supremester
06-12-2015, 08:43 PM
Diana Ross, in Hawaii, at last
http://cloud.honolulupulse.com/wp-content/themes/Pulse2013/images/tgif_printlogo.png http://cloud.honolulupulse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/12-T8-Diana-Ross1-630x401.jpg[[Associated Press)
BY SJARIF GOLDSTEIN / sgoldstein@staradvertiser.com
The price of paradise is not just about paying a little more [[OK, a lot more) for milk and gas and housing than people in the rest of the U.S.
For music fans, the price of paradise is also about the paucity of opportunities to see the world’s top performers.
DIANA ROSS
» Where: Blaisdell Arena
» When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
» Cost: $45-$225
» Info: [[866) 448-7849, www.ticketmaster.com [[http://www.ticketmaster.com)
Sure, many big acts have visited the islands over the past 20 years or so: Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones, Prince, Janet Jackson, U2, the Eagles, homegrown singers like Bruno Mars and Jack Johnson. But most residents of U.S. cities the size of Hono*lulu get the chance to see each of those stars over the course of a few years.
In Hawaii, music fans are lucky to get just one big concert event every two or three years.
Still, even as rare as big shows are here, most superstars with careers spanning decades make it to Hawaii at some point.
Most.
Diana Ross has somehow put together a 56-year career without ever performing in the islands.
That stretch ends Friday night, when the legendary diva who co-founded The Supremes makes her Hawaii debut at Blaisdell Arena. Three more shows follow over the weekend: Saturday night at the arena and Sunday and Monday nights at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.
WITH ROSS’ last U.S. No. 1 single coming in 1981 [[“Endless Love” with Lionel Richie, which spent nine weeks at the top and in 2011 was named by Billboard magazine the biggest duet ever), it can be easy to forget — or, for younger people, to never have known — how iconic a pop star Ross is.
To millennials, Ross might be the mother of sitcom star Tracee Ellis Ross [[“Girlfriends” and now “Black-ish”) and mother-in-law of singer Ashlee Simpson.
For children of the ‘90s, their most indelible memory of Ross might be her appearance on the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, in which she entered to see co-presenter Lil’ Kim wearing a revealing dress and decided to jiggle the rapper’s left boob. [[SO easy to find on YouTube.)
Fans who live and breathe ’80s music might remember her for “Endless Love,” which is still a staple at weddings and kara*oke nights, and a few hits into the middle of the decade.
Anyone older than that remembers her as one of the brightest superstars pop music has ever produced.
Ross sang lead on 18 No. 1 hits — 12 with The Supremes, five solo and the duet with Richie. No one has more, and only Elvis Pres*ley and Mariah Carey can match it.
DIANA BY THE NUMBERS
18 — No. 1 pop songs on which Diana Ross sang lead.
41 — Total weeks atop the pop charts for Ross combining those 18 songs.
3 — Major films Ross has starred in: “Lady Sings the Blues” [[which earned her an Oscar nomination); “Mahogany” [[which she sang the chart-topping title theme to); and “The Wiz” [[a “Wizard of Oz” adaptation in which she played Dorothy).
3 — Broadway productions Ross has a strong connection to: one she won a Tony for [[“An Evening with Diana Ross”) and two she partly inspired [[“Dreamgirls,” based on The Supremes, and “Motown: The Musical”).
And Carey knows her place. At “VH1 Divas 2000: A Tribute to Diana Ross,” Carey said, “The first time I realized what a superstar was when I was watching Diana Ross’ live Central Park concert [[in 1983) on TV with my mom when I was a little girl. … We all love Miss Ross because she’s glamorous, talented, unpredictable and strong.”
IN THE early ‘60s The Supremes were known as the No-Hit Supremes because the highest they charted with their first nine singles was No. 23. That changed suddenly in August 1964, when the title track off their album “Where Did Our Love Go” topped Billboard’s Hot 100 pop chart … and then “Baby Love” and “Come See About Me” followed it there, all in the space of five months.
The Supremes wound up with five straight No. 1s, and suddenly the Beatles were the only more prominent group on the charts.
As seminal an act as Liverpool’s Fab Four are in pop music history, The Supremes [[along with fellow Motown stars such as the Temptations and Marvin Gaye) were just as important in shaping the industry over the 50 years since.
The Supremes became the biggest “girl group” and have yet to be topped. Without them, who knows whether Destiny’s Child and TLC and even the Go-Go’s would ever have come to be? [[Girl groups aside, Ross also introduced the world to the Jackson 5, so if not for her, this world might never have known Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” and what kind of world would that be?)
