Diana Ross Project Celebrates Birthday and Lady Sings the Blues

[jobeterob]

https://dianarossproject.wordpress.com/

[PeaceNHarmony]

Thanks for the update; I love the Diana Ross Project site -

[captainjames]

Yes, Lady Sings The Blues was always a Bitter Sweet time for me. Diana was above and beyond in her performance of Lady Day. I could not stop learning more and more about Billie Holiday after Diana portrayed her in LSTB. The Academy proved we still had problems.

[Mark Desjardines]

For those member who are not aware of my previous posts re Diana Ross and her vocal tribute to Billie Holiday, I can't state this enough times. As a 20 year old when the film plan was announced back in 1971, Billie's music was unknown to me. Being at college in Edmonton, Canada, I did find a Greatest Hits Collection on Columbia Records and an obscure jazz label, but that was difficult. A pal who was a DJ at CKUA a public radio station would invite me over on Saturday afternoons and I had to "suffer" through a Miles Davis album or two, and then his station librarian wife would pull out a Billie album I would never have heard of otherwise. Good thing I had that "jazz" education, but I began to eventually "get" jazz went on to discover John Coltrane, etc. Diana Ross opened her fans ears to the magic of Billie Holiday and after the film and soundtrack success, Billie got her time in the sun a second time. Too bad she had been dead for 13 years when she hit the charts again. But I believe Lady Day's spirit is smiling down at the magic her music still evokes.

[sansradio]

Beautifully put, Mark. As I've stated before here as well, Diana's work in LSTB was also my window into jazz at 9 years old. This project started a lifelong love affair with jazz for me, and for that, I'm eternally grateful.