: My favorite Supreme song is "Love Is Here". The lyrics of that song spoke to my inner self. I don't think I was in love at the time but I thought what increadable lyrics that if you think that when they're gone, look what you've done to me. And of course the music of that song is still a special one for me. I still get goose bumps when I DianaAndSupremes : hear Diana sing that song. I also enjoyed "Signed Sealed and Delivered" that I sang with Stevie Wonder. DianaAndSupremes : Diana: I have some Marvin Gay songs that I enjoy too. DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: that's a very special album "Love Goes On" it's timeless. DianaAndSupremes : Diana: When I did the song "Missing You" I was in Brussels, Belgium I screamed for him to come out on the stage. And I'll never forget that he came back into the dressing room with me after. And I'm still emotional. We had a relationship where he would sit down with me and play on the piano. We were both Aries and I really feel some of those songs. He's a very special human being. He sang at my wedding "Overjoyed". "Dish Diva" : From judydee2 at dianarossandthesupremes.net: My friend Joe is Diana's greatest fan! We are travelling all the way from London to Las Vegas just to see your show on 5th August. This question is for all of you What is the furthest you would travel to see your favourite star and who would that be? DianaAndSupremes : Diana: With the rehersal we just had in LA with Brian Holland walking in, I just had to make him listen because I know it would bring him to tears. It's all because of Scherrie you made him come! DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: My favorite star is my father Ira Tucker of the Dixie Hummingbirds that just became a National treasure. And I would go to the Ends of the earth to hear him perform. DianaAndSupremes : Scherrie: I have always enjoyed Marvin Gaye. DianaAndSupremes : Diana: I don't know how far I would travel to see a performer but I just traveled to London to see a special award for being courageous. So I think I would travel for something like that, saving someone, and other good causes. I was under a lot of pressure that day and I remember that they were giving this honor to people who have done something courageous and we make our parents, policemen that save people's lives, teachers, as our role model. I know that my teacher, parents, sister have been my heros. I think I would travel miles to do the things that Princess Di did. Go to hospitals to give small children stuffed animals that don't have anything. For me, I love performers, but where I'm at in my life, I want to be the voice of those people who can't speak for themselves. I'd love to see Michael Jackson perform, but I'd rather be with a girl in a wheel chair collecting money to save other people's life. DianaAndSupremes : We have to be the ones to be the voice of those who don't have one, because we're celebrities. My son has a video "My Friend Martin" about Martin Luther King that is animation to keep them interested, and yet it was reality. Ophrah said to me "If I wasn't there, she wouldn't be where she is now". It's important that you be mindful of what other people's lives. I'm learning all the time and you don't always know it, but there's a purpose for the things that happen in your life. "Dish Diva" : Sometimes says: Who were your role models growing up? DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: I'd like to say that the unsung divas of my life are my mother, Vira Gun, who was my modeling school instructor, and my dearest friend Bobby Goldson. These are the unsung divas. Who really are the divas? These are the people who knew what they had to do and did it well. They were able to accomplish what they set out to accomplish. So I would like to say that's who my role models are. DianaAndSupremes : Scherrie: My sister Freta, even before that, the person that taught her was my mother. Everything she did was for Freda and myself, to have class, and more. Sometimes I didn't do what she wanted me to do because I didn't have the self worth. But she was my foundation. Everyone could say it was allways for Freda and Scherrie. She did everything she could for us. She taught us edicate, she was a Christian woman and gave us a spiritual foundation and taught us to carry ourselves as the proud black woman we are. DianaAndSupremes : Diana: Scherrie, it was the same for me with my mother, if I could be the woman that my mother set for me as standards. It's hard to find the words to describe the person you call role model. I didn't have a celebrity role model. I really also want to give credit to the black men in our lives. I think that the black men in our lives have had a hard role. That's why I love the Million Man March. And I love my mother. I have become my mother. <laugh> I stay up at night worrying about my kids and also try to balance everything. I've used the community to help raise my children. Maya Angelo said "We are really raised by our community". I had a teacher Mrs Paige that believed in me. My mother taught me that if you can dream it, you can do it. "Dish Diva" : hiyh732 