By Vandelron (68.198.48.201) on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 02:46 pm:

In NY Post yesterday quote from British interivew and pic of Diana looking a little bloated/heavier. She wasnt happy that Halle Berry did not mention her when Halle won Oscar as helping Halle to win Oscar per Lady Sings the Blues nomination) (Hmmm well Cicely Tyson was nomintated too.) Diana also said she doesnt know what her presence means in the US anymore per movies, reocrding or anything.

By NYC Diva (67.31.88.41) on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 03:19 pm:

Diana needs to get over that...that was TWO YEARS AGO and just NOW she's commenting on Halle's win? I could say something in regards to her waiting so long, but I'll just keep that to myself. Why should Halle have to thank her for anything? Did Diana give her acting lessons?

I really think Diana has other issues in her life that she has to worry about, other than why Halle didn't mention her name in her acceptance speech. Get over it and move on, Di. Everyone else has!

By Vickie (198.81.26.103) on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 06:55 pm:

If I could talk to Diana I would tell her what her presence means to so many, including myself, and I don't mean in a "fan" way either...She is a significant person in our world.....I can't imagine a world without Diana Ross....We all are important....ALL OF US TRULY ARE!

I hope she reads this board....

By Dinelle (67.35.226.92) on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 07:52 pm:

A world without Diana Ross?! Whoa!!! I don't think that I can deal with that much less live with it. That would be terrible. I'm glad she is here.

By Vandelron (68.198.48.201) on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 12:01 am:

I was wondering-has Diana given credit to anyone like Dinah Wahington or Diana Sands, Ruby Dee or Diahnn Carroll(all these Ds!) who went before her?

By Spookey (198.81.26.103) on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 12:37 am:

Vickie, and Dinelle, you are so right. If you really think of the songs, the theme in almost everything Diana has sung, has been about one thing, LOVE!!

Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder had their messages and we must remember that Diana Ross was first way before Marvin or Stevie in the early 70's, to spread the LOVE message, Reachout & Touch Somneday's Hand,for one.

Everybody knows this, that everybody wanted to be Diana Ross or be like her; she really inspired us all. I'm blessed to have had her music in my life!!

By Reese (12.15.168.69) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 10:44 am:

This particular interview sounds as if the writer caught Diana at a vulnerable time. I think it was done before her recent well-received UK dates. If she was interviewed now, we might get a totally different viewpoint.

As far as the Halle speech, Diana should just let that one go. Halle was swept up in a career-defining moment and I'm sure she left out quite a few people. That's very understandable. And to be fair, I have seen Diana do the same thing when she's accepted awards.

I did agree with her on one point which she did mention. A few years back, EBONY did a photo spread on the greatest divas of the 20th century. I was totally amazed that Diana was not even mentioned. Especially when people she paved the way for like Whitney and Janet were. I was so outraged that I wrote EBONY a letter which, to my surprise, they actually printed. But to be excluded from such a list had to be a major slap in the face.

By Randy Russi (169.139.180.100) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 11:54 am:

I agree on the Halle B. issue...let it go! Who
cares? Diana doesn't correct or didn't correct
Oprah for saying SHE, meaning Diana, was the
first black person on television other than
Buckwheat. We all know that is not true, yet
Oprah has made that remark at least twice on
her show that I know of; each time I sent her
a letter correcting that statement and never
heard a response...Long before Diana was on
TV so many female rock & rollers were on
American Bandstand. But, I do love Diana
Ross and want her to keep on keeping on...

By Vickie (198.81.26.103) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 12:02 pm:

Heck, I will thank Diana if I ever win an award....

By Gary (66.73.238.5) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 12:32 pm:

I've never been a Diana Ross fan. For that reason I've never seen her in concert, nor have I ever bought any of her solo albums. I enjoyed her work with the Supremes, but Mary was always my personal favorite. To me, Diana's voice has always had a very thin, nasal, whiny quality that I find annoying and not the least bit soulful. As for her acting ability(?), I saw "Lady Sings The Blues" when it was first released, I thought her acting skills were mediocre at best; I've never seen Mahogany or The Wiz and I don't intend to.

Spookey, I beg to differ, bro; Diana Ross has never inspired me in any way, shape or form.

Vandelron makes a good point: when has Diana Ross ever given praise, thanks or credit to anyone?

I'm sure Diana is probably a wonderful person to those who know her, and her contributions to popular music are unquestioned. I hope she comes through her current ordeals; I really feel for her and wish her all the best. I'm just not one of her biggest fans.

By Reese (12.15.168.69) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 12:41 pm:

Randy,

I was also confused by Oprah's Buckwheat remark.
At first, I wondered why she didn't mention Eartha Kitt or Ella Fitzgerald or Lena. These women were on television long before Diana and the Supremes.

But maybe since the Supremes was closer in age to Oprah, they were seen as more accessible to her? The other ladies I mentioned might have come across as "older" to her. Who knows?

In any event, I heard Anita Baker say about the same thing concerning Diana. During her RHYTHM OF LOVE conert tour, she did impersonations of Tina Turner and Diana Ross. After she did Diana, she said something to the effect that when she saw Diana on tv, for the first time, she saw someone that looked like her.

By Gary (66.73.238.5) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 12:49 pm:

I'm more than a little surprised by Oprah's ignorance. Ethel Waters and later Louise Beavers starred in "Beulah" from 1950-53. They weren't the first Blacks to appear on television, but that show was the first to feature Black actors in starring roles. I would expect Oprah, of all people to know this.

By Soul Sister (65.43.144.46) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 12:55 pm:

Eddie "Rochester" Anderson appeared as a regular on the Jack Benny Show, then there was "Amos and Andy" and alot of other black T.V. personalities that aired in the early days of television.
S.S.

