Diana Ross, The 1960s, and Beyond: A Study of a Fashion and Music Icon

This report provides an in-depth exploration of Diana Ross's career and cultural impact, particularly during the 1960s. It begins by setting the historical context of the 1960s, highlighting significant societal, political, and cultural shifts, including the rise of youth culture, fashion trends like the mini...Read More

Fashion Icon and Muses

Table of Contents
The 1960's Decade...........................................................................................................................3
About Diana Ross............................................................................................................................4
Struggles......................................................................................................................................5
Relationships and Family............................................................................................................5
Awards........................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

The 1960's Decade
The 1960's Decade was chosen as it is known for the Change in politics, society, music
and revolution around the world. It was the decade of protest against the unfair treatment of
races, a civil right moment was held to protest for Black and White. By the sixties, Britain
emerge the first teenage generation free from conscription, the young people can raise their voice
and have freedom to do whatever they want. During the mid 1960's swinging sixties were driven
and it was associated with cultural revolution that took place in UK. In this period there was a
growth in popular music, arts, fashion and Cinema. It was the period that brings recovery for
Britishers as they have faced pain and struggle during Second World War. They were in post war
boom period and there was a low unemployment at that time. The Goods and services demand
was very high due to their various manufacturing industries. In Swinging sixties, Queen
magazine display Photography and Fashion which give attention to one of the famous Fashion
Designer Mary Quant because of getting Mini skirt popular. The mini skirt was designed for the
women to become free and get liberty by allowing them to easily run and Jump without any fear
of Society. Women's are free to wear anything whatever they like, in late sixties the fashion was
of psychedelic prints and Vibrant colours clothes. The Jean Shrimpton was a model and the face
of 1960's, she was considered as the symbol of Swinging London. In 1960's Jaguar E- type sports
car was the British Icon. This era consist popular musicians such as The Beatles, The Kinks, The
rolling stones and many other artists. In 1960's a technological progress was held The World's
only supersonic commercial airliner was developed by a joint venture between Britain and
France (Whittington et. al., 2017). The technological advancement has changed people behaviour
towards spending their leisure time as they utilise free time in watching and listening Colour
Television and pocket radio transistor. In the End of decade an impossible thing was happened
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin was the first men who were landed on the moon in 1969. The
Economic Growth of UK translated into raising living standards of people they are able to
purchase white goods and cars. A new market was emerging teenagers have enough income to
spend on fashion and pop up music. In 1960s the British Policy was shared between
Conservative Government and Labour Government, the three prime ministers were elected in
that period. In sixties women's are getting more jobs, they have a right to move away from home
and become Independent. For women Contraceptive pills become legalised this gives an
opportunity to think beyond marriage and motherhood. In 1970 Equal pay Act was passed in

which women and men get equal pay on the basis of their job profile. Barbara Castle was the
First women who was appointed as first secretary of State and from this step women's find a
voice in society and find to know that they can also run the Country.
About Diana Ross
In this project Diana Ross was chosen because of her inspirational Journey which shows a
different perspective of living life and she had claim a Career around six decades. Diana is one of
the Famous American Singer and Actress born on March 26, 1944 and raised in Detroit,
Michigan. She is a lead pop singer and musical legend of popular 1960's (Reinhard, 2017). Her
Father name is Fred and Mother name is Ernestine Ross, she was the second Child out of six
Children and raised in Brewster-Douglass which was a low income housing facility. Her
neighbour was very helpful he is the only one who introduce Diana to Berry Gordy's Motown
and she decided to be the part of The Primettes. When ross get graduated from High school The
Primettes signed with Motown (Sklar, Barrow and Leone, 2020). Furhter the name was changed
to The Supremes, the group was not getting immediate success. The Motowns and other
producers call group as No Hit Supremes because of their lack in commercial success. Diana was
of Baptist religious, she sing in a church and gained music experience from there only
(Kooijman, 2017). Diana Ross has started her singing career with joining several neighbourhood
friends as teenager the group members were Mary Wilson, Barbara Martin and Florence Ballard.
The Martin has left the group but the other members becomes internationally successfully by
their performance in pop music. Group was famous with name The Supremes but later name was
changed Diana Ross and the Supremes. The trio gives hits like You Can't Hurry Love and Come
See About Me. In 1969 Ross had left the Supremes and continued her journey as Solo. She has
jumped into acting Industry starring in Billie Holiday Biopic the Film was Lady Sings the Blues.
The performance of Ross leads her an Award for Best Actress. Later Motown issued a album of
Diana & Marvin which get successfully hit internationally (Line, 2017). She became First
Entertainer in Japan's history to get an invitation for attending a party with private audience in
Imperial Palace. The reunion was formed between The Supremes but it didn't go very well. The
fans had expected much from the group and they didn't met expectations (Watson, 2021). A
Concert was held at The Great Lawn in Central park of New York in which more than 4,50,000
people have attended the concert. This Concert was held for the purpose of raising funds for
Children's park but the Concert get cancelled due to heavy rainstorm and crowd get dispersed

