Diana Ross Voted Best Dressed

[supremester]

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[Methuselah2]

Ain't it the truth--even as a youngster. Fun posting, Supremester. Thanks.

[jobeterob]

Diana even then!

I wonder who named her Diane?

[motownlover1964]

Jobeterob...

When I first bought The Supremes at the Copa in 1965 Diana introduced herself as Diane Ross. I did a double-take, listened again as I was confused as I only knew her as Diana.

Also, I had read [[but can't recall) that "intimates called her Diane" as well.

I don't think your comment about the "whiners and unsuccessful renamed her Diane" was necessary.

[jobeterob]

Jobeterob...

When I first bought The Supremes at the Copa in 1965 Diana introduced herself as Diane Ross. I did a double-take, listened again as I was confused as I only knew her as Diana.

Also, I had read [[but can't recall) that "intimates called her Diane" as well.

I don't think your comment about the "whiners and unsuccessful renamed her Diane" was necessary.

Fixed! I made it nicer.

Her name has always been a mystery to the fans that bother with it.

[arr&bee]

I think that diana was always fashion concious and had she not been a singer more than likely would've been in the fashion world.

[BigAl]

Jobeterob...
When I first bought The Supremes at the Copa in 1965 Diana introduced herself as Diane Ross. I did a double-take, listened again as I was confused as I only knew her as Diana.

Also, I had read [[but can't recall) that "intimates called her Diane" as well.

That's been gone over a thousand times. The official story is that her parents named her Diane. A clerical error caused it to be misspelled as "Diana" on the birth certificate and that was just never changed, its being such a minor deal.

No one ever called her anything but Diane, even though, legally, she was always Diana. Thus, that was how her name usually appeared in print, as here in the Cass Tech yearbook, and in the liner notes of albums as early as the first one [[Meet the Supremes).

When she introduced herself at The Copa, it's my guess that she was probably just so used to being called Diane that it just rolled off her tongue, from habit.

I suspect she always intended to use "Diana" professionally, since it has a more formal and star-like sound. In her place I would have done exactly the same. [[To me, however, she'll always be Diane.)

[stingbeelee]

OK, about the name thing, this is what I remember my Grandmother telling my Mother and I overheard it. My Grandmother was visiting the Ross's and she accidentally called Diana "Diana" and Mrs. Ross corrected her and said "oh no, its Diane to you". My Grandmother had called her "Diane" ever since she was a baby. My family knew the Ross family very well; I went over there once or twice, but to me they were two older people my parents and grandparents knew and so, with no toys there, I really didn't want to go over there to visit. My grandmother and Fred Ross are from the same town and all of the African-Americans there knew each other very well. They all went to the same segregated elementary/middle school.

[sansradio]

OK, about the name thing, this is what I remember my Grandmother telling my Mother and I overheard it. My Grandmother was visiting the Ross's and she accidentally called Diana "Diana" and Mrs. Ross corrected her and said "oh no, its Diane to you". My Grandmother had called her "Diane" ever since she was a baby. My family knew the Ross family very well; I went over there once or twice, but to me they were two older people my parents and grandparents knew and so, with no toys there, I really didn't want to go over there to visit. My grandmother and Fred Ross are from the same town and all of the African-Americans there knew each other very well. They all went to the same segregated elementary/middle school.

Ahh! Bluefield, WV, no?

[stingbeelee]

No, sansradio. Rogersville, Tennessee. Mr. Ross may have been born in Bluefield, WV., I'm not sure about that.

[sansradio]

No, sansradio. Rogersville, Tennessee. Mr. Ross may have been born in Bluefield, WV., I'm not sure about that.

Oh, I see. I believe that Taraborrelli 's first Ross bio cites Bluefield as his birthplace. I didn't realize he was reared in TN. Nice to hear about your family's connection to them. My parents' rural hometown in GA has the same kind of interconnected African-American community, so I can totally relate!

[jobeterob]

OK, about the name thing, this is what I remember my Grandmother telling my Mother and I overheard it. My Grandmother was visiting the Ross's and she accidentally called Diana "Diana" and Mrs. Ross corrected her and said "oh no, its Diane to you". My Grandmother had called her "Diane" ever since she was a baby. My family knew the Ross family very well; I went over there once or twice, but to me they were two older people my parents and grandparents knew and so, with no toys there, I really didn't want to go over there to visit. My grandmother and Fred Ross are from the same town and all of the African-Americans there knew each other very well. They all went to the same segregated elementary/middle school.

Love your story

[stingbeelee]

sansradio; I did not know Fred Ross possibly could have been from Bluefield, WV. That may explain why George and Beatrice Cope helped raise him in Rogersville. He identified Rogersville as his hometown. Interesting fact: His elementary school, Price Public in Rogersville, TN, is still standing and is on the National Register of historic sites. It was first a one room log cabin where the African-Americans of the town could get an education; the older people of Rogersville remember the one room frame building with a wood burning furnace in the middle.
Thanks, jobeterob for the compliment. If only I knew that the Ross's were Diane's parents when my Mother and Grandmother visited...

[sansradio]

sansradio; I did not know Fred Ross possibly could have been from Bluefield, WV. That may explain why George and Beatrice Cope helped raise him in Rogersville. He identified Rogersville as his hometown. Interesting fact: His elementary school, Price Public in Rogersville, TN, is still standing and is on the National Register of historic sites. It was first a one room log cabin where the African-Americans of the town could get an education; the older people of Rogersville remember the one room frame building with a wood burning furnace in the middle.
Thanks, jobeterob for the compliment. If only I knew that the Ross's were Diane's parents when my Mother and Grandmother visited...

Wow, my grandmother taught in a school like that in the early part of the last century. It was called Baxley Training School. I'm sure it no longer stands.