A few choice quotes:
"The late Marvin Gaye,
Ross' Motown contemporary and label mate, was vocal about his jealousy
over attention she received from the label, but he also gave her due
props. "Diana's about business," Gaye told biographer David
Ritz in "Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye." "She'll out rehearse
you, out dress you, and outperform you, so you best stay out of her way.
I appreciate Diana's trip and her talent. She's worked hard for
everything she's achieved."
R&B singer Ledisi:
"She made little girls dare to dream once they experienced her songs or
films," says the singer. "And of course, I was one of them — a shy,
skinny, awkward, big-eyed, brown girl watching 'Lady Sings the Blues'
for the first time at a friend's house on a plastic-covered sofa. I
remember thinking, 'Wow, look at that white suit with that hat, and
those red lips.' Her version of 'Our Love Is Here to Stay' made me fall
in love with jazz and Billie Holiday. I wanted to be like her."
Visual artist Mark Bradford:
"She was a trailblazer who wrote chapter after chapter, who put herself at the center of the conversation and demanded a seat at the table," he observes. "She didn't want black power. She wanted power. There's this thing with women — especially women of color — that when they have ambition, it's [perceived as] a character flaw" says Bradford. "But Diana Ross would throw it in your face. She didn't apologize for it."
Read the rest HERE.
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