By Randy Russi (169.139.180.100) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 01:07 pm:

Yes, I agree, it just doesn't make sense for Oprah
to make such an insulting remark to all those who
appeared on TV long before Diana--and as I mentioned--American Bandstand: I could go on & on
here...Mary Wells, Martha & Vandellas, Dee Dee
Sharp, etc., etc.
Even in the '50s for a period of time Nat King
Cole had his own TV show.
Again, Diana/Supremes were on TV consistently
from '64 on, but they were not or should I say
SHE was not the first black person on TV besides
Buckwheat as Oprah has clearly stated.

By NYC Diva (158.57.150.226) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 02:17 pm:

Hey Reese, I didn't see that issue of EBONY but I remember clearly the magazine covers of EBONY when Diana did "Lady Sings The Blues" and "Mahogany"...she was featured and those issues were pretty much all about her roles in those movies. They made a big deal out of it.

I'm not a Diana fan, but for them to leave her out of an important issue like that I feel was insulting. Now matter how folks may feel about her now, they should not forget what she has done in the past. She was looked as a goddess back then, whether people like it or not. Shame on EBONY.

By Mark K (81.135.103.146) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 05:47 pm:

The interview given to the British press was the first interview given by Diana Ross in over four years so I think she was taking an overview of issues that have happened during that time and the Halle Berry thing was Diana expressing her view (which she is entitled to!) that she has not always been given credit/appreciation for her work and that was noticeable when Halle gave her acceptance speech and did not mention Diana when she mentioned other contemporary artists. It was not a personal attack by Diana on Halle Berry,and over the years in many interviews I have read Diana Ross has praised other artisits and song-writers particulary Motown based; I think Diana Ross will probably only be appreciated in many years to come for the role she played in American music; early TV roles and to help the general world wide acceptance of the Motown sound.In the UK as her recent sell-out concert appearances have shown she is still a respected artist bringing pleasure to many; again this is all about opinions!!
Cheers
Mark k

By SoniT (66.106.213.162) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 06:09 pm:

Reese - I agree with you. I remember seeing Oprah's show when she talked about the Supremes being on The Ed Sullivan show. I think she was saying that the Supremes were the first women that were closer to her age to be on TV. Oprah was a fan of their music and thought they were beautiful, glamourous women so she felt proud when she first saw them on The Ed Sullivan show. I don't think she meant that they were the first Black women to ever be on TV. That's just my opinion.

By Uptight (24.55.0.68) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 04:37 am:

SoniT, Reese, Randy: I hope Oprah meant Diana was the first black woman SHE saw on TV. If so, I wish she would clarify it as such.

By TRI-PHI (68.5.143.49) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 05:01 am:

WITH AS MUCH AS I LIKE DIANE, SHE IS NOT THE MEGA STAR SHE USE TO BE, SHE HASNT HAD A TOP 40 HIT SINCE 1989'S WORKING OVERTIME, MOTOWN DOES NOT PROMOTE HER ALBUMS THE WAY IT DID IN THE 70'S AND EARLY 80'S SHE KINDA KILLED HER CAREER BY LEAVING MOTOWN IN THE FIRST PLACE AND ALOT OF PEOPLE STILL BLAME HER FOR FLORENCE'S DEATH (NOT ME PERSONALLY) FLO HAD HER OWN PROBLEMS TO DEAL WITH, BUT DIANE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE, AND MAKE UP WITH MARY AND DO A TRUE SUPREMES REUNION WITH ALL THE SURVIVING MEMBERS INCLUDING BARBARA MARTIN, MARY NEED TO GET HER ACT TOGETHER AND STOP BEING SO CRUEL TO SCHERRIE AND LYNDA, AND CINDY REALLY SHOULD TALK TO MARY AND DIANE, AND MINISTER THE TRUE MEANING OF LOVE AND FORGIVENESS, BECAUSE IF THERE WAS A SUPREMES REUNION OF ALL THE MEMBERS THERE WOULD BE ALOT OF MONEY INVOLVED IN THAT.

By tyrone (192.128.133.68) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 11:43 pm:

People,
We must remember Oprah is from the south, Tennessee or Kentucky, I don't know which one since I'm not an Oprah fan. I doubt very seriously if Nat King Cole's show or any other Black actor/actress/singer/entertainer show was shown in her part of the country. So Oprah's statement about the Supremes being the first women on tv that looked liked her was true. Speaking of which, I was born in 1956 and I can't recall seeing any other blacks on tv until perhaps the Supremes on Ed Sullivan. I am not saying that there weren't, I just dont' recall. And I was raised in Washington DC.
One other thing and this is directed to Tri-Phi. Why do you insist on calling Diana Diane? Do you speak of Chaka Khan as Yvette or Stevie Wonder as Steveland Morris? Just wondering. Indeed, Ms Ross is not a mega star as she once was, 'Workin' Overtime' was only a #3 R&B hit, to some was a flop. She's no longer signed to Motown and as far as a reunion, I can see Diana, Mary, Cindy and Jean. As much as I love Scherrie, I would love to see her also, that's why I went to see the RTL show because I knew that was the only way I could see her....loves me some Scherrie "Hurtin" Payne.

By Uptight (24.55.0.68) on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 02:55 am:

Yup, Tyrone, that was kinda my point. Even though we don't know how little access Oprah (as a lot of folks back did not back then) had to a television, I would give Oprah the benefit of the doubt she meant the Supremes were the first time she herself saw black women on TV.

By Uptight (24.55.0.68) on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 03:03 am:

While filming her last TV movie, didn't Ross chat with the extras in the audience during a break, saying that "Diana" is on her birth certificate and her parents meant for it to be spelled "Diane"? Meanwhile only her family and childhood friends call her Diane.