says: Ladies, would you please let me know if any of the concerts are to be recorded, and should we be expecting a Diana Ross and the Supremes 2000 CD anytime soon? I thank you and I love you all! You ladies are the soundtrack to my life. DianaAndSupremes : Oh how beautiful! DianaAndSupremes : Diana: nothing was planned past the 30 shows over the summer. I guess if it's all successful anything can happen. If 2 people ar at the concert or 16,000 we'll still sing as hard to everyone that comes. DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: My mother said this morning that Diana is a true performer. "Dish Diva" : glenvox says: Ms. Ross, I heard that when you and Mr. Richie recorded Endless Love, it was at 4am after you had done two shows in Reno? True? or Urban Legend? DianaAndSupremes : No, that's true! That's true! As much as I love Lionel, he's always late. <laugh> "Dish Diva" : rblewlett says: Lynda and Scherrie, what do you find most exciting about doing the Return To Love tour with Diana? DianaAndSupremes : Scherrie: I think for me, just being on stage with Diana. Just to be on the stage with her has always been a dream. So just being up there on the same stage. DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: I have to second that, I never thought that I'd be on stage with Diana Ross. DianaAndSupremes : Diana: Hey, they told me this morning that you planned your whole life out. DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: I did <laugh> and I did it! This is a time in my life that this is a wonderful thing. It makes me feel very strong and accomplished. I feel I've really accomplished something because I'm up there with Diana. When I was young I was glued to the TV and watching and I wanted to emulate the Supremes. So this is a real joy for me. And Yes Diana, we'll talk about this. <laugh> DianaAndSupremes : Diana: I've surrounded myself with really special people and they were telling me that Lynda had planned this all out in her life and I thought how wonderful! DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: I remember Trevor Howard was the most beautiful boys name I had ever heard. I was in high school one day and very bored, I thought I would have a son named Trevor, and married to a Trevor and I said I would do all this by the age of 25 and I brought my son Trevor home from the hospital right before my 25th birthday. My mother was astounded! DianaAndSupremes : Diana: Everyone on the stage has an incredible story. They all have a story that is connected with the music we make. So just acknowledging the being with Barry Gordy. We were right in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, my brother was going to Vietnam. So much of who you are is that history and to come full circle where we are today and sing "Baby Love". DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: and to sing it in the same key. <laugh> I realized she was singing in the same key because she was singing and I thought it was the record. DianaAndSupremes : Scherrie: I appreciate how Diana sings too because she sings it the same way she sings on the record. DianaAndSupremes : Diana: and to continue that on the tour. <laugh> "Dish Diva" : RodFtLaud says: I would like to ask Lynda Laurence and Scherrie Payne how the legacy of Supreme style affected them? Were they comfortable with the high gloss image of the Supremes when they joined the group? DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: Absolutely! What young lady would not like to be clothed in the most georgous gowns. I'm a clothes horse. Just being in these gowns. When I was young performing with my father, I loved gowns then. And to be with the Supremes and wear the clothes, do the press conferences, and it's a really privilidged honored life. "Dish Diva" : Gloriously2 Asks: Total Girl question! How many costume changes are you doing in the show? DianaAndSupremes : Scherrie: And to travel to other parts of the world. DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: Can't tell! <laugh> We have to leave something for the imagination. "Dish Diva" : kingfish3 Asks: miss ross, will vh-1 be recording any of the shows for a future television event? DianaAndSupremes : Diana: I really don't know. I'd like to back up to the costumes question. To me the costumes were the icing on the cake, but the cake is coming from an inner spirit. It's about representing an image of what was possible. There was a time when young blacks, whites, there was a confusion about equality, to me the clothes represented the icing to let people know there was something deeper then to what we had on. To me, the soul of what we were was the soul of the opportunity and possiblity for what we were. For people to understand that we were the same, and equal. It's hard for me to find the words. The clothes were not the thing, the hair and makeup were not the thing. There's something that people could relate to to understand that we're all the same. There are human beings there. DianaAndSupremes : Scherrie: I totally understand. It's the things on the outside reflected what the equalization was about. It wasn't about the