[REMOVE ADS]




Results 1 to 37 of 37
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    21,796
    Rep Power
    460

    Interesting Article on Diana Ross and Arthur T Boy Ross's Life, Passing and Funeral

    DIANA ROSS didn't attend the funeral of her brother Arthur, murdered in a drugs-related robbery in a run-down district of Detroit.

    Instead, she sent her 24-year-old daughter Tracey Joy to read a poignant message to the gathering of 150 people at the Greater Grace Temple at the family's home city ofDetroit, Michigan.

    In it, the 52-year-old multi-millionairess, one of the last of the great pop superstars, wrote of her `utter devastation' and `my broken heart'. She is said to be consumed with guilt and grief.

    But Diana's letter could not properly explain the depth of feeling between brother and sister, blacks from the poor side of town who came to lead such extraordinarily different lives.

    While she had a glorious 35-year career and amassed a [pounds sterling]50 million fortune, had worldwide fame and 150 hit records, he was a songwriter who became bitter and angry when he never quite made it, turning instead to drink and drugs. At times he was insanely jealous of her success . . . and she had dreaded his premature death all her adult life.

    Ten days ago his body was found bound and gagged alongside that of his wife Patricia in a rented apartment in downtown Detroit, apparent victims of a drug-related robbery which turned into murder.

    Diana, the loving big sister who had tried in vain for years to help him conquer his self-destructive streak, was doubly horrified when she learned that Arthur's body had lain undiscovered for three weeks and was badly decomposed. She had loved him `very, very much', she said in the message read by Tracey.

    `Why?' was her first heart-rending question. `It is so hard to understand. Why did you make the choices that you made in your life?

    `It breaks my heart that someone like you, with so much life to live, should be taken like this. I cannot blame you for your imperfections. You were such a beautiful boy, a beautiful smile and beautiful eyes. Such spirit and yet so mischievous.'

    And while Diana, on a Japanese tour, sat in her plush Tokyo hotel room and composed the line which blamed the tragedy on the `drug-infested world of today', it might also have crossed her mind that the reasons for his death at 47 could have been closer to home.

    Friends say Diana is torturing herself with guilt over her brother's ugly life. A close relative said: `She is trying to cope for the rest of the family but she is finding it extremely difficult. She is haunted still by the death of Flo Ballard [[the Supremes star who died of drink and drugs). Arthur's death has put Diana in a state of shock. She was devoted to him.'

    WHILE Diana went to great lengths to

    provide him with an opening to stardom, their relationship was one based on contradictions since her every public achievement cut him to the quick.

    He never really forgave her, for example, for leaving Detroit, since her departure became a catalyst for the legendary Tamla Motown records moving out of the city. For struggling black songwriters in Detroit, Tamla had been their way out of poverty.

    Arthur clearly blamed Diana, now married to Norwegian shipping magnate Arnie Naess. And yet Diana had a similar start in life to Arthur.

    They were both born into poverty, along with four other brothers and sister, on the infamous Brewster housing estate on the east side of the city.

    And while Diana knows she was the one with the strength of character to fight her way out, she is also painfully aware that she had a massively lucky break at the age of 16 with Motown and The Supremes, the group which gave her hits such as Where Did Our Love Go? and Baby Love and led to a film career with her portrayal of Billie Holliday in Lady Sings The Blues.

    The great irony was that, like her, Arthur had talent, though clearly not the same drive and energy.

    He wrote Marvin Gaye's hit I Want You along with songs for Michael Jackson, The Miracles and even Madonna. But it was never enough. His own solo record with Motown flopped 20 years ago, selling only 12,000 copies because he released it under a nickname rather than the Ross surname, which would have linked him with Diana.

    `He could never measure up,' says Ajene Smith, a close friend of Arthur's since his schooldays. `You don't realise how he made himself suffer. He was playing out the role of the black sheep of the family and he played it out to the end. Maybe that is the only way he knew to get away from his sister's shadow.'

    The jealousy began privately in childhood in the scrublands of Detroit, where he used to hang out with his gang and was nicknamed T-Bone after his love of steak, a name which became T-Boy as a spiteful joke. He was also known from the age of 11 as brother of `one of The Supremes' and he grew to loathe it.

    BUT in public, in the early days at least, he and

    his family were content to wallow in the glow of Diana's phenomenal success.

    And as a big sister, she was always generous towards him.

