Few singers have been associated as closely with soul music as Diana Ross.
The American singer, 81, who will perform as part of the Abu Dhabi concert series Saadiyat Nights on Friday, was a driving force in soul music's crossover to the mainstream, while also expanding its once rigid creative structure that relied primarily on groups, to welcome a female solo star.
Her legacy building continued over the next five decades, with Ross scoring more hits and showing the kinds of career pivots and “eras” that have become the norm in the industry today.
From music and fashion to the big and small screens, here are four ways in which Diana Ross established her influence.
1. Ross made the soul singer a superstar
From its onset in the early 1960s, commercial soul music was shaped by vocal groups – a link to the genre’s roots in a cappella-focused doo-wop and gospel music.
That visual familiarity, the labels figured, would offset some of the new and bold aspects introduced to the genre, such as the driving backbeat and orchestral touches, which can be heard in acts such as Four Tops and Martha and the Vandellas.
The communal structure of these groups, which carried an identifiable lead singer who nevertheless did not overshadow the group, began to change with The Supremes. Ross was increasingly positioned as the group’s undisputed star and, much to the chagrin of her bandmates, was placed front and centre on stage and album covers.
When Ross eventually went solo, she was supplied with the best songwriters and a budget to launch a career that led to a string of immediate hits, including her 1970 version of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough and Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand).
While the backing from Motown record label seemed like smart business, it remained a risky move at the time, as Ross and Aretha Franklin were rare examples of big-selling African American solo stars.
It is the kind of industry barrier that future blockbuster stars such as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Beyonce did not have to face.
2. Ross was soul music’s original fashion icon
Before Motown became a commercial juggernaut, artist performances were largely limited to regional theatre and community hubs that were culturally segregated.
While that gave birth to venues such as the famed Apollo Theatre in Harlem, soul music was viewed as a genre operating outside the mainstream.
Central to that shift were The Supremes who, under the mentorship of Motown label founder Berry Gordy, helped take the genre out of the neighbourhood and into the heart of American popular culture and elite venues.
This was done through the group performing covers from the Great American Songbook, including 1967 hit My Funny Valentine from album The Supremes Sing Rodgers & Hart. Alongside, The Supremes also challenged prevailing cultural assumptions by presenting themselves in custom-made couture gowns by noted designers such as Bob Mackie, Michael Travis and James Galanos.
As a solo artist, Ross continued that approach through elaborate theatrical tours and looks that moved with the times, from the sequinned catsuits of her disco-diva phase of the 1970s to the more casual white T-shirt and jeans presented on the cover of her classic 1980 album Diana.
That attention to era-defining looks remained a constant feature of Ross's career and was echoed by future pop stars.
3. She keeps with the times
For many soul artists, the music effectively slowed from the early 1970s, as changing tastes, with the arrival of funk and disco, reshaped radio programming. Record labels began chasing fresh artists, and seasoned catalogue acts played second fiddle.
Coupled with unfavourable contracts and lost royalties, as shown in the brilliant 2002 documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown, many soul music artists either faded into obscurity or were pushed on to the nostalgia circuit.
Ross avoided such a fate by being strategic and nimble. In 1981, she left Motown, a record label so powerful it became synonymous with soul’s crossover sound, as its commercial and cultural clout waned. She went on to embrace new sounds by working with current producers such as Chic’s Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards on the disco-inflected album Diana.
Ross consistently released albums and tours to maintain visibility, while continuing to build acting credits, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress for the 1994 drama Out of the Darkness. She also made regular appearances on television, from talk shows to high-profile events such as singing the American national anthem at the 1982 Super Bowl, opening the 1994 World Cup ceremony, and performing on the televised broadcast of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in New York last month.
4. She is unapologetically successful
The sense of drive and ambition we now take for granted with generations of pop stars, from Janet Jackson to Beyonce and Rihanna, follows a path helped set by Ross.
Her career shows that she was unapologetic in pursuing chart success and extending her reach to include film and television. Coupled with firm control over her image, style and repertoire, this approach remains central to how she works.
It is the kind of behaviour we expect from today’s pop stars, but it was rarely expressed so openly in the 1970s, with artists such as Ross, Franklin, Nina Simone and Tina Turner among the few to do so.
Those efforts not only allowed black women soul singers to widen the terms of commercial success and cultural durability, but also helped ensure that the genre Ross would evolve from remains visible and influential more than five decades on.
Diana Ross and Seal perform at Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi on Friday. Doors open 5pm; ticket from Dh475