gown, hair, makeup, it was equalizing. DianaAndSupremes : Diana: to me it was also an inner confidence, to know you're ok and important. A refection of when we said Black is Beautiful. It was a self confidence. We didn't get this on our own, it came through our parents, church, MLK, all the people that came before us and did such beautiful work that we stand on their shoulders. I feel that I'm classic, but it didn't come on our own. To be able to travel and tour. I keep saying that this tour is bigger than the smaller things we consider. We're doing work here, but it's bigger. Talking here tonight is for me to say there's something more important here whether it's pediatric AIDS, getting kids through school. It's deeper than hair, and makeup but it's not the thing that's important to me. "Dish Diva" : Miss Ross, Scherrie, Lynda, I can't believe we are almost out of time. Our last question is from nantucketgirl says: Hi Ladies! What is the one thing you are grateful for? DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: I'm grateful for my life, my parents, my son, my family. Those are the things that make me who I am. The things that make up the sum total of me. And my dear friends and the talent God gave me. And to be where and how I am at this time in my life. DianaAndSupremes : Scherrie: there's so many things I have to be grateful for in my life. I've had a lot of valleys and some peaks. When I see a homeless person, I try and give something for the grace of God. The Lord blessed me with a wonderful mother, and sister. I too have wonderful friends Barbara and Walt Gaines. And my daughter Shoshana. I look back at difficult times and know that they were just stepping stones preparing me for the place I am not. I'm grateful for my health and life. I am grateful for knowing God for who he is, he's all loving, caring, and encomassing. He gave me a great gift to sing. And I remember singing my heart out or writing a song. He's blessed me to be able to express my myself and I'm so glad he's smiled down upon me and still loved me. DianaAndSupremes : Diana: One of the things I'm so happy to have are these 2, well first of all we have so many people in our lives that we surround ourselves with, here with Lynda and Scherrie. For me it's a blessing and a prayer to be very mindful of what's going on in our lives. To surround ourselves with singers and so many people making these concerts. And on such a deeper level. I was singing "Love Child" today and it made me think. "I started my life in an old cold tenement slum. . ." and we could be right back there. I believe in our faith in God that we have work to do. "Dish Diva" : Miss Ross, Lynda, Scherrie, thank you so very much for being our guests this evening. It has been such an honour. Best wishes on the Return to Love Tour from your audience here on MSN Live. DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: Thank you to all our incredable fans all over the world. Thank you for being our wonderful friends and fans from the bottom of our hearts. We love you and we intend to bring you the show of a lifetime. DianaAndSupremes : Scherrie: You've always been there for us in front with big smiling faces doing everything to keep us going. When people want autographs I try and sign them because we're who we are because of you people and our fans. So I'm grateful to all of those who have been supportive. DianaAndSupremes : Diana: To the dreamers who dreamed it all, Barry Gordy and baby I don't know if you'll ever know what a difference in our lives. He's in his 70's now and I don't know if he knows the difference he's made in all our lives. DianaAndSupremes : Lynda: The word pop can't be mentioned without mentioning Barry. DianaAndSupremes : Diana: He was the vision. DianaAndSupremes : Thank you all for being here with us. "Dish Diva" : Thanks to Diana Ross and the Supremes! "Dish Diva" : For more on Diana Ross, the Supremes and the Return to Love Tour, visit http://www.dianarossandthesupremes.net
|
|||||
|
New York
Post Dan Aquitalane, April 15, 1996 Not too many wrong turns in this forest of stars Surrounded by ranches, mining boom towns and logging operations, the Brazilian rain forest gets smaller daily. That's why this sensitive global garden needs tending by powerful friends. Last night at Carnegie Hall, those friends included rock giants Sting, Elton John, Don Henley, James Taylor, Diana Ross and a pride of classical music's most elite players. The musical variety seemed to be making the point that the destruction of this frail, South American ecosystem affects everyone from those who would have been happy for a night of amplified rock to those who'd have preferred nothing but the soaring cello of Mstislav Rostropovich and the golden flute of Andrea Griminelli. Unlike last year's benefit concert - whose bill featured Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, and even Jon Bon Jovi along with opera great Jessye Norman - this year's fund-raiser was almost a 50-50 mix between the rockers and the long hairs. Still Maestro Rostropovich joked after his solo, "I'm 69 years old and this is the first time I played a rock show." But