Ross and bandmates Mary Wilson and Flo Ballard brought glamour to pop music, often donning matching gowns and even wigs for an image crafted by Motown president Berry Gordy Jr. and his “finishing” staff to appeal to both whites and blacks. It worked, as The Supremes were Motown’s biggest crossover act. In fact, they were arguably bigger with white listeners than with the black audience, as only seven of those 12 pop No. 1s reached such heights on the R&B chart.
In solidifying R&B’s place in pop music, The Supremes and their Motown colleagues paved the way for funk, disco, hip-hop and arguably even electronic dance music.
TO SAY The Supremes accomplished something is really to say Diana Ross accomplished it. Though Wilson and Ballard were capable singers, Ross sang lead on every single smash.
By 1967, after 10 No. 1 hits, Motown acknowledged what America already knew, changing the group’s name to Diana Ross & The Supremes.
In January 1970 the group performed together for the last time, at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, and Ross embarked on a solo career. By September, Ross had her first solo No. 1 — “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” — and there was no looking back.
The ’70s and ’80s brought more of the same, with five more No. 1s, and Ross threw in a Tony Award — for her one-woman show — and an Oscar nomination — for best actress in the Billie Holiday biopic “Lady Sings the Blues” — for good measure, cementing her superstardom.
Ross is one of the most sampled artists in rap, showing up on hundreds of tracks, most famously “Mo Money Mo Problems,” by The Notorious B.I.G., which rode a clip from Ross’ solo smash “I’m Coming Out” to the top of the charts.
The cultural impact of “I’m Coming Out” goes beyond one sample. It has also become an anthem for gay pride and made Ross an icon in the LGBT community.
ROSS ALSO built on the glamorous image she cultivated with The Supremes, setting the standard with daring gowns, often featuring plunging necklines, and hair big enough to eclipse the sun.
The dedication to fashion and her lasting stage presence earned Ross a reputation as the ultimate diva.
Ross lives up to that reputation to this day. At 71 she has not cut back on the extravagance of the costumes in her shows. Reviews have her in no fewer than five outfits each night.
But those same reviews say Ross delivers far more than sartorial sophistication. Indications are that the Supreme Diva brings the great vocals and energy you’d expect from an entertainment biz lifer.
“She’s still got it!” wrote R. Eric Thomas on PhillyMag.com [[http://www.PhillyMag.com) last June after her first Philadelphia show in a decade. “The 70-year-old’s voice was as clear and pure as on her recordings.”
This weekend, Hawaii audiences get to hear that voice, to experience that diva … live
http://cloud.honolulupulse.com/wp-content/themes/Pulse2013/images/tgif_printlogo.png http://cloud.honolulupulse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/12-T8-Diana-Ross1-630x401.jpg[[Associated Press)
BY SJARIF GOLDSTEIN / sgoldstein@staradvertiser.com
The price of paradise is not just about paying a little more [[OK, a lot more) for milk and gas and housing than people in the rest of the U.S.
For music fans, the price of paradise is also about the paucity of opportunities to see the world’s top performers.
DIANA ROSS
» Where: Blaisdell Arena
» When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
» Cost: $45-$225
» Info: [[866) 448-7849, www.ticketmaster.com [[http://www.ticketmaster.com)
Sure, many big acts have visited the islands over the past 20 years or so: Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones, Prince, Janet Jackson, U2, the Eagles, homegrown singers like Bruno Mars and Jack Johnson. But most residents of U.S. cities the size of Hono*lulu get the chance to see each of those stars over the course of a few years.
In Hawaii, music fans are lucky to get just one big concert event every two or three years.
Still, even as rare as big shows are here, most superstars with careers spanning decades make it to Hawaii at some point.
Most.
Diana Ross has somehow put together a 56-year career without ever performing in the islands.
That stretch ends Friday night, when the legendary diva who co-founded The Supremes makes her Hawaii debut at Blaisdell Arena. Three more shows follow over the weekend: Saturday night at the arena and Sunday and Monday nights at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.
WITH ROSS’ last U.S. No. 1 single coming in 1981 [[“Endless Love” with Lionel Richie, which spent nine weeks at the top and in 2011 was named by Billboard magazine the biggest duet ever), it can be easy to forget — or, for younger people, to never have known — how iconic a pop star Ross is.
To millennials, Ross might be the mother of sitcom star Tracee Ellis Ross [[“Girlfriends” and now “Black-ish”) and mother-in-law of singer Ashlee Simpson.
For children of the ‘90s, their most indelible memory of Ross might be her appearance on the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, in which she entered to see co-presenter Lil’ Kim wearing a revealing dress and decided to jiggle the rapper’s left boob. [[SO easy to find on YouTube.)
Fans who live and breathe ’80s music might remember her for “Endless Love,” which is still a staple at weddings and kara*oke nights, and a few hits into the middle of the decade.
