Diana Ross: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

Diana Ross came out of Detroit's Brewster-Douglass projects via the Primettes, was polished inside Motown's hit factory, and then rebuilt herself twice — as a film actress and as a disco-era pop auteur. This mix traces the jazz and supper-club singers she modeled herself on, the Motown understructure that made the Supremes possible, and the divas who inherited her blueprint.

The Kynda mix for Diana Ross

• Key Influence · Lady in Satin by Billie Holiday (1958). Ross studied Holiday obsessively to play her in the 1972 Motown film, immersing herself in recordings and the autobiography the picture took its name from; the performance earned an Academy Award nomination and reframed Ross as an actress. Holiday's late, frayed phrasing — heard at its most exposed on this Ray Ellis-arranged session — shaped the conversational, breath-forward delivery Ross carried into her own ballad singing.
• Influencia Obscura · (Like a) Nightmare by The Andantes (1964). The Andantes — Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow and Louvain Demps — were Motown's in-house backing vocalists, and their blended voices thicken or outright replace Supremes harmonies on numerous Motown sessions of the era. This rare single under their own name reveals the hidden vocal architecture behind the records credited to Ross's group, the uncredited layer that gave Motown's female sound its uniform gloss.
• Local Roots · Please Mr. Postman by The Marvelettes (1961). The Marvelettes, from Inkster just outside Detroit, gave Motown its first Billboard number one and proved a girl group could carry the label — the precedent the Supremes spent three years of flops chasing. Ross's group began as the 'no-hit Supremes' in the same Hitsville hallways, and later inherited both the Marvelettes' writers and the chart position they had opened up.
• Beyond the Medium · Carmen Jones by Otto Preminger (1954). Dandridge became the first Black woman nominated for a Best Actress Oscar with this film, establishing the singer-turned-screen-star path Ross took two decades later with Lady Sings the Blues. Motown's film division was built on the premise that Ross could be the next Dandridge, and Ross has spoken of Dandridge as a figure whose thwarted Hollywood career shadowed her own ambitions.
• Peer · I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You by Aretha Franklin (1967). Franklin grew up a few miles from Ross in Detroit, daughter of New Bethel's C.L. Franklin, and her 1967 Atlantic breakthrough offered the alternative model: southern-studio grit against Motown's assembly-line pop. The two were measured against each other constantly for the rest of the decade, and the contrast clarifies what Ross's lighter, more theatrical approach was actually doing.
• From the Canon · diana by Diana Ross (1980). Written and produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, this is the record that made Ross a post-disco modernist: 'Upside Down' and 'I'm Coming Out' recast her as a figure of self-determination over clipped funk guitar. Ross famously had the Chic mixes remixed to push her vocal forward, a move that produced her biggest-selling album and effectively announced her independence from Motown.
• Key Collaborator · Risqué by Chic (1979). Rodgers and Edwards came to Ross straight off this album's 'Good Times,' and the rhythmic architecture they'd perfected with Chic — Edwards's melodic bass, Rodgers's chopped chords, Tony Thompson's drums — is exactly the machine they wheeled into the diana sessions. Hearing Risqué makes audible how much of Ross's 1980 reinvention was Chic's working method applied to a Motown voice.
• Legacy · Dangerously in Love by Beyoncé (2003). Beyoncé's path — lead singer of a Houston girl group managed toward a solo launch — replays the Supremes-to-Ross template so closely that Dreamgirls, in which she starred, was read as a version of the story. She has repeatedly cited Ross as a model of glamour and stagecraft, and this solo debut executes the same maneuver: the group's frontwoman stepping out without dissolving her past.