the other side of the story is that during the first half of the show, Sting and company looked droopy eyed as if they were wondering what they were doing at a classical concert. The only real fireworks in the early show were set off by Trudie Styler, who wore a black gown with a plunging neckline. The cut of the dress was daring enough to make hubby Sting forget most of his acknowledgement speech and conclude with I'd really like to thank Trudie for wearing that dress." The after-intermission set was where rock fans in the house were rewarded. Sting opened by playing electric bass to the powerful vocals from the 45-member Radio Choir, Henley, Elton and Taylor - who were Mount Rushmore in the early concert - cam alive after that, actually allowing Sting's music to move them. Yet nothing shattered their stone expressions like the antics of Robin Williams, who stepped out of the audience, unannounced, to hawk free Carnegie Hall programs. As usual when Williams was in the spotlight he became an insane kamikaze comic trashing everything from Mickey Mouse to the politically correct who'll only eat Kevorkian Chicken, because it kills itself before cooking. The concert wisely kept the preaching to a minimum, focusing on the entertainers. Of the many highlights, Elton John made his biggest splash with "Philadelphia Freedom." Henley was excellent on "Forgiveness" and Sting, backed by the big choir for "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free." The loose ends of the show were drawn together by Diana Ross, who recreated her early glory years by enlisting the big gun singers as honorary Supremes. Although the choreography was hardly synchronised, Taylor, E.J., Sting, Henley and even Williams donned tight black t-shirts and elbow-length, satin gloves for a convincing medley including "Baby Love," "Stop In The Name Of Love," and "You Can't Hurry Love." This all-star, one-night stand raised more than $1 million dollars for the Rainforest Foundation.
|
|||||
|
New York Daily News
April '96, by Jim Farber. The
7th Annual Rainforest Benefit Concert A Supreme Entertainment: Sting, Elton John & friends enjoy doing the Ross thing at the 7th annual Rainforest Benefit at Carnegie Hall Admit it: in some small part of every living being burns a desire to play a Supreme. That overarching fantasy came true for a slew of pop's biggest brand names at the seventh annual Rainforest Benefit at Carnegie Hall on Friday. Sting, Don Henley, Elton John and James Taylor all donned elbow length silk gloves and shimmied their way to instant dreamgirlhood. At the side of a woman all the world must still address as Miss Ross. The frothy result helped extend the Rainforest show's reputation as the loosest benefit show around. While the effort to save the Brazilian forest has to rank as the ultimate tree-hugger cause, its corresponding show couldn't have been less smug. For the event's latest edition chief do-gooder Sting organised the show around two light musical themes - standards and pop spirituals. Along the way, the three-hour extravaganza also worked in terse cameos from classical musicians (cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, flutist Andrea Griminelli), jazz players (Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland) and a flamenco guitarist (Paco Pena) to create a kind of tony variety show. For the show's first half, the classic-rock performers applied themselves to standards from the pre-rock era. In "They Can't Take That Away From Me", James Taylor gave each note a bubbly sheen, while Sting indulged a flirty arrogance in his bop take on "The Very Thought Of You." Don Henley lent a sinister edge to "Come Rain Or Come Shine," pledging fidelity with as much threat as promise. By contrast, Elton John never sounded more romantic than on his stirring version of the 1963 Bacharach-David song "Anyone Who Had A Heart." For singers normally constrained by the limitations of modern pop, the older, jazz-inflected numbers gave them a chance to show more chops. It also put them in touch with pop's latest trend, neo-lounge music. Even the classical musicians took pains to keep things breezy. Flutist Griminelli offered an especially athletic take on "Carmen." The piano-playing sister act of Marielle and Katia Labeque performed sprightly duets with Elton John and Sting on a pair of Stravinsky numbers (assigning the pop stars the easy bass parts). To broaden things for the show's second half, 46 gospel singers took over the stage, lending special oomph to secular hymns like Sting's "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" and Elton John's churchy "Philadelphia Freedom." While the male stars exuded a sweet humility throughout, Miss Ross just had to do her patented star turn, twirling in a drop-dead cinnamon dress during numbers like "Reach Out and Touch." God love her. Of course, for sheer star power nothing could match the final Supremes medley, during which even the classical and flamenco musicians jumped at the chance to impersonate pop's most chic backup singers. The result revealed something every culture and genre probably can agree on - an admiration for attitude.