    Arthur told a friend, lawyer John Mackay, that Diana would line up her brothers and sisters and other relatives backstage after a concert and hand them all white envelopes containing money. And by the time Arthur was a teenager, the Rosses had moved to the tree-lined Russell Woods neighbourhood. It was Diana's money that financed Arthur's school and university education.

    As a 20-year-old student he was involved in a fracas with a policeman in Alabama, which ended with the officer firing a shot that whistled inches past Arthur's face. A high-powered lawyer, paid for by Diana, managed to get the charges dropped.

    There was a short stint as a high school teacher, and then it was Diana again who opened doors at Motown to get Arthur his own recording contract.

    It was a path that was to lead Arthur to his downfall.

    He thought he wasn't getting the respect he deserved from his peers. He began feuding with Diana. He accused Marvin Gaye of stealing his music. Then he fell out with Motown and Diana sided with her record label against her brother. His friend Ajene said: `He loved to play the big man, telling strangers, `You don't know who I am.' But then Arthur would as easily bore friends with the complaint, `Nobody does actually know who I am. To everyone, I am just Diana Ross's brother'.'

    In the end, after Diana had `given up' on her brother, his absence was obviously still a loss to her. At the lavish family dinners laid on by the star at her multi-million pound Connecticut mansion, Arthur was always absent.

    He seems to have had one last hope - for a while it appeared to Diana and the rest of the family that Arthur's second wife, Patricia, 54, whom he married 10 months ago in Las Vegas, could halt the tailspin. She was very different from the younger women he usually dallied with.

    THE day after his body was found, Arthur had been

    due in court on drug and gun charges. Detectives had picked him up in his car with bags of heroin, cocaine and marijuana and a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. Arthur told officers he was intending to trade the drugs for sex at a party.

    He was also in town to pick up a royalty cheque. One theory is that the couple were robbed of the royalties and then choked to death by the thieves.

    No one knows what they were doing in the house in the rundown Oak Park district where they were found, and nobody reported them missing.

    The tenants who rented the dilapidated home, Ricky Brooks, 44, who has a criminal record for armed robbery, theft and burglary, and Regina Smith, 36, are both still being hunted by police.

    Now full of grief, Diana has personally called the incident room to check on the progress of the inquiry. She has hired O. J. Simpson's lawyer Robert Shapiro to liaise with the murder squad and now the family has put up a [pounds sterling]20,000 reward for information about his death.

    She had earlier warned her family she was afraid her appearance would turn last Monday's ceremony into a media circus. Arthur would still have been in her shadow at his own funeral.

    And that, she knew, would posthumously inflict a cruel irony on the brother who lived his life in a self-destructive jealous rage over her enormous success. `I couldn't do that to little T-Bone, could I,' she told them.

  2. #2
    miss_lish Guest
    Well, maybe now she can be let off the hook for not attending MJs services.

    Which rag did you find this article in Rob?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    717
    Rep Power
    174
    Fascinating article. Thanks for posting. Miss_lish, anyone with any understanding of grief would understand perfectly why Diana, being who she is, did not attend M Jackson's funeral. How very big of you to let Diana 'off the hook'. I'm sure she will be very grateful to you.

  4. #4
    smark21 Guest
    There are still plenty of other funerals Miss Ross should have attended. Does anyone have a list of funerals she should have been at?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    3,599
    Rep Power
    202
    No, but the writer took a lot of liberty with the relationship between Diana and her brother. Does sound like it came out
    of a rag mag.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    1,358
    Rep Power
    181
    I'm sure Diana loved her brother,Such a sad story,No matter who it is.
    Please stay positive

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    21,796
    Rep Power
    460
    I dont know where the article came from; I may have seen a reference to Tampa or Tampa Bay. In the response below, you'll see I picked the article up off another forum.

    I did not get any feeling it was at all disrespectful which is probably why Miss Lish used the term "let off the hook", which I also did not find disrespectful.

