Text by Milton White, Copyright 2024
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The Supreme Diva
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As Diana Ross celebrates her 80th birthday on March 26th, she is the new face of Saint Laurent Spring Collection 2024!
The photo selected for the campaign, is reminiscent of her 1976 DIANA ROSS album cover featuring the “Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)” and “Love Hangover.”
During the spring and summer of 1964, America was introduced to the sounds of a new female vocal group, The Supremes. I purchased their album, “Where Did Our Love Go” with my allowance that year. In December of 1964, The Supremes made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. As we all know, the group became Diana Ross and The Supremes, before Diana set out on a solo career.
Rather than chronicle her life and career, which either you know, can Google or find on YouTube, I will give you a glimpse of some performances and concerts that I have attended throughout the years.
Although I had been to many shows and concerts in my childhood and teens, they did not compare to my first Diana Ross concert.
I received a call from one of my roommates who was in New York for a fashion magazine photo shoot, asking me if I could come to NYC to see Diana at Radio City Music Hall. Amtrak was my mode of transportation along the Northeast Corridor while I lived in Boston, so I made reservations so that I could make it to the “City” for the performance. I quickly packed a bag and headed to Back Bay Station for my train. I stayed at the Essex House on Central Park South near Columbus Circle.
Excitement filled the air in and around Radio City Music Hall unlike the atmosphere of the Christmas Show and the Rockettes, it was more exhilarating. Prior to being seated, I walked to the stage and back to our seats stage left. My view, the audience, sophisticated and well-dressed, ready for a night to remember.
The house lights dim, the orchestra strikes up the overture, the stage lights come up and then it happens…Diana Ross appears, and this sophisticated crowd goes wild.
Belting out “Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand” with full audience participation, Diana reigned Supreme! followed by a medley of hits by The Supremes, Diana Ross and The Supremes, then running off stage for a costume change while still performing, she never missed a beat. Then delving into her string of solo hits climaxing with The Them from Mahogony into “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” Diana disappears again returning with a Gardenia in her hair to perform songs from her movie “Lady Sings the Blues.” Diana ends the show with “My Man” but after several minutes of standing ovations, she returns to perform a final song. Emotionally drained, yet full of life, I vowed that I would attend her concerts in the future.
At the time, this was the best live performance that I had ever seen. Little did I know that I would continue to attend her performances to the extent that I have. I would like to share just a couple more experiences that may, again, bring back memories for some of you.
I lived in Philadelphia when “An Evening with Diana Ross” opened at the Palace Theatre in New York. I had to see it! In this show, Diana begins with “Here I Am” and introduced “Love Hangover” which was released in February 1976 and incorporated this hit in the show, where she would invite several members of the audience onto the stage to dance with her. I looked at the list of cities where she would perform next. Boston, here I come…great performance! Next stop Philadelphia. I did have a ticket for the show, which I thought sold-out. I called the box office the morning of the show and secured a ticket, wait for it…front row CENTER!!! Oh my, what will I wear??? I drove out to the Tiger Shop in Wayne and told them that I needed an outfit for the show. I let them know where I was seated and they dressed me accordingly, suit, tie, pocket square, cuff links, the whole nine yards. I arrived at the Shubert Theatre and was escorted to my front row seat. I was in my glory. The show begins, I can feel every tingling inch of my body. I hear the intro to “Love Hangover” I’m getting nervous, the tempo crescendos into the disco beat, Diana looks at me, Oh My God, she’s walking over to me, she extends her hand and pulls me up onto the stage with her…I’m on-stage dancing with DIANA ROSS!!! Others join us and then she disappears for her next costume change. When she returns, we leave the stage, but this was the best night of my life! The next stop on the tour was Pittsburgh, and yes, I grabbed 2 tickets and took a friend’s’ brother who was studying at the University of Pittsburgh.
“An Evening with Diana Ross” was shown as one of her TV Specials, where she portrayed Josephine Baker, Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters. Magnificent!!!
I didn’t think that Diana’s show could get any better after dancing with me on stage, lol, but it did!!!
This is one of the greatest shows openings, ever!
Curtains open slowly revealing a screen that fills the entire stage, photos of Diana begin flooding the screens while the orchestra begins, then you hear Diana… “If you need me, call me, no matter where you are, no matter how far….” Next you see on the screen a vision of Diana at the top of a long staircase, descending, until, until, she steps through the screen Live!!! Mind blown!!! You can actually view this on YouTube Diana Ross 1979 Caesar Palace.
I went to several other performances throughout the years at the Valley Forge Music Fair, where my Limo driver met and followed her driver for a while, champagne in tow, the Westbury in New York the Mann Music Center and Atlantic City.
I didn’t get to see The Supremes in my youth, the Motown Revue didn’t play the matinee at the Uptown and the next time The Supremes were in the area, they appeared at The Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, which I was to young to attend. After Dianas’ pet dogs were poisoned there, she never returned.
The “Return to Love” tour in 2000, reunited Diana, Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong as Diana Ross and The Supremes. I was fortunate to see them perform in Atlanta before the tour was cancelled. They performed 16 of the 29 scheduled performances.
During the pandemic, Diana went back into the studio to record her latest album “Thank You” which is upbeat and special I love it. In September 2022, I found myself with a couple of friends at Oceans in Atlantic City for her performance. Let me tell you, her energy, her voice, her performance is just as bright as it was years ago. She has appeared at Hard Rock Atlantic City most recently and continues to sell out venues here and abroad.
Do yourself a favor, when you hear of Diana coming to a city near you, get tickets and sing, dance and have yourself a grand time!!!
Milton White III
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