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
PEOPLE ONLINE
Where Did Our Love Go?
On April 28, with her two young sons in tow, Diana Ross spent her afternoon the same way many of her neighbors in affluent Greenwich, Conn., do-browsing in the pricey shops along the town's quaint main street. She rented a movie at the local video store and dallied in Waldenbooks before buying a vegetarian cookbook and one on New England cuisine. "She was singing," recalls store manager Dina Bicakcioglu. "No makeup. No sunglasses. She was just out for a beautiful day." And looking not one whit like a woman whose peripatetic husband had just announced to the world that their intercontinental commuter marriage of the past 13 years was kaput. Yet on April 24, Norwegian shipping magnate Arne Naess, 61, the father of the singer's two sons-Ross, 11, and Evan, 10-responded to a question on an Oslo talk show with a gruff confirmation. "Yes, we have separated," said Naess. And now, just four days later, an upbeat Ross, 55, was seen heading for an alfresco lunch at the Organic Planet restaurant in Greenwich, "smiling and looking beautiful," according to a neighbor. "She appeared fabulous . . . happy." Perhaps Ross was buoyed by the release of her first new album in four years, fittingly titled Every Day is a New Day. Or maybe she was anticipating the May 16 telecast of her ABC movie Double Platinum, in which she starred opposite Brandy as an international singing star who ditches her infant daughter to pursue her career. As anyone with even a passing acquaintance with Ross knows, she couldn't have played further against type. Over the past decade, the former Supreme has traded her stage sequins for a low-profile life as a suburban mother-ordering pizza from the Greenwich Domino's, chatting with shoppers at the local Fresh Fields market and devoting herself to the day-to-day raising of her boys. "She's so attentive to the kids, it's unbelievable," says a close friend. "If she was on a business trip and the kids got sick, she would jump on the next plane and go home. Being a good mom is her No. 1 obsession." Which isn't to say that the notoriously temperamental diva (she often insists that subordinates address her as Miss Ross) isn't still a consummate performer. "Diana and Arne could have made the divorce announcement anytime," says former Soul magazine editor J. Randy Taraborrelli, founder of the international Diana Ross fan club and author of the unauthorized 1989 bio Call Her Miss Ross. "But it breaks the same time her album comes out. If you think that's an accident, then you don't know Diana Ross." Two weeks after her husband's announcement, the singer finally weighed in on the subject. "The first I knew [of it] was when my publicist in London called," she told Britain's Daily Express. "I was hurt and shocked. As far as I was concerned, we were still working on fixing things." Then she seamlessly wove in a plug for her new, self-produced CD: "If you listen to the album, what I have been going through is all there. I've been in this struggle for a long time, trying to figure out how to make the marriage work. That's why the last track is called 'Carry On.'" Few doubt that Diana Ross will do just that. From the first moment that Berry Gordy Jr. saw the skinny little girl from Detroit's Brewster-Douglass housing projects back in 1961, he recognized "a deep personality and a very strong desire to get across. Diana was hungry for whatever she was after," recalls the former Motown president, 69, whose love affair with Ross produced her oldest daughter, Rhonda Ross Kendrick, now 27 and a regular on the recently canceled NBC soap opera Another World. (The songstress has two other daughters-actress Tracee Ross, now 26, and Chudney Ross, 23, an elementary school teacher-from her five-year first marriage to publicist Robert Silberstein, which ended in divorce in 1976.) Ross followed a stellar nine-year stint with the Supremes (14 No. 1 hits) with a dazzling dual career as a singer-actress. She won a Grammy in 1970 and an Oscar nomination for the 1972 Billie Holiday biopic Lady Sings the Blues. But The Wiz, her disastrous 1978 musical costarring her protégé Michael