diana ross thank you tour review

On ‘Thank You,’ Diana Ross Wants to Pump. You. Up.

By David Browne

David Browne

Diana Ross ’ return to the pop landscape — her first record of newly written material, not covers, in over 20 years — sounds familiar, and there’s little doubt it was intended that way. In the years after she left the Supremes, Ross reached transcendent levels with billowy pop meant to uplift and inspire, whether on the dance floor (“I’m Coming Out,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”) or in more solitary moments (“Reach Out and Touch [Somebody’s Hand],” “Theme from Mahogany [Do You Know Where You’re Going To]”) .  Throughout the self-help-era Seventies era, she proudly served as head counselor.

She and the army of songwriters and producers who helped make Thank You seem well aware that those tracks — along with other moments, like the buoyantly discombobulated “Upside Down” or largely forgotten minor hits like “Remember Me” — remain Ross’ most enduring work on her own. On Thank You , Team Ross assertively aims to recapture that vibe for the Soul Cycle era. Be they ballads or dance-floor throwdowns, the songs glisten with disco strings, sky’s-the-limit choruses, and super-crisp beats. Over them, Ross again returns to her role as pop therapist:  “Jump off the edge/And find out where you land/Go take the lead/And teach the world to dance,” she sings, in one typical example, or, elsewhere,  “Lookin’ all around us/There’s so much potential/A little hope could inspire/If we ignite the passion, all to desire/That little spark becomes a fire.” You almost expect to be charged a membership fee for each listening session.

Those sentiments, which pretty much drive every one of the 13 tracks on Thank You , can feel oddly impersonal, as if Ross isn’t conveying hard-earned life experience of her own but offering her fans a pep talk. (And given the last year and a half we’ve all had, maybe they need it.) From start to finish, she conveys them in a voice that sounds as airbrushed as some of the words; even though she’s 77, it’s hard to detect  a single lived-in crack in her delivery. It’s all part of the strange deja-vu experience that is  Thank You . The songs feel familiar, as if they’ve even assembled from parts of previous hits. (There’s more than a little “Endless Love” in something like “The Answer’s Always Love”). Even some of lyrics here and there — “You say I’m just a dreamer,” “The first time I saw your face” — almost seem designed to evoke classic old-school pop hits by other artists of her heyday.

All that said, there’s still an inordinate deal of pleasure to be taken in music that wants to sweep you up and revel in sonic bliss, whether you’ve emerged from a still-lingering pandemic or not. You won’t find a more ebullient resurrection of the Studio 54 era than “Tomorrow,” and “In Your Heart” brings to mind the meditative dance tracks Madonna explored in the mid to late Nineties. During those moments of feather-bed glory, Thank You recalls a time when pop was proud to be pop , not therapy sessions set to simmer-level rhythms and nebulous hooks. Ross isn’t preaching about love hangovers, but she’s still looking to cure a few modern ills.

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At Wolf Trap, Diana Ross gives a ‘move it or lose it’ lesson on life

The 79-year-old Motown legend energetically covers decades of hits, while sending her audience off with a lot of positive vibes

On Saturday night at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap, Diana Ross seemed most concerned about the movement of the capacity crowd: “I want to see you moving,” she said. “I can’t see you moving. Are you moving?”

Moving is the least the audience could do, considering Ross kept things going for nearly two hours.

“You know I’m 79, right?” she said to cheers. “Move it or lose it.”

“Move it or lose it” is a fitting mantra for the singer, who has spent more than six decades in the spotlight, seemingly in constant motion as she dominated pop music — first as the breakout star of the Supremes, then as a solo artist — before taking a foray into acting and continuing to rack up awards, milestones, honors and superlatives.

As her Music Legacy Tour made its penultimate U.S. stop in Fairfax County, Ross and company played two dozen songs, many of which have served as the soundtrack of our lives, with the singer — who was once crowned the female entertainer of the century — proving that she can still do what she was born to do.

With a nine-piece band and four background singers dressed all in black, Ross provided the color and star power expected of the icon, her changing outfits a mood ring of sequins and frills that morphed from tangerine to silver to regal purple and black to fairylike pink and champagne. And while she knows how to pick her spots and lean on her background players, she still has impressive control over her gentle soprano.

But beyond her voice, look and Hitsville USA parade, the most striking part of the performance might have been a jubilance and joie de vivre that has not been dulled after countless concerts over the years.