What influenced Diana Ross

• Billie Holiday (1915). Ross portrayed Holiday in the biographical film Lady Sings the Blues. (also via Lady in Satin) “the film version of the book was released in 1972, with Diana Ross playing the role of Holiday.” (Wikipedia)
• Sam Cooke. The article names Diana Ross among the acts influenced by Cooke's vocals. “Cooke's vocal exploits would go on to influence many acts like Otis Redding , James Brown , Rod Stewart , Johnny Nash , Tina Turner , Wilson Pickett , Mick Jagger , Al Green , Paul McCartney , Diana Ross , Marvin Gaye , Steve Perry , and…” (Wikipedia)
• Lady in Satin by Billie Holiday. Lady in Satin (Billie Holiday) — titan for Diana Ross “Her first role was her Golden Globe Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Billie Holiday in the film Lady Sings the Blues (1972), which made her the first African-American actress to receive an Academy Award nomination f…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Genius of Ray Charles by Ray Charles (1959). The Genius of Ray Charles (Ray Charles) — titan for Diana Ross (musicbrainz.org)
• (Like a) Nightmare by The Andantes (1964). (Like a) Nightmare (The Andantes) — ghost for Diana Ross “Between their early 1968 single "Forever Came Today" and their final single with Ross, "Someday We'll Be Together", Ross would be the only Supremes member to be featured on many of their recordings, often accompanied by session singers t…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Carmen Jones by Otto Preminger. Carmen Jones (Otto Preminger) — culture for Diana Ross (themoviedb.org)
• The Wiz by Charlie Smalls (1975). The Wiz (Charlie Smalls) — culture for Diana Ross (wikidata.org)
• A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (1959). A Raisin in the Sun (Lorraine Hansberry) — culture for Diana Ross (wikidata.org)
• Lena Horne at the Waldorf Astoria by Lena Horne (1957). Lena Horne at the Waldorf Astoria (Lena Horne) — titan for Diana Ross
• Come On by The Distants (1959). Come On (The Distants) — ghost for Diana Ross

