  Diana Ross was born Diane Earle
on March 26, 1944 in Michigan where she was
raised in the housing projects. Diana has
written: "My story has often been
referred to as a classic 'rags to riches,'
but in truth, that description doesn't fit me
at all. For starters, the Rosses were never
raggedy. We may not have had a lot of money
and every moment was not great. I was brought
up to have ideals, to believe that anything
was possible and that hard work was a part of
that." While still in high school in
1959, Diana joined The Primettes with Mary
Wilson, Florence Ballard, and Barbara Martin.
The quartet signed to Motown Records and
became The Supremes (down to
a trio after Martin left). Diana Ross
& The Supremes elevated Diana to
super-stardom throughout 1960s with Diana
often taking the lead focus of the trio.
Diana performed for the last
time with The Supremes and
officially went solo.
Diana performed her first solo
concert.
Diana hits the charts with
"Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's
Hand)" penned and produced by Ashford
& Simpson.
 Diana released her first solo
LP, Diana
Ross.
Ashford & Simpson
helped Diana reach the top of the charts for
the first time as a solo artist with
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough."
Everything Is Everything
was released.
 )
Diana's first solo TV special, Diana!,
airs. Diana continued to hit the Top 40 with
"Remember Me," "Reach Out I'll
Be There," "Surrender," and
"I'm Still Waiting."
 Diana released Surrender.
Diana had her first solo #1 in
England with "I'm Still Waiting."
Diana starred in Lady
Sings The Blues playing Billie Holiday
- a role that got her an Academy Award
nomination for Best Actress.
 The Lady
Sings The Blues soundtrack was released.
Diana won a Golden Globe Award
for Most Promising Newcomer.
 The soundtrack for Lady
Sings The Blues topped the LP charts.
Touch
Me In The Morning was released.
Diana had her 2nd solo #1 hit
with "Touch Me In The Morning."
 Diana
& Marvin (with Marvin Gaye) was released.
Diana released Last Time I
Saw Him.
Diana's hits during the year
included "Last Time I Saw Him,"
"My Mistake (Was To Love You)," and
"Don't Knock My Love" (the ladder 2
with Marvin Gaye).
 Live
At Caesar's Palace was released.
Diana won an American Music
Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female
Artist.
 Mahogany was released followed
by the film in which Diana starred.
Diana topped the charts again
with "Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know
Where You're Going To)."
 Diana
Ross was released.
Diana hit #1 with "Love
Hangover."
Diana appeared on Broadway in a
1-woman show: An
Evening With Diana Ross.
Diana is named Female
Entertainer of the Century by Billboard
magazine.
 Diana
Ross' Greatest Hits was released.
Diana released An
Evening With Diana Ross.
 Baby,
It's Me was released.
Diana starred in The
Wiz as Dorothy.
 Diana hits during the year
included "Gettin' Ready For Love,"
"Your Love Is So Good For Me," and
"Ease On Down The Road" (with Michael
Jackson) from The
Wiz soundtrack.
Diana hit the charts with a
collaboration with Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson called "Pops, We
Love You."
 The
Boss was released with the hit title
track and the re-teaming of Diana with Ashford
& Simpson.
Diana appeared on HBO with the
special Standing Room Only: Diana Ross.
 # 2
Singles Artist of the Year (# 1
Female Artist of the Year)
 Diana hit the Top 10 with
"Mirror Mirror."
Diana was released and was
produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards
(of Chic).
The
Boss was certified gold.
 Diana hit the Top 40 with "Upside Down." (  )
Diana hit the Top 10 with "Upside Down."
 Diana had her 5th solo #1 with "Upside Down."
Diana hit the Top 40 with "I'm Coming Out."
Diana hit the Top 40 with "It's My Turn" from the film of
the same name.
 Diana hit the Top 10 with "It's My Turn"
Diana topped the Billboard
Year-End Charts as the Top Soul Artist
- Female (singles & albums), Top Soul
Album Artist - Female, and Top Hot Soul
Singles Artist - Female.
 # 8
Singles Artist of the Year
 Diana won 2 American Music
Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Female
Artist
and Favorite Soul/R&B
Single
("Upside Down") and was
nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Single ("Upside Down") and Favorite Soul/R&B Album (Diana).
Diana was certified
platinum.
Diana was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal
Performance - Female ("Upside Down").
 Diana had the biggest hit of her
career when she teamed with Lionel Richie for the duet "Endless Love" from the Endless
Love soundtrack. ( )
Diana hit #1 for 10 weeks with "Endless Love."
Diana left Motown Records and
signed with RCA.
 Diana released Why
Do Fools Fall In Love and All
The Great Hits and hit the Top 40 with "Why
Do Fools Fall In Love."
The single "Endless Love" was certified
platinum.
Diana hit the Top 10 with "Why
Do Fools Fall In Love."
 The single "Upside Down" was certified
gold.
 # 17
Singles Artist of the Year
Diana sang the National Anthem
at Super Bowl XVI.
 Diana hit the Top 40 with "Mirror, Mirror."
Diana won 2 American Music
Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Single and Favorite Soul/R&B Single ("Endless Love").
Why
Do Fools Fall In Love was certified
platinum.
Diana was nominated for a Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a
Duo or Group ("Endless Love" with Lionel Richie).
Diana hit the Top 10 with "Mirror, Mirror."
 Diana hit the Top 40 with "Work
That Body."
Silk
Electric was released with the Michael
Jackson penned and produced Top 10 hit
"Muscles."
Diana hit the Top 40 with "Muscles."
 Diana hit the Top 10 with "Muscles."
Silk
Electric was certified gold.
 # 115
Singles Artist of the Year
Diana won a American Music
Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female
Artist
and was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist.
Diana was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal
Performance - Female ("Muscles").
 All
The Great Hits was certified gold.
Diana hit the Top 40 with "So Close."
Diana performed for free at
Central Park in New York after the first day
was rained out with the memorable image of
Diana performing a few songs before
torrential rains became too much for the
concert.
Diana hit the Top 40 with "Pieces Of Ice."
 # 61
Singles Artist of the Year
Diana hit the Top 40 with Julio Iglesias with "All Of You."
 Diana released Swept
Away.
Swept
Away was certified gold.
 # 61
Singles Artist of the Year
Diana contributed vocals for USA
For Africa's "We Are The
World." Diana was back in the Top 10
with her tribute to Marvin Gaye: "Missing
You."
 Diana released Eaten
Alive.
Diana hosted the American Music
Awards and was nominated for Favorite Soul/R&B Female
Artist.
Diana had a moderate hit in the
U.S. (but topped the charts in England) with
"Chain Reaction" written by The Bee Gees.
Diana hosted the American Music
Awards.
 Red
Hot Rhythm & Blues was released and aired
as a TV special.
Diana could be heard on the
soundtrack for the film Land
Before Time with "If We Hold On
Together."
Diana returned to Motown Records
and began a world tour.
 Workin'
Overtime was released.
The
Force Behind The Power was released.
 Diana could be seen on
pay-per-view with the special: Lady
Sings Jazz & Blues: Stolen Moments and on a
holiday TV special, Christmas In Vienna
with Placido Domingo and José
Carreras.
A box set collection of Diana's
solo work and work with The Supremes
was released as Forever
Diana.
One
Woman - The Ultimate Collection was released.
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