Have you made New Year’s Eve plans yet? If not, we can’t think of any better way to ring in 2016 than here in Nassau Paradise Island with one of the most legendary female entertainers of all time. Join us at Atlantis Paradise Island for a New Year’s Eve performance by the one and only Diana Ross!
Diana Ross’ career has spanned more than 40 years. In the 1960s, she burst onto the scene as the lead singer of The Supremes before establishing a successful solo career in the 1970s. Today, at age 71, the star shows no signs of slowing down and will grace the Atlantis LIVE stage in a performance that’s sure to be unforgettable.
To help you get ready to welcome the entertainer on December 31, we’ve rounded up 10 facts about Diana Ross. Did you know…
1. There’s been plenty of speculation that Diana Ross is actually Diane. The singer claims her mother named her Diane, but due to a clerical error, the name recorded on her birth certificate was Diana. Until The Supremes made it big, she introduced herself as Diane, and her friends still call her by that name.
2. Diana had a famous neighbor growing up in Detroit – Smokey Robinson.
3. At age 15, Diana joined a singing group called The Primettes along with three other members. They first auditioned for Motown Records in 1960, but didn’t get signed until January 1961, on the condition that they change the group’s name. At first, Diana and two of her fellow Supremes were not impressed with the new name, afraid that they’d be mistaken for a male vocal group.
4. After their first number one hit, Where Did Our Love Go, the Supremes went on to release 10 number-one singles between 1964 and 1967.
5. In 1968, the Supremes – now down to three members – performed as a trio of singing nuns on the TV series Tarzan.
6. Diana Ross released her solo debut album in May 1970, which featured Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, her first solo number-one single.
7. In 1971, she hosted her first television special, called Diana!, which also featured some very special guests – a young Jackson 5. She has been credited with discovering the group.
8. That same year, she started her film career. Her first film was Lady Sings the Blues, loosely based on the singer Billie Holiday. She received a Golden Globe award and an Oscar nomination for her work in the film. She continued to appear in movies from 1972 through 1999.
9. Diana Ross has been married twice and has five children. One of her more famous former beaus is Gene Simmons of Kiss, whom she dated from 1980 to 1983.
10. For a glimpse into what life may have been like for Diana as part of the Supremes, rent the movie Dreamgirls. While it’s a fictional movie, the character of Deena Jones (played by Beyoncé) is inspired by Diana Ross.
Say goodbye to 2015 and welcome 2016 with what promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime performance in Atlantis Paradise Island’s Imperial Ballroom. Plan your New Year’s Even in Paradise today and get ready to celebrate with one of music’s most influential and successful entertainers, Diana Ross. Join us and see why New Year’s Eve is better in The Bahamas!