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Diana Ross: Through The Years

Diana Ross - Through The Years
Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all? When it comes to the term "diva," Diana Ross defines what the world of entertainment knows it to be. No, she's no "Queen of Soul" or "High Priestess of Rock & Roll," but the Detroit-born chanteuse has had a career spanning 50 years, from girl group glory to Tinseltown. In celebration of her 65th birthday (March 26), BlackVoices.com pays homage to a fashion icon and true entertainment legend. Join us.

Diana Ross: Through The Years

Diana Ross - Through The Years
Way before Labelle, the Spice Girls, TLC, Changing Faces and Destiny's Child hit the mainstream music scene, the Supremes ruled the roost. With more than 12 number one singles, including 'Baby Love,' 'Where Did Our Love Go?' and 'Come See About Me,' the trio from Detroit, which originally included Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson, paved the way and set the standard for girl groups. The group is pictured here in the mid-1960s during a photo shoot in Manchester Square in London.

Diana Ross: Through The Years

Diana Ross - Through The Years
After being re-christened Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Motown hit makers featured Cindy Birdsong (pictured with Wilson and Ross during the 1960s) after Florence Ballard departed the group.

Diana Ross: Through The Years

Diana Ross - Through The Years
Berry Gordy, pictured here with Diana Ross and the Supremes in 1967, started Motown Records in 1959. He shaped and molded the trio into international icons.

Diana Ross: Through The Years

Diana Ross - Through The Years
In May 1970, Ross released her self-titled solo album on Motown Records. The album's cover image was a marked departure from her Supremes work -- and so was the music. The well-crafted opus was helmed by Ashford & Simpson and yielded the hit songs 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' and 'Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand).'

Diana Ross: Through The Years

Diana Ross - Through The Years
Looking and sounding nothing like Billie Holiday, Ross made a daring gamble with her acting debut as the late jazz legend in the 1972 movie 'Lady Sings The Blues.' She turned out stellar results. The masterfully sculpted film -- adapted by Chris Clark, Suzanne de Passe and Terence McCloy from the book by William Dufty and Billie Holiday -- was nominated for five Academy Awards, including best actress in a leading role.

Diana Ross: Through The Years

Diana Ross - Through The Years
During her heyday in the '70s, Ross shared a candid moment with her first husband, Robert Ellis Silberstein, and her father, Fred.

Diana Ross: Through The Years

Diana Ross - Through The Years
Ross starred in the 1975 Paramount Pictures movie 'Mahogany,' alongside Billy Dee Williams and Anthony Perkins. In the Berry Gordy-directed film, Ross plays a poor Chicago woman who becomes an international model and fashion designer.

Diana Ross: Through The Years

Diana Ross - Through The Years
In 1976, Ross and then-husband Robert Ellis Silberstein graced the cover of People magazine. "I've tried to involve myself in her family and to understand and appreciate the way she grew up," Silberstein said in the interview, "and she's done that with me."

Diana Ross: Through The Years

Diana Ross - Through The Years
Michael Jackson and Ross starred in the Sidney Lumet-directed movie 'The Wiz.' The two pose during a news conference for the ambitious movie musical in New York City on Sept. 28, 1977. Jackson played the part of the Scarecrow and Ross, 33, played Dorothy.

Diana Ross: Through The Years