even Ross had tried her best to convince audience to remain but when the storm get worse she
requested to leave in a proper manner. The City and product unit face Heavy loss due to
cancellation even Ross has given a contribution of some amount towards the playground. She
has paid the amount with her own investment. Later the park got renamed as Diana Ross
Playground which is located inside the park (Rossen, 2019). Diana Ross has host the 46th
Academy Award with three other co-host and she become first African- American to Co-host in
award show. Miss Ross had also worked in Mahogany in which a hit theme song was recorded
Do You Know Where You're Going To. Diana Ross real name is Diane the name was given by
her mother but due to a clerical mistake on her Birth certificate the name was recorded as Diana.
Her name is pronounced Diane only by her friends and Family. Diana Ross was requested by
Michael Jackson to become an alternative guardian of his Children. The audiences who attend
the concerts and follow Icon are Youth and adults. Diana Ross stands for her marvellous pop
singing that attracts a millions of people (Mixes, 2019).
Struggles
She had face many struggle in her personal and professional Life. In London Heathrow Airport a
dispute was held with Security Guard and she got arrested and detained for Four hours. Miss
Ross was also get arrested for driving and briefly sentenced for jail. She suffered a loss of her
father he got died in November 2007 (Wright, 2019).
Relationships and Family
Diana Ross was in the relationship with CEO of Motown Berry Gordy relationship was lasted for
various years and she has given a Birth to her First Child Rhonda Suzanne Silberstein. After her
two months pregnancy she got married to Robert Ellis Silberstein, the daughter was raised by
him only as his own child. Miss Ross has two more daughters Tracee Joy and Chudney Lane
Silberstein. Later the two get divorced and Diana Ross got shifted to New york (Stemmler,
2019).
Ross married to his Second Husband Arne Naess, he has three children already and Ross become
step mother of those Children's. They both have a two sons Ross Arne and Evan Olav. Later on
the two got divorced when a news was circulate that Naess has a child from another women.

Awards
IN 2007 She was awarded with Black Entertainment Television's Lifetime Achievement and
after few weeks she got honoured for her contributions to arts by Kennedy Center. Diana Ross
had received a Life time Achievement award in 2012 that was a Grammy Award (Ferguson et.
al., 2019). She also get a Presidential Medal of Freedom Award in 2016. Miss Ross had also
received the Presidential Medal of Freedom which was given by Barack Obama.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ferguson, M., and et. al., 2019. Hugh Jackman has added to his Emmy and Tony awards,
winning his first Grammy for'The Greatest Showman'but it was two legends of the
music industry, Dolly Parton and Diana Ross who stole the show.
Kooijman, J., 2017. Whitewashing the Dreamgirls: Beyoncé, Diana Ross, and the
commodification of blackness. Revisiting Star Studies: Cultures, Themes and Methods,
pp.105-24.
Line, A., 2017. two| The Rise of the Motown Sound. I Hear a Symphony: Motown and
Crossover R&B, p.41.
Mixes, A. R., 2019. Mix and Persona. Innovation in Music: Performance, Production,
Technology, and Business, p.160.
Reinhard, M., 2017. Queerness in Pop Music: Aesthetics, Gender Norms, and Temporality.
In Gender Forum (No. 66, pp. 65-76). Prof. Dr. Beate Neumeier.
Sklar, M., Barrow, C. and Leone, P., 2020. Uniform Ideals: The Process of Motown Records’
Image Making. Dress. pp.1-15.
Stemmler, C., 2019. Merging Artists. Billie Holiday: Essays on the Artistry and Legacy.
Whittington, R and et. al., 2017. Strategic planners in more turbulent times: The changing job
characteristics of strategy professionals, 1960–2003. Long Range Planning, 50(1),
pp.108-119.
Wright, B. F., 2019. Reconstructing the History of Motown Session Musicians: The Carol
Kaye/James Jamerson Controversy. Journal of the Society for American Music. 13(1).
pp.78-109.
Online Sources-
Watson, K, 2021. The 1960s The Decade that Shook Britain. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-
Britain/>.
Rossen, J., 2019. 8 Surprising Facts About Diana Ross. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/578976/diana-ross-facts>.