    Here is a response to the article from someone else, someone who was there; I gather this person found the article disrespectful:

    I don't know who wrote...or from what source this article came --> but, i will
    tell you that i had the good fortune
    to know Arthur "T-Boy" Ross...and was invited into his home and personally told
    HIS STORY...up to that particular
    point in his life [[1983 - 1985)
    He graciously introduced me to his equally gracious & beautiful sister,
    Diana...backstage @ the Universal Amphitheatre
    on the closing night of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles...a very magical
    evening in many ways

    i haven't shared these facts with many...tho' i've been on these boards almost
    15 years
    but, i will say this...NONE OF THE BELOW was ever evident in the time that i
    knew him...and whatever smidgent
    of truth there may be as to his attitude towards Diana's success...is
    GROTESQUELY OVERBLOWN in what is written here

    i knew him as beautiful a man INSIDE...as well as out. period.
    and thankfully...i believe Diana is treating his oldest child, Micah...who was
    born during the time i knew him
    much like her own children --> he has his father's stunning looks and was
    present at Diana's Inside The Actors Studio tribute

  8. #8
    iconicpuff Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by smark21 View Post
    There are still plenty of other funerals Miss Ross should have attended. Does anyone have a list of funerals she should have been at?
    If Miss Ross is in attendance then it doesn't matter who the corpse is. They are just an insignificant cadaver!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    3,599
    Rep Power
    202
    Oh, I have no doubt she and her brother were very close as she is with all her siblings. I also do not believe he was
    jealous at all of her success; he was very happy for it. After all, she is said to have given generously to all her
    siblings including college educations. Again, this is an old story from what sounds like a rag mag.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    10,018
    Rep Power
    314
    I always thought Diana and her family was close. Some people just don't attend funerals.

  11. #11
    miss_lish Guest
    She attended Florence's.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    3,599
    Rep Power
    202
    Yes, and look how she was treated.

  13. #13
    olamaebarto Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by iconicpuff View Post
    If Miss Ross is in attendance then it doesn't matter who the corpse is. They are just an insignificant cadaver!
    I need to change my drawers after that one. I hate getting old.

  14. #14
    olamaebarto Guest
    Arthur told a friend, lawyer John Mackay, that Diana would line up her brothers and sisters and other relatives backstage after a concert and hand them all white envelopes containing money.
    This was probably when she was very young. Now she probably gives them checks and stops payment on them just for fun!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    21,796
    Rep Power
    460
    Good posts Randy.

    Sadly, Iconicpuff is correct; if Diana Ross attends a funeral, the deceased becomes insignificant which is why she is seen at a private funeral [[Richard Pryor) but not at public funerals that are a spectacle.

    Some funerals need to be public spectacles I suppose although, many of Michael Jackson's close friends like Elizabeth Taylor and Quincy Jones did not feel he would have approved of the spectacle. Perhaps the big issue is that the estate would have made less money because the spectacle of the funeral sends the media into a tizzy and begins the generation of CASH.

  16. #16
    uptight Guest
    The article also sounds British with its reference to monetary "pounds." Either American expressions got lost in the translation or, like the response on the original site suggested, were intentionally overblown to sell a tabloid-type magazine. I'd say a little of both.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    43,221
    Rep Power
    600
    Good article. Thanks!

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    10,018
    Rep Power
    314
    Quote Originally Posted by jobeterob View Post
    Good posts Randy.

    Sadly, Iconicpuff is correct; if Diana Ross attends a funeral, the deceased becomes insignificant which is why she is seen at a private funeral [[Richard Pryor) but not at public funerals that are a spectacle.

    Some funerals need to be public spectacles I suppose although, many of Michael Jackson's close friends like Elizabeth Taylor and Quincy Jones did not feel he would have approved of the spectacle. Perhaps the big issue is that the estate would have made less money because the spectacle of the funeral sends the media into a tizzy and begins the generation of CASH.
    I got angry when they did that [[same with James Brown), it's like they were making big spectacles for entertainers that were just hard-working folks at the end of the day. I don't blame Diana for not attending either.

  19. #19
    topdiva1 Guest
    Diana Ross has endured great tragedy. Be respectful of what likely remains a sad haunting time, in any one's life.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    43,221
    Rep Power
    600
    "the infamous Brewster housing estate " I have never, ever heard the Brewster-Douglas Projects referred to in that manner before. LOL!

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    21,796
    Rep Power
    460
    It often seems like the real friends of a deceased stay away from the big spectacles.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    450
    Rep Power
    166
    This made me cry.

  23. #23
    uptight Guest
    Oh, yeah, Marv. That was another red flag... "the infamous Brewster housing estate." Haha! In England, an estate is a housing or commercial development. It's weird having an American story handed back to us using these terms. But to have it sensationalized on top of that: "...she is also painfully aware that she had a massively lucky break at the age of 16 with Motown." Come on, now.