Jackson, helped put her movie career on the skids. She also has not had a Top 10 hit since 1985's "Missing You." In the late '70s, Ross turned down a chance to star in a project that became The Bodyguard, a role that eventually went to Whitney Houston along with the soundtrack recording, which sold 15 million copies. And in 1990 she saw a former pet project-the biography of performer Josephine Baker-go to actress Lynn Whitfield, who picked up an Emmy for the HBO role. "When Ross took over her career in the '80s [after signing a $20 million recording contract with RCA], you see what happened," says Taraborrelli. "She made a lot of bad decisions. Luckily she was able to afford them." If her career flagged, Ross's ambitions apparently never did. She recently admitted being miffed not to have been approached about succeeding Berry Gordy Jr. at Motown, following his retirement in 1988. "I'm the rightful heir," she told The Advocate magazine last month. "Really, when they were looking for someone . . . I was like, 'Why didn't anybody ask me?'" Instead, Ross focused her energies on her marriage to Naess, whom she met in 1985 while on a vacation in the Bahamas. In the early years she seemed enthralled with the hard-nosed businessman, an avid mountain climber who scaled Everest just months before their lavish Swiss wedding in 1986. "I never thought this little Detroit girl would ever go to Nepal, climb the Himalayas or be in the bush country in Africa," Ross told The Christian Science Monitor in 1989. "In show business, you can get all wrapped up in glitz and glamor. Arne balances my life." Yet even early on there were signs that Naess's swashbuckling wasn't necessarily Ross's style. Following a trek to the base camp of Mount Everest, Ross told a Norwegian newspaper, "God, how cold it was. Luckily, Arne and I had a double sleeping bag." On another occasion, after getting to know Ross on the couple's trip to Africa, Naess's uncle Arne, 87, learned that "rustic cabin life like Norwegians enjoy was not for Diana. She said she had had enough of simple living in Detroit when she was a child," he recalls. By the early '90s, Naess, the father of three by his first wife, Swedish interior decorator Filippa Kumlin D'Orey, was spending an increasing amount of time at his home in London. Ross, meanwhile, could usually be found in the U.S. at her 10-acre estate in the posh Greenwich enclave of Belle Haven. "It would be great if [Naess] could retire and travel with me," she once told London's Daily Telegraph. "But he would never do that." As recently as 1995, when asked by London's Daily Mail how her transatlantic marriage survived, she replied, "Sex keeps it going. Naess and I have little dinners together, with candles and beautiful flowers. We touch and kiss a lot and work very hard at keeping it alive." Apparently they did not work hard enough. According to Fritz Selby, a close friend and fellow mountaineer, Naess "is a lusty guy, and it's pretty tough for him not having Diana near him." Others, however, maintain that separate geography was actually more help than hindrance. According to Mona Levin, author of a 1995 biography of Naess, "He said that if they had lived in the same country, they would have been divorced long ago." Whatever its cause, the couple's friction had become increasingly obvious. "In the last year or two, she has become lonelier," says a longtime friend of Ross's. "He was unhappy and she was miserable. But she said, 'I'm not giving up on this. I'm staying with this.'" Perhaps Ross is beginning to let go. For now, attorneys are reportedly in the midst of divvying up the couple's considerable holdings, which include the $10 million Greenwich spread and personal fortunes that could total as much as $300 million. Ross will no doubt take comfort in her children's love, but it remains uncertain whether she'll find romance again. "The challenge for her is to find a man who can live up to the glory of 'Diana Ross,'" says Taraborrelli. "She's an intimidating person by virtue of her image, persona and wealth. She and Cher have that in common. All the great divas have that in common." And she knows better than any of them that you can't hurry love.