Peers and kindred spirits

• Michael Jackson. Jackson and Ross appeared in The Wiz. “the title track , a collaboration with Michael Jackson and Gibb, also performed well.” (Wikipedia)
• Marvin Gaye (1939). Documents Gaye's duet album with Diana Ross. “Later in the year, a highly anticipated duet album with label mate Marvin Gaye , Diana & Marvin , found international success.” (Wikipedia)
• The Supremes (1959). Ross was the Supremes' lead singer. ““We talked it out well in advance. The Supremes are working hard, doing very well with records. I miss the girls very much.”” (Fort Lauderdale News, reprinted by Click Americana)
• The Primettes. Ross joined the Primettes at age fifteen. “With a young male group called the Primes they became the Primettes, singing concert dates around Detroit.” (Fort Lauderdale News, reprinted by Click Americana)
• Lionel Richie (1968). Ross recorded Endless Love with Lionel Richie. “"What I wrote as 'Endless Love' and what I sang are two different things because there were certain parts that she just killed on," Richie recalled.” (ABC News)
• Nile Rodgers. Nile Rodgers composed material for Ross's album Diana. ““She said that she just wanted to turn her whole career upside down, and that was in our notes. But we thought that it would be more powerful in a romantic setting, so we wrote ‘Upside down, boy you turn me.’ And she flipped when she hea…” (New York Post)
• Bernard Edwards. Bernard Edwards composed material for Ross's album Diana. “When Diana Ross wanted to turn her legendary music career “Upside Down” at the dawn of the ’80s, she enlisted the Chic production team of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards.” (New York Post)
• Westlife (1998). Ross recorded a duet with Westlife. “In 2005, Irish boy band Westlife recorded a version of the song for their album, “Face To Face”, with, none other than Diana herself!” (Talk About Pop Music)
• Patti LaBelle. Ross and Patti LaBelle participated in a recording of We Are Family. “"Patti, get back in here!" she cried. "I need your vibe."” (Fox News)
• Eartha Kitt (1927). Ross and Eartha Kitt participated in a recording of We Are Family. “Diana Ross , Patti LaBelle , Dionne Warwick , Phoebe Snow and Eartha Kitt were just some of the stars who turned up on Saturday in New York to record a charity tribute version of Nile Rodgers ' Sister Sledge hit "We Are Family."” (Fox News)
• Tame Impala by Kevin Parker. Ross collaborated with Tame Impala on Turn Up the Sunshine. “In May 2022, she released the single " Turn Up the Sunshine ", a collaboration with psychedelic pop band Tame Impala .” (Wikipedia)
• Mariah Carey. Carey and Vandross covered the Richie and Ross song. (via Endless Love, Daydream) “In mid-1994, Carey and Luther Vandross recorded and released a cover of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross 's " Endless Love ".” (Wikipedia)
• Richard Pryor (1940). Pryor co-starred with Diana Ross in the film Lady Sings the Blues. “His first big film was "Lady Sings The Blues," where he played Piano Man, Billie Holiday's accompanist. Billie Holiday was played of course by Diana Ross.” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• Julio Iglesias. Ross recorded the duet All of You with Julio Iglesias. “The album featured " All of You ", a duet with friend Julio Iglesias .” (Wikipedia)
• I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You by Aretha Franklin (1967). I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (Aretha Franklin) — peer for Diana Ross “Ross has been described as one of the Five Mighty Pop Divas of the Sixties along with Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin, Martha Reeves, and Dionne Warwick.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Make Way for Dionne Warwick by Dionne Warwick (1964). Make Way for Dionne Warwick (Dionne Warwick) — peer for Diana Ross “Ross has been described as one of the Five Mighty Pop Divas of the Sixties along with Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin, Martha Reeves, and Dionne Warwick.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Imagination by Gladys Knight & the Pips (1973). Imagination (Gladys Knight & the Pips) — peer for Diana Ross “On the A&E Network television program Biography, Knight stated that she and the Pips were regarded as a second-string act, and that "Diana (Ross) & the Supremes, The Temptations, and Marvin Gaye were given all the hits, while we took the…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Risqué by Chic (1979). Risqué (Chic) — collaborator for Diana Ross “Composed by Chic's guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards, the album included the hits "I'm Coming Out" and "Upside Down", the latter becoming her fifth chart-topping single in the U.S.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Send It by Ashford & Simpson (1977). Send It (Ashford & Simpson) — collaborator for Diana Ross “While her debut solo single, "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)", was a moderate top 20 hit, her second single, a striking new arrangement of Ashford & Simpson's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" became her first number-one solo single…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Rod Stewart. Ross recorded I've Got a Crush on You as a duet with Rod Stewart. “Ross returned to the record charts that year after recording duets with Rod Stewart and Westlife . With the former, she recorded the Gershwin standard, " I've Got a Crush on You "” (Wikipedia)
• The Jackson Five. A contemporaneous account documents Ross and the Jackson Five appearing together in her television special. “The special, “Diana!” showcases the dynamic Diana Ross in her first special — music and comedy — with Danny Thomas, the Jackson Five, and special guest star Bill Cosby .” (Fort Lauderdale News, reprinted by Click Americana)
• Jack Antonoff. Bouza credits Antonoff as a writer of “Turn Up the Sunshine,” recorded by Ross. “The groove-laden track - written by producing superstar Jack Antonoff, Sam Dew, Patrik Berger and Kevin Parker - evokes the ebullient energy of Ross' early solo efforts while allowing the 78-year-old superstar to showcase her vocal chops…” (Rolling Stone UK)
• Jennifer Lopez. Jennifer Lopez has covered the song associated here with Ross. (via Ain't No Mountain High Enough) “The song has also been covered live and on albums by Jennifer Lopez and Amy Winehouse .” (Wikipedia)
• Amy Winehouse. Amy Winehouse has covered the song associated here with Ross. (via Ain't No Mountain High Enough) “The song has also been covered live and on albums by Jennifer Lopez and Amy Winehouse .” (Wikipedia)
• Please Mr. Postman by The Marvelettes (1961). Please Mr. Postman (The Marvelettes) — geography for Diana Ross (musicbrainz.org)
• Dancing in the Street by Martha and the Vandellas. Dancing in the Street (Martha and the Vandellas) — geography for Diana Ross “"Honey Chile" also became the first to be released under the moniker Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, joining the recent moniker changes of the Supremes (Diana Ross and the Supremes) and the Miracles (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles).” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Shop Around by The Miracles (1960). Shop Around (The Miracles) — geography for Diana Ross “In turn, Robinson agreed as long as they allowed him and his group, the Miracles, to hire the Primettes' guitarist, Marv Tarplin, whom Ross had discovered, for an upcoming tour.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Band of Gold by Freda Payne (1970). Band of Gold (Freda Payne) — collaborator for Diana Ross (musicbrainz.org)

