This is another installment of Motwon 45th Anniversary Artist Avatar of the Week. I was late over the weekend since my internet was not working.:( In any rate, our Motown 45th Anniversary Artists Avatar of the Week is Diana Ross, the solo years. She was born in Detroit back in 1944. In the 60's, she was with the Supremes with a bunch of number 1 records in the mid and late 60's. By 1970, Diana left the Supremes to go solo. Her first song as a solo artist "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" written by Ashford & Simpson. She alos scored her first #1 single after she left the Supremes was the imorttal "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" as well as her self-titled debut album. By 1972, Diana Ross started her acting career playing a jazz legend, Billy Holiday in "Lady Sings the Blues", and it was nominated for a few Oscars. In 1973, Diana Ross also had a number #1 song called "Touch Me In the Morning", and it was a standard, followed by the theme from the 1975 movie "Mahogany". By 1976, she goes disco with her #1 song "Love Hangover" and continued her hit making ways. Her Jewish guy ended 5 years of marriage that she was divorced by 1976. In 1978, she played the role of Dorothy in the movie version of a Broadway smash, "The Wiz", a black version of "The Wizard of Oz", the movie bombed. She moved with their three daughters to Central Park West. In 1979, she released "The Boss" and it was a hit. Her next album "Diana" featuring these singles "I'm Coming Out" and "Upside Down". In 1981, she sang with ex-Commordore, Lionel Richie on the title song from the movie which they made all the way to #1, "Endless Love". She left Motown and went to RCA and released her first post-Motown album "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" featuring her first post-Motown hit of the same name. The song was originally recorded by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers back in the 50's. In 1983, Diana Ross performed in Central Park in a washed out concert which it caused by heavy rain. She came back the next day for a make-up concert. Her next album for RCA "Swept Away" featuring "Missing You" and "All of You" featuring a duet by a spanish crooner named Julio Inglesias. After many of his singles for RCA, her contract expired in 1988. She went back to Motown in 1989 where Berry Gordy was selling Motown, but her manager and singer had finally ended. She released her comeback album for Motown called "Workin' Overtime", the album flopped. Then came her next album, "The Force Behind the Power" featuring the title cut and "When You Tell Me That You Love Me". Diana starred in a few TV movies like "Out of Darkness", "Double Platnium" and others. In 1999, Diana made an appearence as a presenter at the MTV Music Awards where she grabs Lil' Kim's you know what's. In 2002, Diana was arrested for drunk driving. Her court decision pleaded not guilty. Her case was finally disclosed. Diana Ross will forever be a Motown legend. That's just a matter of time.

The weird thing about Diana's solo career: after 12 #1's and 18 top tens with the Supremes from 1964-1969, Diana had only 4 top tens in the entire 70's decade, yet they all hit #1.
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Touch Me In The Morning
Theme From Mahogany
Love Hangover

In the 80's, she would surpass her 70's top ten total by 1981. In '80, Upside Down, I'm Coming Out and It's My Turn all hit top ten, followed in the next year by Endless Love and Why Do Fools Fall In Love.

Originally posted by Full House
In 1984, Diana Ross performed in Central Park in a washed out concert which it caused by heavy rain. She came back the next day for a make-up concert.

That was actually July 21 & 22, 1983. I was there the 2nd night, remember it like it was yesterday.

Originally posted by vashti1999
That was actually July 21 & 22, 1983. I was there the 2nd night, remember it like it was yesterday.

I was wrong. That was 1983, I supposed to edit.:D

LOL@Full House's avatar picture of Diana hahahahahahahahaha. She looks a mess in that picture.

When I think of Diana Ross I don't think of her music but trivial stuff like how many children does she have? How long is her hair really? Why does one of her album covers have her face transposed on top of an anemic African child?

I think I like her Supremes records better than any of her solo hits, though I like the Boss from 1979. At the end, her Supremes records were just her and some anonymous background singers, not the Supremes. She definitley epitomizes the pop diva. Touch Me in the Morning is a very melodramatic tune that was performed ad nauseum at a lot of local talent shows in my area by people who couldn't sing.

LOL@why is her face transposed on a african kid on the cover of her self titled album in 1970 hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. JamesAnthony u a funny dude. That's the same thing i was thinkin cause i know that's not her on that album cover cause Diana ain't that ugly LOL. I remember her Swept Away video in the early 80's. She was sexy in that video. I wish i was that man with her in the video. I also remember her I Want Muscles video in the early 80's. That was a good song. I wonder if she knows MC Lyte sampled her Upside Down song for MC Lyte's Cold Rock A Party remix with Missy. I guess she knows Biggie sampled her I'm Coming Out song for his Mo Money Mo Problems song with Puff Daddy & Mase. Geto Boys sampled her Love Hangover song for their The Other Level song on their We Can't Be Stopped cd. Artists get paid lots of money when their songs get sampled.

Exactly 34 years ago this very week, Diana Ross scored her first #1 as a solo act when "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" topped the Billboard chart in 1970, knocking down labelmate Edwin Starr. You want the top 10 for that week? Ok, here you go:

1.Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Diana Ross
2.War (what is it good for, absolutely NOTHING) - Edwin Starr
3.Lookin' Out My Back Door - Creedence Clearwater Revival
4.Patches - Clarence Carter
5.Julie, Do Ya Love Me - Bobby Sherman
6.25 Or 6 To 4 - Chicago
7.In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
8.Close to You - The Carpenters
9.Candida - Tony Orlando & Dawn
10.Make It With You - Bread