-- Susan Schindehette
|
|||||
|
PRIDE 99 By BEN LAWRENCE There will always be a million preconceptions about Diana Ross. She has after all led her life in the public eye. And what's more, the preconceptions are usually bad. Some are fuelled by her less successful contemporaries, making reference to the hard-assed career woman who gets through secretaries like other people get through tissues; the woman who pushed passed the beautiful Mary Wilson and the talented Florence Ballard to become leader of The Supremes. Then there are others who like to delve into the weirdness, the sugar-sprayed loopy gestures: the live-in shrine to Michael Jackson, her desire to be called Princess Diana, the Priscilla-style drag act with Ru Paul. Spookeee! One thing's for sure though. Diana Ross has led each day of her life like she's on a giant picnic, skipping gamely from photo session to gala dinner with the seasoned professionalism of a matured Barbie doll. From the grainy black and white days of Detroit and Tamla Motown to the velour-walled sound of seventies disco to the new woman professional mother and reconstructed diva. She is indeed the first lady of reinvention. So what is she like? Can she ever be pinned down? certainly the rumours about how she is to be addressed are true. "Benjamin, Miss Ross is ready for you," says her assistant as I await the interview. Miss Ross, Miss Ross? It's so archaic. So middle America. It's school proms, it's Twinkies, it's Ozzie and bloody Harriet. But there again, maybe it's all down to dignity. Diana Ross is not one to talk about emotional scarring or other such psycho-babble. She describes her life like it is a defensive milary operation. "I don't have a manager. I schedule myself. I fill up my life. It's a form of protection. A chance to move on and let go." But then she will lapse into Panglossian speak. Her vocabulary is one of spirituality in the nicest possible way peppered with words like love and peace and beauty. She describes her latest album Every Day Is A New Day as being " a positive reflection of what's going on in my life at the moment. It is an album with a spiritual feel, uplifting, hopeful. It's a different, heartfelt product." Heartfelt? Oh really? Yet the honeyed assurance of her answers may belie a vulnerability which is hidden through years of experience. This is related most in her acting career, though which Ross has had her fair share of knocks. "Listen, I always knew that no one was going to bring me a magical script. For black people in Hollywood - for black women - there's a lot of competition. No one's going to make it happen for you." And Ross has had disappointments. Despite being once described as "Hollywood's best kept secret," The Josephine Baker film never materialized and more recently Jean-Jacques Beineix refused her the rights to his cult classic Diva - project which could have been constructed as a significant comment on her life. Yet she seems content to exist in the shaky world of the TV movie, currently featured as a mother and singer in DOUBLE PLATINUM, alongside rising soul star Brandy. "It's the domestic stories that interest me. Taking a fictional story and making it a real story. Family versus career. That's a choice that I have to make every day of my life. My character can't live the life she's living so she decides to go for her dreams." Going for one's dreams is a fairy tale idea that might have been Ross's mission statement. At her acting peak in the late seventies, she played Billie Holiday in LADY SINGS THE BLUES and Dorothy in THE WIZ. Both hopeless dreamers, both torn between truth and fiction and both still very much a part of the Ross persona. "I hope that I'm multi-faceted," she muses, "I've portrayed pain, upset, happiness. And I am still Dorothy. I am still Billie Holiday." And yet she is not one to draw from the experiences of others, believing that her 'method' of acting must always arise from her own experiences. "When I played Billy Holiday, people said to me 'You can't do that you've never been on drugs,' But she had enough sympathy as a character for me to pull something out of my own personality." And this is where more Ross-isms come to the fore. "I mean I could never portray a murderer. I can't find that place in me. I love life too much." And maybe this is why Miss Ross the actress has faltered, whereas Miss Ross the singer has endured. Her songs still suggest a life spent in hyperbole. Remember all those hits: It's My Turn, I'm Coming Out, Only Love Can Conquer All. Songs which strive at perfection, beauty and success. Songs that ooze confidence, that take life in all its complex forms and put them on display in a sequined extravaganza. Maybe a key to her quasi-mythological existence as a gay icon? "A gay icon. Am I? I don't know what that means." Oh come on Miss Ross. Surely you must be aware of your legendary status amongst the homosexual community. You write torch songs which seem designed specifically to inspire grown men to slip into a Halston halterneck, nine inch heels, and Lancome Vrai Beige for a good foundation at La Cage aux Folles. Ask any gay man what his favorite song to see the dawn in is and he will answer categorically - 'Touch Me In the Morning.' But she's not budging n inch on this one, and will only speculate on why she has such a sincere gay following. "Well the gay community is a creative, loving, spiritual one. Maybe that's why." At this point it becomes clear that Diana Ross is pop's very own Iron Lady, someone who will communicate through her work and through her work alone. Someone who is, in her own terms, "a musical instrument" who will only sing about what she believes in. She will go through hell if a lyric sounds disingenous, while there are certain songs which she believes sums up her life. "Love Is All That Matters and . . . you guessed it - Ain't No Mountain High Enough. Ah but does she believe in Endless Love? No hesitation. "Yes. . .Yes I do."
