warm fuzzy stories of the girls in public

[sup_fan]

ok - this is sort of feel-good post. I happened to be reading a memoir written by a former Pan Am flight attendant. and of course there's the chapter about celebrity run ins and stories. some had their names removed to protect the guilty! lol

there was a story about Diana that's a fun one to share

the flight was a Pan Am 747 from JFK to LAX and one of the last passengers to board was the Ruby Keeler, the former wife of Al Jolson. Ms Keeler was quite elderly and in a wheelchair and some halfwit at the airline had seated her in the upper deck of the 747. the flight was completely full and everyone was on board.

well almost everyone

the book states "i spotted a familiar silhouette sashaying down the air-bridge toward me. That slim, undulant figure and unique halo coiffure - should-length, shoulders-wide - could only belong to Diana Ross. in less than a moment, assessing my predicament, the Supreme Ms Ross resolved it, swapping her main deck seat for Ms Keeler's upstairs."

while it might not sound like a big deal, it would have also involved a swapping in class of service. First Class was in the nose of the 747. the upstairs at this point was not first class seating.

anyway, what other fun and nice stories have you heard over the years of our girls? we often get caught up in the problems but every one of the supremes could be a warm and loving person. any fan stories? read about articles where something similar happened?

[sup_fan]

adding one of mary's. she mentioned it in Sup Faith but i also read in a ton of magazines like Advocate and others of her true dedication to fans suffering from AIDS. especially those in the hospitals as they were dying. many of these men would have been fans from the 60s and 70s and she lovingly always tried to speak with them, hold their hands, etc. she might not have had the profile of Liz Taylor but she was a big champion for Aids causes and it's victims

[sansradio]

I remember a story about a fan at a taping of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson [the "Let's Go Up" appearance] telling Diana how much she admired the taupe, knee-length dress with a criss-cross-ruching effect on the bodice that she wore on the show. Diana asked for the fan's address, promising to mail it to her--and she did. Don't tell me our girl is heartless.

[this one]

[reese]

I remember reading that while riding in a cab, Diana noticed a homeless person on the street. After being dropped off, she gave the cab driver $20 and told him to take it back to the person. When the cab driver went back to the homeless person, he said something like "Hey, here's 20 bucks from Diana Ross." They replied "Yeah, sure" and turned away. So the driver kept it, as Diana told him to do.

Funk Brother Jack Ashford mentioned that while they were on the 1965 Tamla-Motown tour, he ran out of money. When he told Diana, she reached into her purse and pulled out a medal that had been given to her by a grandparent. She told him to get what he could for it. Jack was so grateful that he didn't even use it and supposedly still has it.

[Ollie9]

I can’t remember where I heard it, but apparently Diana was being driven to a press conference when she noticed a blind beggar by the side of the road.
She ordered the chauffeur to stop, climbed out of the limousine and placed her hands over the mans eyes.
He immediately gained his sight, dropping to his knees in wonderment and gratitude.
That’s a side of Diana we seldom here of.

[Boogiedown]

I remember reading that while riding in a cab, Diana noticed a homeless person on the street. After being dropped off, she gave the cab driver $20 and told him to take it back to the person. When the cab driver went back to the homeless person, he said something like "Hey, here's 20 bucks from Diana Ross." They replied "Yeah, sure" and turned away. So the driver kept it, as Diana told him to do.

Funk Brother Jack Ashford mentioned that while they were on the 1965 Tamla-Motown tour, he ran out of money. When he told Diana, she reached into her purse and pulled out a medal that had been given to her by a grandparent. She told him to get what he could for it. Jack was so grateful that he didn't even use it and supposedly still has it.

there was just one homeless person she noticed? what year was it 1972??

[TNSUN]

I was in college and I missed my "clubing" extravaganzas. I wrote to Ms. Ross that I enjoyed
her new album, "Overtime". I especially liked the song,"Paradise".I received a letter from her publicist which stated Ms. Ross' appreciates your joyful enthusiasm for her new record. I completed college and still love all the long play remixes of "Paradise"!

[TNSUN]

I once was in Atlantic City, NJ and viewed Diana Ross' sound check and rehearsal with the band. Amazed at her seamless transition from one song to another. Phenomenal vocal control. Her rapport with her musicians is always full spirited collaboration.