Anyone older than that remembers her as one of the brightest superstars pop music has ever produced.
Ross sang lead on 18 No. 1 hits — 12 with The Supremes, five solo and the duet with Richie. No one has more, and only Elvis Pres*ley and Mariah Carey can match it.
DIANA BY THE NUMBERS
18 — No. 1 pop songs on which Diana Ross sang lead.
41 — Total weeks atop the pop charts for Ross combining those 18 songs.
3 — Major films Ross has starred in: “Lady Sings the Blues” [[which earned her an Oscar nomination); “Mahogany” [[which she sang the chart-topping title theme to); and “The Wiz” [[a “Wizard of Oz” adaptation in which she played Dorothy).
3 — Broadway productions Ross has a strong connection to: one she won a Tony for [[“An Evening with Diana Ross”) and two she partly inspired [[“Dreamgirls,” based on The Supremes, and “Motown: The Musical”).
And Carey knows her place. At “VH1 Divas 2000: A Tribute to Diana Ross,” Carey said, “The first time I realized what a superstar was when I was watching Diana Ross’ live Central Park concert [[in 1983) on TV with my mom when I was a little girl. … We all love Miss Ross because she’s glamorous, talented, unpredictable and strong.”
IN THE early ‘60s The Supremes were known as the No-Hit Supremes because the highest they charted with their first nine singles was No. 23. That changed suddenly in August 1964, when the title track off their album “Where Did Our Love Go” topped Billboard’s Hot 100 pop chart … and then “Baby Love” and “Come See About Me” followed it there, all in the space of five months.
The Supremes wound up with five straight No. 1s, and suddenly the Beatles were the only more prominent group on the charts.
As seminal an act as Liverpool’s Fab Four are in pop music history, The Supremes [[along with fellow Motown stars such as the Temptations and Marvin Gaye) were just as important in shaping the industry over the 50 years since.
The Supremes became the biggest “girl group” and have yet to be topped. Without them, who knows whether Destiny’s Child and TLC and even the Go-Go’s would ever have come to be? [[Girl groups aside, Ross also introduced the world to the Jackson 5, so if not for her, this world might never have known Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” and what kind of world would that be?)
Ross and bandmates Mary Wilson and Flo Ballard brought glamour to pop music, often donning matching gowns and even wigs for an image crafted by Motown president Berry Gordy Jr. and his “finishing” staff to appeal to both whites and blacks. It worked, as The Supremes were Motown’s biggest crossover act. In fact, they were arguably bigger with white listeners than with the black audience, as only seven of those 12 pop No. 1s reached such heights on the R&B chart.
In solidifying R&B’s place in pop music, The Supremes and their Motown colleagues paved the way for funk, disco, hip-hop and arguably even electronic dance music.
TO SAY The Supremes accomplished something is really to say Diana Ross accomplished it. Though Wilson and Ballard were capable singers, Ross sang lead on every single smash.
By 1967, after 10 No. 1 hits, Motown acknowledged what America already knew, changing the group’s name to Diana Ross & The Supremes.
In January 1970 the group performed together for the last time, at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, and Ross embarked on a solo career. By September, Ross had her first solo No. 1 — “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” — and there was no looking back.
The ’70s and ’80s brought more of the same, with five more No. 1s, and Ross threw in a Tony Award — for her one-woman show — and an Oscar nomination — for best actress in the Billie Holiday biopic “Lady Sings the Blues” — for good measure, cementing her superstardom.
Ross is one of the most sampled artists in rap, showing up on hundreds of tracks, most famously “Mo Money Mo Problems,” by The Notorious B.I.G., which rode a clip from Ross’ solo smash “I’m Coming Out” to the top of the charts.
The cultural impact of “I’m Coming Out” goes beyond one sample. It has also become an anthem for gay pride and made Ross an icon in the LGBT community.
ROSS ALSO built on the glamorous image she cultivated with The Supremes, setting the standard with daring gowns, often featuring plunging necklines, and hair big enough to eclipse the sun.
The dedication to fashion and her lasting stage presence earned Ross a reputation as the ultimate diva.
Ross lives up to that reputation to this day. At 71 she has not cut back on the extravagance of the costumes in her shows. Reviews have her in no fewer than five outfits each night.
But those same reviews say Ross delivers far more than sartorial sophistication. Indications are that the Supreme Diva brings the great vocals and energy you’d expect from an entertainment biz lifer.
“She’s still got it!” wrote R. Eric Thomas on PhillyMag.com [[http://www.PhillyMag.com) last June after her first Philadelphia show in a decade. “The 70-year-old’s voice was as clear and pure as on her recordings.”
This weekend, Hawaii audiences get to hear that voice, to experience that diva … live