"Upside down"

Soul diva with love songs: Diana Ross turns 80

Diana Ross celebrates her 80th birthday.

(Bild: MIKE BLAKE / REUTERS / picturedesk.com)

At a time when there is much debate in the USA about what age you can still be president, soul icon Diana Ross is preparing for a series of major appearances. One thing is clear to her: even at almost 80 - Ross' birthday is on March 26 - she can headline a festival this summer. For today's superstars, the diva is still a role model and duet partner.

Ross was born in 1944 in Detroit, the industrial metropolis in Michigan, which was also home to the famous Motown label. The record company became known for artists such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and The Temptations, who together created a distinctive sound. In her youth, Ross and three other young women founded the group The Primettes, later renamed The Supremes.

Attempt to revive The Supremes failed
After more than two decades with Motown, Ross left the label and moved to RCA, where she enjoyed great success with the hit album "Why Do Fools Fall In Love". Also successful was the album "Silk Electric", for whose single "Muscles" none other than the then up-and-coming Michael Jackson was responsible. With the US number one single "Upside Down", she achieved her highest chart position in Austria in 1980, reaching number two.

Diana Ross

(Bild: APA/dpa/Wolfgang Kumm)

During the late 1980s, Ross found it increasingly difficult to sell her albums and sought a new path by returning to Motown and concentrating on pop standards and disco hits. However, the attempt to return to the Supremes' glory days and revive the band proved unsuccessful.

Ross performs at the "Fool in Love" festival
The Grammy winner and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom became somewhat quieter after the turn of the millennium at the latest - she didn't release any new songs for over 15 years. Until 2021, when the coronavirus pandemic got the musician writing, rehearsing and recording again. The result: the album "Thank You" - a mixture of fresh sound and life's work feeling.

Ross called it an "album of love" at the time, complete with soulful lyrics and danceable arrangements. The importance Diana Ross still has in the music world is also reflected in who she brought on board for the 13 songs: Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Lorde as well as star producer Jack Antonoff.

Ross also continues to perform on stage with big names, such as at the "Fool in Love" festival in California at the end of August. As the headliner, her performance there will be a "gift", she recently wrote on the X platform (formerly Twitter). She is grateful that she will be able to give something back to so many people. Her fans may also be hoping for a reunion at the gig: Lionel Richie will also be performing at the festival - and Ross finally sang the duet hit "Endless Love" with him in 1981.