Best known as the the lead singer of the popular 1960s singing group The Supremes, Diana Ross was born on March 26, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan, the second of six children born to Fred and Ernestine. She is of African American and Native American descent. After being raised in housing projects for most of the late 1940s and early 1950s, Diana started singing in the gospel choir of a Baptist church. With friends Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard and Barbara Martin, she formed a vocal group, The Primettes, at age 15. After Barbara had departed the group, the remaining three girls inked a deal with Motown Records and were renamed The Supremes. Ross wasn't picked to become the group's lead singer until Motown honcho Berry Gordy decided that the time was exactly right, and from then on he described the group as "Diana Ross and the Supremes." From 1965 to 1969 the group had a string of #1 records. In late 1969 Gordy announced that Ross would be leaving the group for a solo career. In the third week of 1970 she played her last concert with The Supremes and started working with the songwriting team of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Ross' first two songs by the team reached #1 on both the pop and R&B charts, justifying her move. Prior to starting a family of her own, she won the title role in the Billie Holiday biopic Lady Sings the Blues (1972)_, which was extremely successful at the box office, and had the distinction of being nominated for an Academy Award for her first film. The movie's soundtrack reached #1 on the U.S. charts. Despite fame and fortune, her next two big films,Mahogany and The Wiz, didn't meet with the same success. However, she had a #1 hit single with "Mahogany" to make up for it. In February 1976, just before another #1 hit with "Love Hangover," she was stunned when her singing partner and friend, Florence Ballard, died after complications from a combination of alcohol abuse and long-term depression, which led to cardiac arrest. Ballard was only 32 years old and Ross was devastated by the loss.

After recovering from Ballard's death, Ross went on to focus on her singing career and continued having more #1 songs, including "Upside Down". The following year she performed the theme song from Endless Love, which was composed by Lionel Richie. That same year she left Motown Records and signed contracts with various record companies across the globe, and formed her own production company. The following year she released "Silk Electric," on which she sang "Muscles," a song written and produced by Michael Jackson.

After she sang a tribute song dedicated to the late Marvin Gaye, Ross scored another #1 song in 1986 in the UK with "Chain Reaction," which brought back her days as the member of The Supremes', and was written and produced by The Bee Gees. Unlike the song she sang when Florence died, this song was about how she became accustomed to Marvin over the years. After an eight-year absence, in 1989 she came back to Motown. Ross had gained more fame through concert appearances over the years, and in April 1993 she became a best-selling author with her first and only children's book, "When You Dream," which featured a CD with four songs that were dedicated to the book. That same year she was declared by the Guinness Book of World Records to be the most successful female singer of all times. Two years later she was honored with the Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement on the Soul Train Awards. After receiving those honors, she came back to the studio in 1999 with "Every Day Is A New Day," and the song reached the UK Top 10. The following year, with Mary Wilson--the only other surviving original Supremes member--she planned to book a Supremes reunion tour, but this was eventually canceled.

She was arrested in 2002 in Tucson, Arizona, for driving under the influence and after pleading guilty was sentenced to two days in jail, 36 hours of counseling and one year probation. Today she is hard at work finishing her forthcoming book, "Upside Down: Wrong Turns, Right Turns and the Road Ahead."


Mother of Rhonda Ross Kendrick ( with Berry Gordy but raised as Robert Silberstein's daughter because Diana married Robert in Jan 1971 before Rhonda's birth ),. From her marriage to Robert Ellis Silberstein she has daughters Tracee Ellis Ross and Chudney Ross (b. 4 November 1975). With her second 16 year marriage to Norwegian shipping millionaire Arne Naess Jr she has sons Ross Arne Naess (b. 7 October 1987) and Evan Ross (b. 26 August 1988). Entered Malibu, CA drug and alcohol rehab Promises center May 20, 2002 prior to start of global summer tour. Elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of The Supremes) in 1988. A member of The Supremes from 15 January 1961 - 14 January 1970. Graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1962 The Supremes once co-hosted "The Mike Douglas Show" (1961). Made her first solo TV appearance with Lucille Ball and Dinah Shore. Was honoured by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1993 as the most successful female singer of all time. Performed the half-time show on Super Bowl in 1996 Received a 2000 Heroes Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS). The award was the highest distinction bestowed by the New York Chapter. Sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl in 1982 Ross is the 2nd of six children born to Baptist family by Fred Ross Sr. and Ernestine Moten in Detroit, Michigan. She grew up in in Detroit's Brewster Housing Projects. Grew up in Detroit's Brewster Housing Projects. Her ex-husband, Arne Naess Jr., died on 13th January, 2004 in a climbing accident in South Africa. Mother of Rhonda Ross Kendrick, Tracee Ellis Ross, Chudney Ross and Evan Ross. February 2004 - Sentenced to two days in jail, 36 hours of counseling, and one year probation after a no-contest plea for driving under the influence in Tucson, Arizona, in 2002. Brother Arthur was murdered in Detroit in 1996. In 1972 she and Cicely Tyson were both nominated for "Best Actress in a Leading Role" Oscars. This was only the second time in the history of the Academy Awards that African-American actresses were nominated in the "Best Actress" Oscar category. The first was Dorothy Dandridge's nomination for Carmen Jones (1954). Is on the board of A Better Chance, the only national program that recruits and places academically talented inner city children in the nation's best prepatatory schools. She and The Supremes' had appeared on "Toast of the Town" (1948) (aka "The Ed Sullivan Show") 17 times from 1964-1969. Her 1981 song "I'm Coming Out" was used in The Princess Diaries (2001) trailer and in the Maid in Manhattan (2002) soundtrack, which was revived by Amerie. Has won the Legendary Female award from the Capitol Gold Legends Award (2003). Won a Special Tony Award in 1977. She and The Supremes had appeared on "Toast of the Town" (1948) (aka "The Ed Sullivan Show") 17 times from 1964-1969. Is portrayed by Holly Robinson Peete in The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992) (TV). Is one of eight African-American actresses to be nominated for the Best Actress Oscar. The others in chronological order are: Dorothy Dandridge, Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Whoopi Goldberg, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry and Gabourey Sidibe. Recipient of the 2007 Kennedy Center Honors. Other recipients that year were Leon Fleisher, Steve Martin, Martin Scorsese, and Brian Wilson. Classmate and former neighbors of Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson, who later joined Ross in The Supremes. She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.