    Then they mention artists T-Boy wrote for. "I Want You" was not written for Madonna even though she recorded it. I'm not trying to discredit him, but I think the article is just dropping names at this point.

    This unfortunate death occurred more than 16 years ago. The writer seems to have done research, interviewing a couple of people close to the Ross family [[Who can dispute what those interviewees said?). But while I was intrigued by the article, it is strange having it brought up again now, with new information, sensationalized in this manner. The story is much too sad and horrific.
    Last edited by uptight; 12-22-2010 at 09:37 AM.

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    43,221
    Rep Power
    600
    Quote Originally Posted by uptight View Post
    Oh, yeah, Marv. That was another red flag... "the infamous Brewster housing estate." Haha! In England, a public housing project is a housing or commercial development. It's weird having an American story handed back to us using these terms. But to have it sensationalized on top of that: "...she is also painfully aware that she had a massively lucky break at the age of 16 with Motown." Come on, now.

    Then they mention artists T-Boy wrote for. "I Want You" was not written for Madonna even though she recorded it. I'm not trying to discredit him, but I think the article is just dropping names at this point.

    This unfortunate death occurred more than 16 years ago. The writer seems to have done research, interviewing a couple of people close to the Ross family [[Who can dispute what those interviewees said?). But while I was intrigued by the article, it is strange having it brought up again now, with new information, sensationalized in this manner. The story is much too sad and horrific.
    Uptight, not only that, but the writer wrote some strange inaccuracies such as Oak Park being a rundown part of Downtown Detroit. Oak Park is North West of Downtown Detroit bordering Southfield. At least 10 miles North of Downtown Detroit. It is not even a part of the city of Detroit and it had never been considered rundown. In fact, it is a decent middle class area.

    Also, their bodies were found in a HOUSE, not an apartment. I also wondered how could the writer do this story without even mentioning Remel Howard one of the killers? Remel and T Boy use to be buddies. Also, the victims were suffocated, not stranged......there is a difference. Without going too much into the grisly, gruesome details, he neglected to mention that the conditions of the bodies were so poor that the police were not readily sure that they were T Boy and his wife.

    Another thing I found odd about the story is that the writer claims that Diane did not want to attend the funeral of her brother because it would draw attention away from him, but states that she was on tour in Japan at the time.

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    4,000
    Rep Power
    262
    I can remember the final outcome of the trail but I remember Ricky Brooks and Remel Howard being charged and Rita Ross attending the hearing. Police stated that it was drug related and I am sure the Ross family took this very hard. Diana is no different from how some others deal with death and funerals. Personally, I like to remember my loved ones as they were when they were alive.

  26. #26
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    147
    Rep Power
    150
    Quote Originally Posted by uptight View Post
    Oh, yeah, Marv. That was another red flag... "the infamous Brewster housing estate." Haha! In England, an estate is a housing or commercial development. It's weird having an American story handed back to us using these terms. But to have it sensationalized on top of that: "...she is also painfully aware that she had a massively lucky break at the age of 16 with Motown." Come on, now.
    And what about the full sentence: "They were both born into poverty, along with four other brothers and sister, on the infamous Brewster housing estate on the east side of the city." For sensationalism, the word "poverty" has to be written in a an article of that kind.

  27. #27
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    722
    Rep Power
    174

    Just when I thought it was . . .

    safe to come back to the Forum along comes this old garbage. T Boy passed away in 1996.

    Can we move on people and talk about the music. These kind of posts are just tired.

  28. #28
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    6,831
    Rep Power
    392
    This was originally posted 12-19-10.

    Don't have much to add if only T-Boy must have been estranged from the family if no one knew he was dead for three weeks. I don't see my own sister very often, but we talk or text at least once a week.

    A sad end to a life.

  29. #29
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    507
    Rep Power
    163
    No matter how T-Boy Ross' life ended, the fact remains that "I Want You" is one of those classic songs that is impossible to mess up because of the deep emotion inherent in the lyrics. I've never been a big Madonna fan, but even she sounds good singing this. I had always hoped against all possible odds that Diana Ross would record this song, and was greatly surprised when her version appeared on the "I Love You" CD. It's not easy covering a song that Marvin Gaye made his own, but Diana's version is stunning and must as memorable.

  30. #30
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    21,796
    Rep Power
    460
    I hope T Boy's family, if there are descendants, make a few dollars off of I Want You.