Who Diana Ross influenced

• Deena Jones. Ross inspired the Dreamgirls character Deena Jones. “"It has been said to me that there's a lot of my image and likeness in the movie. What I would like to do is be able to see it. I like to inspire the talent that is out there today," she said.” (TODAY)
• Beyoncé. Diana Ross — Influence (Direct influence to Beyonce) for Beyoncé · hand-labeled by Tony Brancato, 2022 (also via Dangerously in Love) “Ross has influenced many artists including Michael Jackson , Beyoncé , [ 135 ] Madonna , [ 136 ] Jade Thirlwall , Questlove , [ 137 ] Olivia Dean , [ 138 ] Melanie Chisholm , [ 139 ] Ledisi [ 140 ] Lisa Stansfield [ 141 ] and the Ting Ti…” (Wikipedia)
• Madonna (1958). The article names Diana Ross as an influence on Madonna. (also via Confessions on a Dance Floor) “Ross has influenced many artists including Michael Jackson , Beyoncé , [ 135 ] Madonna , [ 136 ] Jade Thirlwall , Questlove , [ 137 ] Olivia Dean , [ 138 ] Melanie Chisholm , [ 139 ] Ledisi [ 140 ] Lisa Stansfield [ 141 ] and the Ting Ti…” (Wikipedia)
• Dangerously in Love by Beyoncé (2003). Dangerously in Love (Beyoncé) — legacy for Diana Ross “== Legacy == Ross has influenced many artists including Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Madonna, Jade Thirlwall, Questlove, Olivia Dean, Melanie Chisholm, Ledisi Lisa Stansfield and the Ting Tings.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Daydream by Mariah Carey (1995). Daydream (Mariah Carey) — legacy for Diana Ross “In mid-1994, Carey and Luther Vandross recorded and released a cover of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross's "Endless Love".” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Confessions on a Dance Floor by Madonna (2005). Confessions on a Dance Floor (Madonna) — legacy for Diana Ross “Madonna would soon succeed Ross as the most successful female artist in the UK.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Jade Thirlwall. The article names Diana Ross as an influence on Jade Thirlwall. “Ross has influenced many artists including Michael Jackson , Beyoncé , [ 135 ] Madonna , [ 136 ] Jade Thirlwall , Questlove , [ 137 ] Olivia Dean , [ 138 ] Melanie Chisholm , [ 139 ] Ledisi [ 140 ] Lisa Stansfield [ 141 ] and the Ting Ti…” (Wikipedia)
• Questlove. The article names Diana Ross as an influence on Questlove. “Ross has influenced many artists including Michael Jackson , Beyoncé , [ 135 ] Madonna , [ 136 ] Jade Thirlwall , Questlove , [ 137 ] Olivia Dean , [ 138 ] Melanie Chisholm , [ 139 ] Ledisi [ 140 ] Lisa Stansfield [ 141 ] and the Ting Ti…” (Wikipedia)
• Olivia Dean. The article names Diana Ross as an influence on Olivia Dean. “Ross has influenced many artists including Michael Jackson , Beyoncé , [ 135 ] Madonna , [ 136 ] Jade Thirlwall , Questlove , [ 137 ] Olivia Dean , [ 138 ] Melanie Chisholm , [ 139 ] Ledisi [ 140 ] Lisa Stansfield [ 141 ] and the Ting Ti…” (Wikipedia)
