(Album Cover From Diana Ross The Ultimate Collection0

Diana Ross: A Biography Continued..

From 1971 to 1977, Diana Ross was married to music promoter Robert Ellis Silberstein, with whom she has two daughters (Tracee and Chudney).

Before her first marriage, Ross had been romantically linked with both Motown label-mate Smokie Robinson and Motown chief Berry Gordy, with whom she had her first child Rhonda. After her first marriage, she dated actor Ryan O'Neal, and KISS bassist and singer Gene Simmons.

In 1972 Diana  played Billy Holiday in Lady Sang the Blues and recieved univeral raves for her preformance.  In the Movie Ross preformed a number of Billy Holiday's songs for the film , including "God Bless the Child" and Good Morning Heartache".  Lady Sang the Blues went on to the number one spot on the album chart.

In 1978, Ross was back in the film limelight, starring in the film version of the successful Broadway play The Wiz, with Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, and Richard Pryor. Many eyebrows were raised at Ross, then age 34, playing Dorothy, who in all other versions of The Wizard of Oz was portrayed as a young girl. The Wiz, which cost $24 million to make, only brought in $13 million dollars during its original theatrical release.

After the asucess of Lady Sang the Blues in 1972, Diana went on to take the lead in Mahogany, where she placed opposite to Billy Dee Williams.  Opening in 1975,the film did not live up to the the previous Lady Sang the Blues. The title song from Mahogany  " Do You Know Where You're Going To" hit number one on the charts and was nominated for an Oscar.  Diana became the first artist to perform for the Oscars via satellite, when she sang "Theme From Mahogany from a bridge in Holland.

In 1977, Diana broke concert records with a one-woman concert on Broadway. The concert was packaged into both a live album, An Evening with Diana Ross, and a TV special that same year. For her efforts, Ross won a special Tony Award.

From 1986 to 1999, she was married to Norwegian businessman Arne Naess Jr., with whom she has two sons (Ross and Evan). (Naess died in a South African mountain accident in January 2004).

Her oldest daughter, Rhonda Ross Kendrick, is a songstress and actress. Her second daughter, Tracee Ellis Ross, is an actress who received claim to fame as one of the stars of the hit sitcom Girlfriends, now in its fifth season on the UPN network. Ross' youngest daughter, Chudney, in the meantime, is a model and television producer. Her tv credits include the reality show version of Fame with Debbie Allen.

35 years after the release of Ross' debut film, "Lady Sings The Blues", Paramount DVD released the film on DVD for the first time. A limited edition "collector's edition" featured exclusive interviews and commentaries from Ross, Berry Gordy and the film's director as well as deleted scenes from the film.

Related Sites:

Lady Sang the Blues on DVD

Diana Ross - IMDB 

Diana Ross News- TOPIX.NEWS

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