  31. #31
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    10,018
    Rep Power
    314
    Doesn't T Boy have children? I'm sure they probably get residuals from their father's estate - if he has children. RIP

  32. #32
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    13,337
    Rep Power
    100
    This is an old thread. I received an email From someone who claims we have it wrong. She was rather disrespectful and seemed to accuse me of writing the piece. In the spirit of fairness to Brandy I'll post her email and see where the discussion leads.

    While I will agree that the article is interesting. It is highly inaccurate. Arthur T Boy Ross was my brother in law and Patricia Ann Robinson was my sister. Your article states many inaccuracies. One that jumped off the page at me is that you claimed to have had conversations with the family. I seriously doubt that you have ever spoken to anyone from the Ross family and I know for a fact that you have never spoken to anyone in my family. I was just curious to where you got your information from to write this article. This has been a tragedy that has hunted both of families for many years. And to see it in print with false statements and accusations is heartbreaking. Perhaps if you had ever bothered to honestly speak to the Ross Family or Patricia Ann Robinson's family [[my family), you would not have written such a misleading and inaccurate article about my sister and my brother in law.




    And then, for me not to be able to respond to your article is highly suspect to me.




    Sincerely,

    Brandy Sanders

  33. #33
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    43,221
    Rep Power
    600
    Quote Originally Posted by ralpht View Post
    This is an old thread. I received an email From someone who claims we have it wrong. She was rather disrespectful and seemed to accuse me of writing the piece. In the spirit of fairness to Brandy I'll post her email and see where the discussion leads.

    While I will agree that the article is interesting. It is highly inaccurate. Arthur T Boy Ross was my brother in law and Patricia Ann Robinson was my sister. Your article states many inaccuracies. One that jumped off the page at me is that you claimed to have had conversations with the family. I seriously doubt that you have ever spoken to anyone from the Ross family and I know for a fact that you have never spoken to anyone in my family. I was just curious to where you got your information from to write this article. This has been a tragedy that has hunted both of families for many years. And to see it in print with false statements and accusations is heartbreaking. Perhaps if you had ever bothered to honestly speak to the Ross Family or Patricia Ann Robinson's family [[my family), you would not have written such a misleading and inaccurate article about my sister and my brother in law.




    And then, for me not to be able to respond to your article is highly suspect to me.




    Sincerely,

    Brandy Sanders
    Why is this thread being dug back up?

  34. #34
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    13,337
    Rep Power
    100
    Beats me Marv. I received the email last night. I had no idea the thread was as old as it is. Got into a little back and forth with the sender because I thought she was somewhat rude and didn't seem to get that I didn't write the piece. So, in all fairness, I thought I would post her mail and let the forum comment on it. I did point out to her that I had no idea who she was regarding any authenticity to the email.

  35. #35
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    43,221
    Rep Power
    600
    Quote Originally Posted by ralpht View Post
    Beats me Marv. I received the email last night. I had no idea the thread was as old as it is. Got into a little back and forth with the sender because I thought she was somewhat rude and didn't seem to get that I didn't write the piece. So, in all fairness, I thought I would post her mail and let the forum comment on it. I did point out to her that I had no idea who she was regarding any authenticity to the email.

    Ralph didn't write this article and the person that brought it back up does not make any sense in that this "news" story is over 20 years old!

    In my comments from over 6 years ago here I pointed out the inaccuracies with the writers version of what and where things happened.
    Last edited by marv2; 07-13-2016 at 08:45 PM.

  36. #36
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    13,337
    Rep Power
    100
    Well I'll give it a day or two and then kill the thread. This whole deal was a little strange, but in the interest of forum openness I decided to give it a shot. Truth is the major focal point of Soulful Detroit. Still, this one is a little off kilter.

  37. #37
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    43,221
    Rep Power
    600
    I would just kill it and let T-Boy whatever rest in peace.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

[REMOVE ADS]

Ralph Terrana
MODERATOR

Welcome to Soulful Detroit! Kindly Consider Turning Off Your Ad BlockingX
Soulful Detroit is a free service that relies on revenue from ad display [regrettably] and donations. We notice that you are using an ad-blocking program that prevents us from earning revenue during your visit.
Ads are REMOVED for Members who donate to Soulful Detroit. [You must be logged in for ads to disappear]
DONATE HERE »
And have Ads removed.