The Music Legacy Tour lived up to its billing, with Supremes hits such as “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Come See About Me,” the sultriest disco groove of all time in “Love Hangover” and the Chic-powered classics “Upside Down” and “I’m Coming Out.” There were nods to her film career, with “Ease on Down The Road” from “The Wiz,” the sweeping “Theme from Mahogany” and a handful of Billie Holiday numbers from Ross’s “Lady Sings the Blues” period.

Those songs — which the crowd knows, to borrow a lyric, upside down and inside out — recall the period when Ross and Motown were at their apex and established the high-water mark for pop music. But the lyrics that resonate most are the ones that shine through the nostalgic glow to look not just backward, but also forward. “I love you more today than yesterday,” she sang on a cover of a 1969 song by Spiral Starecase, “but not as much as tomorrow.”

For those onstage and in the crowd who have more yesterdays than tomorrows, there’s an obvious appeal to performing and hearing the songs that were playing during first dances and first dates. But Ross understands, perhaps more than most, how making music can serve a higher purpose. She recalled how, when the coronavirus pandemic canceled live shows, she decided to return to the studio and record an album of her first original music in more than two decades. The result was 2021’s “Thank You,” an experience that allowed Ross to refocus on the important things in life, such as music and family.

“I ended up knowing that it didn’t take a lot to make me happy,” she told the crowd.

Ross performed songs from the album that have the same belief in the power of love as her old favorites, even if they understandably lack the same resonance. Going from those new tracks to her versions of “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “I Will Survive” — the latter of which she supplemented with an interpolation of DJ Khaled’s hip-hop anthem “All I Do Is Win” — caused emotional whiplash.

Before Ross sang her encore (the title track from “Thank You”), she asked the crowd to repeat after her: “I’m so grateful for all the blessings in my life, for there are many. We are abundantly supported, and all is well.”

As the concertgoers danced their way to the parking lots with chairs, coolers and cushions in tow, the affirmation kept them moving forward, as Ross has helped them do for all these years.

Austin 101 Magazine

Cool music. cool city., review: iconic vibrant diana ross radiates grace, joy, and love in austin.

Diana Ross came to Austin’s ACL Live at the Moody Theater for her Music Legacy 2024 Tour. We knew we couldn’t miss this show. Absolutely no way. To see an icon of this level, who is touring at 79, whose songs we grew up singing to (from Motown hits with The Supremes- the best charting female group in history, and her solo albums) we knew it would be nostalgic and memorable. We also knew there would be some great people watching.

The night kicked off with a long band intro before Diana stepped on stage in glorious fashion wearing a gorgeous long dress with train and her signature hair and glowing skin. She looked amazing. She walked miles on that stage all night and never missed a beat.

Kicking off strong with energetic hit “I’m Coming Out” – a song with so many important meanings; it was just hit after hit, nonstop with some epic Supremes hits and cover songs mixed in. With a huge catalog over six decades, it’s gotta be challenging to pen the set list. Then Ross sang a slew of Supremes’ songs- “Baby Love”, mega hit “Stop! in the Name of Love” (and had everyone following her hand gestures and choreography), “You Can’t Hurry Love”, and “Love Child”. The night truly was a big dance party and people rarely sat down.

Rolling in to “Take Me Higher” and “Why Do Fools Fall In Love” the party was in full swing. We knew it would be fun, we had no idea how funny she was (joking that she was only 47) and how kind, grateful, and joyful she was. She looked happy, youthful, and gracious. She often talked about love and joy during the evening. All the while, her voice was pristine and didn’t miss a beat. Ross has that natural beauty with stunning features, beautiful smile, and defies aging (we want her secrets). What an inspiration.

Wearing a stunning yellow/green (cerulean?) gown with matching feathery cape, she brought out a guest.”Count on Me” was a beautiful soft duet with her oldest daughter Rhonda Ross Kendrick. What a surprise to see her and hear this gorgeous song she had written for her mom. Rhonda continued solo for a few songs while Ms. Ross changed costumes again. There was a black wardrobe with a curtain right on stage that made quick changeovers possible.

At 79, with a birthday in March, she talked about turning 80, it was hard to believe it. She looked amazing and youthful and her voice was almost perfect and sounded like a singer half her age.

