Diane Ross, born as Diane Earl on March 26, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan, became the American pop star and international superstar. Her career started in 1959 when she joined a neighborhood group called the Primettes. The girl group changed their name to the Supremes when they signed a bigger-than-ever contract at Motown Records by the end of next year. Compiled by Ross, Mary Wilson, and then replaced by Florence Ballard in 1967 by Cindy Birdsong, the Supremes won 12 number one hits and pop charts, including "Baby Love" (1964), "Stop! In The Name Of Love" (1965), and "Our Day Together" (1969).
In 1967 the group was renamed Diana Ross and The Supremes, foreshadowing Ross's solo career, which she launched in 1970. She also had a film career starting in the 1970s, beginning with the role of blues singer Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues (1972) and continuing with Mahogany (1975), for which she wrote the hit "Do You Know Where You're Going To" and The Wiz (1978).
After major successes leading to the mid-1980s, Ross saw her popularity decline. Much of her work has changed dramatically from pop and R&B to disco, and many of her albums have been re-released or re-recorded music she made in the past. However, in 2006 she released I Love You, a collection of her own interpretations of love songs by various musicians, and the following year she embarked on a vigorous concert tour to promote the album.
Despite not being on the charts, Diana Ross is still a very popular entertainer in the early 21st century, her star status made her one of the most sought after musicians in the world. Through The Supremes, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Ross received a Grammy Award for his achievements in 2012 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.