NSO Pops: Diana Ross

Diana Ross defines icon. With a remarkable career spanning over 50 years, Ms. Ross is considered one of the most successful recording artists of all time.

From her early days as the leader of The Supremes to her landmark solo career, Ross shaped the sound of popular music and has inspired countless celebrities, musicians, artists, and young dreamers. Her voice, described as “honey with soulful sensibility,” has produced 14 top ten albums and 18 number one hits—the latest a remix of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

In addition to her 2007 Kennedy Center Honor, The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences recently celebrated her remarkable career with its highest honor, The Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award. Her portrayal of Billie Holliday in Lady Sings the Blues earned her an Oscar® nomination and a Golden Globe Award, and she received a Tony® Award for her one-woman show, An Evening with Diana Ross.

In 1993, Ross received a Guinness World Record for her international success by having more hits than any other female artist on the charts. Other career milestones include her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and The Songwriters Hall of Fame, as well as receiving the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Hero Award, the NAACP Entertainer Award, Billboard’s Female Entertainer of the Century Award, The Soul Train Legend Award, and the American Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.

President Obama stated “she exudes glamour and grace, her influence is inescapable,” as he presented her with the prestigious Medal of Freedom Award. Oprah Winfrey has said that Ms. Ross “represented hope for me, she was my role model, magical to me.” Her love for life, never-ending wonder, and sheer human spirit define the icon that is Diana Ross.