We loved the beautiful version of Billie Holiday’s “Don’t Explain” from “Lady Sings the Blues” that had us almost in tears. It was bluesy and soulful. A woman brought a gorgeous flower to her. Fans continued throughout the night to approach her with admiration and she spent so much time talking directly to people, autographing, and even bringing a fan on stage (whose dress was a bit tight so it was a struggle).

The soft and light “Do You Know Where You’re Going To” had the crowd once again singing with her. Epic “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” was incredibly nostalgic as the entire crowd sang every word to her first U.S. #1 solo hit. She had changed into another gorgeous dress with a train- pink and glittery, short sleeved. She used a foldable fan throughout to cool. Known for her fashion, we were excited to see all the outfit changes. Next came memorable “Upside Down”.

“Reach Out and Touch” was gorgeous and had the crowd swaying and waving to ‘move the energy’ as Ross put it. The lyrics are so relevant today, invoked emotions to ‘make this world a better place, if you can’ as we can all relate to the stress we’re feeling in today’s world. She expressed how grateful she was for all the blessings in her life. You could feel her spirit and faith. Her songs have a way of uniting us in our shared humanity.

Then she performed a fun blend of “Love Hangover” “Take Me Higher” “Ease on Down the Road” -hit from musical The Wiz- was a fun high energy song that we had forgotten about and were thrilled to hear in her set.”If the World Just Danced” is a fun pop song that of course the entire crowd danced to.

The final chapter of the show had an epic cover of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” dance along, in her comfy final costume change of all black jogger and no heels, and a fan gave her a bright pink boa that gave the outfit a burst of color. Then came great band solos- sax, drums, guitar, and 2 singers- that rounded things out. So generous, Ross spent so much time engaging with fans all night- but especially now where she signed album after album. One fan told her he’d seen her 34 times!

For the encore she closed out the night with her song “Thank You” (title track of her 2021 album). It gave her the first Grammy nomination since 1983. She talked about writing it during Covid lockdown and how recording it virtually from a garage studio was a whole new thing. She cowrote it with her daughter Rhonda. She prefaced it with ‘this song is for you, please listen to the words, this is how I feel tonight and about all of you’. The feelings were mutual. We felt so much love and joy exuding from her. She was authentic and generous. It was an amazing and special show that we’re so grateful to experience and we’ll never forget.

Check out the show Set list .

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Diana Ross' Thank You , her first album in 15 years, is a love letter to fans

Thank You is a powerful showcase for how good Ross still is even after a two-decade absence.

Twenty-two years is an eternity for an artist who changed the face of music to stay silent. But with the preciousness of time in stark focus due to the pandemic — and likely sensing that her window for making another project was closing — Diana Ross is seizing the moment. Thank You , the 77-year-old diva's first studio album of original material since 1999's Every Day Is a New Day , is a love letter to fans and a display of immense gratitude for what Ross has been able to achieve over the last six decades.

"All Is Well," co-written by Ross's oldest daughter, Rhonda, is like a silky blanket to crawl under when you need sweet comfort and positive affirmations. The euphoric twirler "If the World Just Danced" — with its infectious world-beat inflections reminiscent of Janet Jackson's 2018 single "Made for Now" — sounds different than anything else this Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has ever done before. And the folky feels of "In Your Heart" show how, when stripped down to the bone, Ross still has a voice that has been sorely underrated in the era of gospel-powered singers like Aretha, Gladys, and Chaka.

Ross — who has never been much of a songwriter, save for the odd turn like 1981's aerobics romp "Work That Body" — co-wrote nine of 13 tracks on the album, which may be more than she's done her entire career. In a way, that makes Thank You the most authentically Diana Ross album ever — even if she didn't lift a pen for two of its best songs: "The Answer's Always Love," which was co-written by Siedah Garrett, who captures some of the heal-the-world uplift that she did on Michael Jackson's epic "Man in the Mirror, and the Jack Antonoff-produced "I Still Believe," which Ross turns into her own disco manifesto a la "I Will Survive."

But Thank You 's syrupy Pollyannaish sentiments wear thin on the project's back half, with throwaway lyrics such as "I will do anything to keep the boogeyman away." The last few cuts in particular feel like outtakes that could have been saved for the record's deluxe version. If only Ross took the less-is-more route she did on her two best albums, 1979's The Boss and 1980's Diana , each of which had only eight tracks.

