On March 26th, one of the most celebrated performers in pop music history – Diana Ross, celebrated her 75th birthday. Much like her unprecedented list of accomplishments, this birthday too proved to be one for the history books, with a one-night-only, star-studded birthday bash, and a performance at the famed Palladium nightclub in Los Angeles. If that were not enough, in conjunction with her birthday was the opening of a national, 2-day (March 26th & 28th) theater run of her concert documentary film, “Diana. Her life, love, and legacy.”
Diana Ross, is no stranger to glitz and glamor and she was serving all the above as the night began with a pre-performance birthday party at The Warwick night club. Seen in attendance were Hip Mogul P Diddy and his mother Gladys, the Kardashian sisters along with matriarch Kris Jenner, Leonardo DiCaprio, Gayle King and more. Diana was even serenaded by this generation’s reigning pop queen, Beyonce, and sexy crooner Robin Thick.
After the party, Diana left solo to make her way down Sunset Blvd, to an anticipating crowd at the Palladium. According to ET, “her own entrance was teased on the venue’s screen as she was driven there solo in a Rolls-Royce convertible. Upon her arrival at 11:20 p.m., the birthday girl walked straight to the stage from her car via a side door, where she made her grand entrance in a bright orange dress — her first of five total outfits for the show, all of which were vintage — while a live band played her 1980 disco song, “I’m Coming Out.”
Diana Ross has maintained her presence as one of the most beloved figures in pop culture and music, first emerging at the age of 14, from the Brewster Douglas Housing projects of Detroit, along with her 3 girlfriends. Together they formed the harmony group, The Primettes. The late Florence Ballard actually organized the group while the girls were all still in school. The line up included Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Florence Ballad, and Betty McGlown. After Betty decided to leave the group to get married, the remaining three members rebranded themselves as The Supremes and embarked upon a journey, becoming the most successful girl group of all time. Diana, of course, would go on to become one of the most celebrated solo female artists in pop music history.
The documentary, “Diana. Her life, love, and legacy”, features performances and never seen before footage from her iconic 1983 Central Park concert in New York City. Nearly 1,000,000 people poured into the park that day for the free show. What was ultimately witnessed instead was world’s biggest pop star standing her ground against Mother Nature as a dangerous storm moved in dropping monsoon-level rain on the crowd –14 acres deep. As the story goes, the show could not go on in such conditions, but Diana vowed to return to the park the next day … and she did.
Stay tuned for upcoming on-demand information about this fascinating concert documentary which also showcases interviews and narration by her children. The film is uplifting and joyous, highlighting nearly every major hit of her illustrious career. It literally had me dancing in my seat. I was only 12 years old at the time of the concert, but I can remember seeing all the media coverage on the news. It was an epic event and seeing the footage on a big screen allowed me to experience what it might have been like to be there.
“Diana. Her life, love, and legacy” serves as not only a time capsule of one of the most dynamic performers of our lifetime, but also as a testament to the power of DianaRoss’ ability to bring strangers together – all in the name of love.