• Melanie Chisholm. The article names Diana Ross as an influence on Melanie Chisholm. “Ross has influenced many artists including Michael Jackson , Beyoncé , [ 135 ] Madonna , [ 136 ] Jade Thirlwall , Questlove , [ 137 ] Olivia Dean , [ 138 ] Melanie Chisholm , [ 139 ] Ledisi [ 140 ] Lisa Stansfield [ 141 ] and the Ting Ti…” (Wikipedia)
• Ledisi. The article names Diana Ross as an influence on Ledisi. “Ross has influenced many artists including Michael Jackson , Beyoncé , [ 135 ] Madonna , [ 136 ] Jade Thirlwall , Questlove , [ 137 ] Olivia Dean , [ 138 ] Melanie Chisholm , [ 139 ] Ledisi [ 140 ] Lisa Stansfield [ 141 ] and the Ting Ti…” (Wikipedia)
• Lisa Stansfield. The article names Diana Ross as an influence on Lisa Stansfield. “Ross has influenced many artists including Michael Jackson , Beyoncé , [ 135 ] Madonna , [ 136 ] Jade Thirlwall , Questlove , [ 137 ] Olivia Dean , [ 138 ] Melanie Chisholm , [ 139 ] Ledisi [ 140 ] Lisa Stansfield [ 141 ] and the Ting Ti…” (Wikipedia)
• The Ting Tings. The article names Diana Ross as an influence on the Ting Tings. “Ross has influenced many artists including Michael Jackson , Beyoncé , [ 135 ] Madonna , [ 136 ] Jade Thirlwall , Questlove , [ 137 ] Olivia Dean , [ 138 ] Melanie Chisholm , [ 139 ] Ledisi [ 140 ] Lisa Stansfield [ 141 ] and the Ting Ti…” (Wikipedia)
• My Need. Janet Jackson's My Need samples Ross's Love Hangover. (via Love Hangover) “Janet Jackson sampled "Love Hangover" on her 1997 song "My Need" (featured on the album The Velvet Rope ),” (Wikipedia)
• You Want This. The article pairs Janet Jackson's You Want This with its sample of Love Child. (via Love Child) “having already sampled "Love Child" and "Someday We'll Be Together" by Ross & the Supremes on her 1993 tracks " You Want This " and " If "” (Wikipedia)
• If. The article pairs Janet Jackson's If with its sample of Someday We'll Be Together. (via Someday We'll Be Together) “having already sampled "Love Child" and "Someday We'll Be Together" by Ross & the Supremes on her 1993 tracks " You Want This " and " If "” (Wikipedia)
• The First Night. Monica's The First Night samples Love Hangover. (via Love Hangover) “"Love Hangover" was also sampled in Monica 's 1998 hit single " The First Night "” (Wikipedia)
• Lisa Frank 420 / Modern Computing. Vektroid's Lisa Frank 420 / Modern Computing samples It's Your Move. (via It's Your Move) “" It's Your Move " was sampled in 2011 by Vektroid for her song "Lisa Frank 420 / Modern Computing", which appeared in her ninth album Floral Shoppe under her alias Macintosh Plus .” (Wikipedia)
• Replay. Lady Gaga's Replay samples It's My House. (via It's My House) “" It's My House " was sampled by Lady Gaga for her song "Replay" which appeared on the 2020 album Chromatica .” (Wikipedia)
• Mo Money Mo Problems. Mo Money Mo Problems samples Ross's recording of I'm Coming Out. (via I'm Coming Out) “Ross was featured on the Notorious B.I.G. 's 1997 number-one hit " Mo Money Mo Problems " since her voice from her 1980 hit " I'm Coming Out " was sampled for the song.” (Wikipedia)