[Ollie9]

I was in college and I missed my "clubing" extravaganzas. I wrote to Ms. Ross that I enjoyed
her new album, "Overtime". I especially liked the song,"Paradise".I received a letter from her publicist which stated Ms. Ross' appreciates your joyful enthusiasm for her new record. I completed college and still love all the long play remixes of "Paradise"!

That’s a nice story Sunny. Those Shep Pettibone remixes are da bomb. One of her best albums to be sure....

[RanRan79]

I remember a story about a fan at a taping of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson [the "Let's Go Up" appearance] telling Diana how much she admired the taupe, knee-length dress with a criss-cross-ruching effect on the bodice that she wore on the show. Diana asked for the fan's address, promising to mail it to her--and she did. Don't tell me our girl is heartless.

[this one]

That's a fantastic story Sans!! Did you ever hear the rest of the story?

When the woman opened up the package and saw it was the dress Diana had worn she was not very happy. She held the dress up to herself in front of a mirror.

"How am I supposed to fit my 200 pound frame in this skinny woman's dress? I thought she would send me one in my size." She sniffs the dress. "I'll be damned! Heifer didn't even have the courtesy to have the thing drycleaned before she sent it! So I'm supposed to be walking around smelling like Diana Ross' underarm sweat and crotch juice? Hell no!"

A few years later, a woman was browsing at a garage sale and saw Diana's outfit, labeled as having once been worn by a famous singer who once sang with members of the Supremes, Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and others. Believing that woman was Marlene Barrow, the lady snatched it up for what she would later claim was a bargain.

When she walked out onto the platform for her debut show at the grand opening of a Showbiz Pizza in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Chantel Baker knocked the crowd dead in that very same dress once worn by Diana Ross.

[RanRan79]

There are the stories about Florence tossing money down at fans and buying young fans food and drinks for waiting in the cold for a glimpse of the group.

[reese]

Another nice story was told by Mabel John.

When her brother Little Willie John passed, Diana was the first person to offer her condolences. She and Berry took care of the funeral arrangements. On the morning of the funeral, she helped Mabel get dressed.

Later, Diana and Berry took Mabel back to Gordy Manor to swim and help her unwind and temporarily forget the sad events of the day.

[sansradio]

That's a fantastic story Sans!! Did you ever hear the rest of the story?

When the woman opened up the package and saw it was the dress Diana had worn she was not very happy. She held the dress up to herself in front of a mirror.

"How am I supposed to fit my 200 pound frame in this skinny woman's dress? I thought she would send me one in my size." She sniffs the dress. "I'll be damned! Heifer didn't even have the courtesy to have the thing drycleaned before she sent it! So I'm supposed to be walking around smelling like Diana Ross' underarm sweat and crotch juice? Hell no!"

A few years later, a woman was browsing at a garage sale and saw Diana's outfit, labeled as having once been worn by a famous singer who once sang with members of the Supremes, Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and others. Believing that woman was Marlene Barrow, the lady snatched it up for what she would later claim was a bargain.

When she walked out onto the platform for her debut show at the grand opening of a Showbiz Pizza in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Chantel Baker knocked the crowd dead in that very same dress once worn by Diana Ross.

I can't. ROTFL!!!

Ironically enough, and in all seriousness, Aretha had the same dress in black. I shit you not. Or, as one of my dad's colleagues shaded another who had the same dress on at his retirement party, "Remember, Lois: Same dress...different size."

[reese]

I can't. ROTFL!!!

Ironically enough, and in all seriousness, Aretha had the same dress in black. I shit you not. Or, as one of my dad's colleagues shaded another who had the same dress on at his retirement party, "Remember, Lois: Same dress...different size."

Actually, I vaguely recall Aretha in such a dress. Somewhere around the GET IT RIGHT era.

[sansradio]

Actually, I vaguely recall Aretha in such a dress. Somewhere around the GET IT RIGHT era.

I remember seeing Ree in the dress in Right On!, Rock & Soul or some such with a caption that read something like "Aretha Franklin's jumpin' to the beat of a brand new song written and produced by Luther Vandross." Ring a bell?

[reese]

I remember seeing Ree in the dress in Right On!, Rock & Soul or some such with a caption that read something like "Aretha Franklin's jumpin' to the beat of a brand new song written and produced by Luther Vandross." Ring a bell?

I don't remember the source but I remember the photo.