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Diana Ross (with Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard)

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@ National Portrait Gallery

Description

Diana Ross achieved international stardom as the lead singer of the Supremes. With songs such as "Where Did Our Love Go" and "Stop in the Name of Love," the Supremes became the most successful female group in pop music history; during the 1960s, only the Beatles sold more records. Steve Schapiro's photograph pictures Ross (center) in 1965 performing on the NBC musical variety show Hullabaloo with the other two members of the famous singing trio-Mary Wilson (left) and Florence Ballard (right). Described as a "total entertainer," Ross electrified audiences with a voice that could put "swerves into the most unsupple lyrics." In 1970 she left the group to pursue a solo career as a singer and an actress. Ross's portrayal of singer Billie Holiday in the 1972 film Lady Sings the Blues received a Best Actress Oscar nomination.
Type:
Image
Format:
Gelatin Silver Print
Rights:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Steve Schapiro
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Record Contributed By

National Portrait Gallery

Record Harvested From

Smithsonian Institution