Three13 · Music & Legacy Feature
Diana RossFrom Brewster-Douglass to Apex
How a teenager from Detroit's Brewster-Douglass projects led The Supremes to twelve #1 singles, became an Oscar-nominated actress, and logged six solo chart-toppers — the most for any female solo artist of her era.
Diana Ernestine Ross was born on March 26, 1944, in Detroit, and raised in the Brewster-Douglass housing projects — the same neighborhood that produced Smokey Robinson and Lily Tomlin. In 1959, she, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard formed a group called The Primettes. By 1961 they had signed with Berry Gordy's Motown Records, been renamed The Supremes, and set in motion a run that would make them the most successful American vocal group of the 1960s and the face of the Motown Sound Detroit exported to the world.
The Supremes and the Motown Sound
The Supremes logged twelve #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 — more than any other American group — including "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love," "Stop! In the Name of Love," and "You Can't Hurry Love." In 1967, the group was renamed Diana Ross & the Supremes, cementing Ross as the focal point. Their polished, crossover sound, shaped by Motown's Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team, defined an era and proved that a Black Detroit label could dominate the mainstream.
Ross left The Supremes in 1970 for a solo career. Her debut album, Diana Ross, and the single "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" launched a second act that would prove just as dominant.
Six Solo #1s and an Oscar Nomination
Between 1970 and 1981, Ross recorded six #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 — "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Touch Me in the Morning," "Theme from Mahogany," "Love Hangover," "Upside Down," and "Endless Love" (with Lionel Richie) — making her the female solo act with the most #1 songs in the United States at the time.
"Ain't no mountain high enough / Ain't no valley low enough / Ain't no river wide enough / To keep me from getting to you." — Diana Ross, 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' (1970)
In 1972, Ross starred as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and a Golden Globe. She followed with Mahogany (1975) and The Wiz (1978), cementing a dual career as both a chart-topping singer and a Hollywood leading lady.
A Career in Motion
1959
Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard form The Primettes in Detroit's Brewster-Douglass housing projects, later auditioning for Motown.
1961
The group signs with Motown Records and is renamed The Supremes, beginning a partnership that would define the label's sound.
1964
'Where Did Our Love Go' becomes The Supremes' first #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 — the first of five consecutive chart-toppers.
1967
The group is renamed Diana Ross & the Supremes, cementing Ross as the focal point. By 1970 they had logged twelve #1 singles, the most for an American group.
1970
Ross leaves The Supremes for a solo career. Her debut single 'Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)' and the album Diana Ross launch a new era.
1972
Stars as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and a Golden Globe win.
1981
'Endless Love,' her duet with Lionel Richie, becomes one of the biggest singles of the decade and her sixth solo #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
2025
Performs at Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage in the coveted Sunday 'legends' slot, drawing one of the festival's largest crowds and reaffirming her global icon status.
Recognition
- ◆Academy Award nominee — Best Actress for Lady Sings the Blues (1972)
- ◆Golden Globe winner — Most Promising Newcomer (Lady Sings the Blues)
- ◆Grammy Award winner and multiple-time nominee across five decades
- ◆Kennedy Center Honors recipient (2007)
- ◆Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016)
- ◆Six #1 Billboard Hot 100 singles as a solo artist — the most for any female solo act at the time
Learn More
Frequently Asked
Is Diana Ross from Detroit?+
Yes. Diana Ross was born Diana Ernestine Ross on March 26, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in the city's Brewster-Douglass housing projects. She formed The Primettes — which became The Supremes — in Detroit in 1959 before signing with Motown Records in 1961.
What is Diana Ross's connection to Motown?+
Diana Ross rose to fame as the lead singer of The Supremes, the most successful act on Motown Records and the most successful American vocal group of the 1960s, with twelve #1 singles. She signed with Motown in 1961, remained with the label for her solo career, and was a defining voice of the Motown Sound that originated in Detroit.
How many #1 hits did Diana Ross have?+
As a member of The Supremes, Diana Ross had twelve #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. As a solo artist, she had six #1 singles — including 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough,' 'Touch Me in the Morning,' 'Love Hangover,' 'Upside Down,' and 'Endless Love' — making her the female solo act with the most #1 songs in the United States at the time.
Was Diana Ross nominated for an Oscar?+
Yes. Diana Ross was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in the 1972 film Lady Sings the Blues, for which she also won the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer. She later starred in Mahogany (1975) and The Wiz (1978).
About This Feature
This Three13 feature draws on verified public sources including Wikipedia, AllMusic, and the Motown Museum. All factual claims — birth date, the 1959 formation of The Primettes, the twelve #1 Supremes singles, the six solo #1 hits, and the 1972 Academy Award nomination — are drawn from the cited sources above. The portrait is sourced from Wikimedia Commons (Motown Records, public domain) and used editorially.