|
|||||
|
Baseball-Mets'
Phillips Says Game Will Never Be The Same By Gary Hill NEW YORK, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Standing on the field during batting practice Friday, New York Mets general manager Steve Phillips said baseball would never be the same again after the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington. "Our leaders have told us to get back to normal. It'll never be normal again," Phillips said before a game against the Atlanta Braves that marked the return of baseball to New York City after six postponed days and road trips by both the Mets and Yankees. "But this at least let's us all share that sense of abnormal that we feel," Phillips said. Among special events planned for the pre-game ceremonies was a rendition of "God Bless America" by Diana Ross. The pop diva was rehearsing before batting practice, and Phillips said most of the workers getting Shea Stadium ready stopped to watch and listen as she sang the song three times. "Everybody who was standing watching was crying. It was unbelievable," Phillips said. "She was walking around, she had choirs out there, she was singing and touching the choirs' faces -- oh, unbelievable." The Mets reached last year's World Series, losing to their cross-town rival Yankees, but have played horrendously most of this season. |
|||||
|
ROLLING STONE
Berry Gordy, August 23rd, 1990 (excerpt) Berry Gordy: I cut stuff with them, but it wasn't until Mary Wells left that we had a chance to really devote ourselves to the Supremes. RS: Why did Mary Wells leave? BG: I made a major mistake with Mary. I made a lot of mistakes, and one of them was that shortly before her twenty-first birthday, I put out a smash-hit record on her, "My Guy" not even thinking or knowing that at twenty-one, she would be able to disaffirm all contracts - which she did. I mean, the record was Number One, you understand, and all of the sudden she's out of the pocket - she's not talking to anybody. And I'm going, What is this?" RS: That's when you really pushed the Supremes? BG: I had talked to Mary's attorney and convinced him that I was the best place for her, and then I understood that she fired him and got another attorney and left anyway. I was trying to cover up any hurt that I might have had and said, "To hell with her. Let's deal with these new girls here who I like anyway." I'd always wanted a female star, and Mary was like the first one. And when she left, we were down, but we weren't out. I always had this desire to have an artist who I could really mold, and Diana happened to be that. And it wasn't until Michael Jackson came on later that I had that same kind of thing again. RS: Why did the Supremes break up? BG: It had gotten to the point, as it does in mnay groups, when there's total miscommunication between the two factions. The ones in the background were having conflicts with the one in the front. Diana never wanted to leave the girls, particularly. She was more or less pushed out, but that's what happens when a person is up front, and people are telling the background singers that she's stealing the show. They would complain to me, and I would say, "Wait a minute. She does roll her eyes and she does have a flirty look, but that's helping the group, not hurting the group." It was always a problem for me having to take the responsibility for the choices. I made the choices of who sung lead, and my opinion was always that Diana had the magic and Mary (Wilson) didn't. But Mary felt that she should be the one, and I said no and then, of course, favoritism was charged. And it was perhaps favoritism, because Diana was a favorite of mine. But she had the talent to justify that favoritism. But it wasn't a favoritism in terms of their personalities as much as the fact that we had a commercial venture here, and the lead singer had to be a person that would best move the group forward. Now, the breakup of that group was very sad for all of us, but we tried very hard to make the group remain successful. We brought in Jean Terrell to replace Diana, and the group had a couple of big hits. As Mike (Roshkind, a former Motown vice-chairman now employed as a consultant to Berry Gordy) put it, we had a two-for-one split. And actually, the Supremes had a better shot than Diana. That's right. Because the Supremes were a much , much bigger name than Diana Ross."
|
|||||
|
SISTER TO SISTER
November 2000 issue. Accompanied by photos from DIVAS 2000.
|
|||||
|
www.topblacks.com/entertainment/
07/31/01
Most Successful Female Artist of All Time
In a remarkable career spanning over 30 years, Diana Ross has proven herself the consummate music artist as well as the most successful female singer of all time.
|
|||||
|
US OPEN Superstar
Diana Ross To Perform Prior to US Open Women's Final |
|||||
|
The Washington Post, 10/23 BET Walk Of Fame Performance Honoring the United Negro College Fund
The evening's event raised $300,000
UNCF.
|
|||||
|
The Washington Post (October 25, 1999)
She Will Survive: Diana Ross, Still Supreme
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
|
|
||
| Next Page | Diana Ross & The Supremes | 70's Supremes | Motown | ||
|
E-MAIL ME:
|
|||||
