On March 8, 1970, famed singer Diana Ross stepped into her solo career with a debut performance at Caesar’s Monticello in Framingham, Massachusetts. The 11-night flight of performances kicked off her career as a solo singer, previewing what listeners could expect from her Las Vegas debut that would launch in May of that year. Diana Ross had left the famed girl group The Supremes just two months earlier to become a solo artist.
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Diana Ross’ Career As a Solo Artist is the Stuff of Legends
It’s a shame that the above-mentioned performance has been more or less lost to time, with little in the way of audio or video footage remaining. Still, it marked a turning point in Ross’ career. She began as a girl group soul singer back in 1959. Her first group The Primettes soon changed their name to The Supremes and signed a contract with Motown.
Ross was a core member of the group, along with Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard, and later Cindy Birdsong. The group scored a whopping 12 no. 1 hits on various pop charts. A few memorable hits from her girl group era include “Someday We’ll Be Together” and “Baby Love”.
By 1967, the group had changed their name again to Diana Ross And The Supremes. It was an apt change that foreshadowed Ross’ legendary solo career, which kicked off on this very day in 1970.
Following her first round of performances as a soloist in Massachusetts and later Las Vegas, Nevada, Ross released her self-titled debut album in June of 1970. Even non-fans of the famous soul singer likely know “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by heart.
From there, Ross enjoyed over a decade of commercial and charting success in a wealth of different categories from pop to R&B. Ross wasn’t satisfied, though, and decided to build her acting career in the 1970s as well. She famously starred as Billie Holiday in the 1972 biopic Lady Sings The Blues and later starred in the 1975 film Mahogany.
It all started with taking a chance on a solo career and making the difficult decision to leave her band. If anything, Ross’ career is absolutely inspiring.
Photo by Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
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