Still, Thank You is a powerful showcase for how good Ross is even after a two-decade absence. It also achieves her ultimate goal: to provide a light in troubling times. As she sings on the glowing title track : "We survived the highs and lows, sometimes that's how life goes, but together I know we'll make it. I wouldn't change a single day." Grade: B

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By Ben Cardew

Pop/R&B

November 9, 2021

Diana Ross ’ last studio album would have been no way for a musical icon to bow out. I Love You , released in 2006 to widespread indifference, was a collection of under-heated covers (and one new song) that seemed to have been picked at random out of the romantic songbook—from “Take My Breath Away” to the Beatles ’ “I Will”—with little sense of cohesion. It was no wonder that Ross sounded distracted as she made her way through an hour’s worth of plasticky, gift-card soul.

Thank You , Ross’ 25th studio album, may not be up there with her very best work—those immortal Motown singles with the Supremes , her buttery smooth 1970s solo records, or the Chic -assisted disco glory of 1980’s Diana —but, by gracefully revisiting these eras while keeping a sparkling eye on the future, it offers a timely reminder of the vast pop smarts and emotional range that made Ross the diva’s diva. The title has a faint ring of finality; if, God forbid, this should prove to be Ms. Ross’ last studio album, then it would be a fitting tribute to one of the most formidable careers in American musical history.

That may sound alarmist. But it is hard to escape the notion of endings on an album that often feels like a long goodbye, which Ross dedicates to “all of you, the listeners.” When she says, “I love you,” at the end of “Beautiful Love,” her voice tingling with quiet emotion, it feels as if she is bidding adieu to the fans who have followed her since she made her recorded debut with the Supremes in 1960.

Musically, too, Thank You carries a distinct whiff of nostalgia. At times, the abrupt transitions between genres suggest Ross’ life flashing before the listener’s eyes, as she moves from silken soul (“All Is Well”) to slinky show tunes (“Count on Me”), 1990s R&B (“Let's Do It”), and disco (the title track). There’s even a nod to the classic Motown pop stomp in the horns that light up the intro to “Tomorrow.”

These nods to the past glow with the quiet satisfaction of a job well done; they’re era-appropriate and perfectly unchallenging. “All Is Well” blows by in a sugary cloud of funk-lite strings, while “Count on Me” has the warmth of a cup of cocoa at the end of a long day. It helps that Ross is in fantastic voice throughout. She may be slightly bereft of the power that once blew the roof off “Ain't No Mountain High Enough,” but her newly vulnerable tone works wonders, adding pathos to the modern Motown torch song of “Just in Case.” (Although whoever decided to use Auto-Tune on “In Your Heart” really should have a word with their ears.)

The best songs on Thank You are those where Ross stretches her wings. "I Still Believe” and “Tomorrow” show that the Motown veteran is very much at home in the world of electronic music—perhaps no surprise, given her history with disco. “I Still Believe,” produced by Jack Antonoff, starts like a show tune, all stirring piano and soft-lipped brass, before abruptly turning into a disco-house stomper, an electrifying transition that makes you want to climb atop a baby-grand piano, waving your dress shoes in the air. “Tomorrow,” meanwhile, blasts its Motown horns into fantastically odd new orbits, combining a filtered breakbeat with a pounding drum line and serpentine bass, like a bastard pop offshoot of shapeshifting UK pop act Girls Aloud .

Whether Ross continues along these bold new paths is perhaps less important than the fact that she is still creating new paths to follow. On Thank You , Diana Ross’ musical star shines strong after six decades of inspiration, offering signs of renaissance even as she teases tender farewells.

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Diana Ross Opens U.S. Leg Of ‘Thank You’ Tour With Diva Dedication At Hollywood Bowl [Review/Videos]

Beyoncé may be the diva of the day, but the playbook that brought Bey to queendom was written largely, if not entirely, by Diana Ross .

Rising to stardom as the lead in a girl group? Check. Striking out on her own to become a solo sensation? Check. That journey guided by a generational voice, with plenty of costume changes along the way? Check and check.

No matter your definition of “diva,” Ross fits the bill as well as anyone has, does, or ever will. Since the age of 16, the Detroit native has dazzled audiences the world over with her vivacious spirit, her vibrant costumes and, of course, her brilliant vocals.

All of that is as true as ever at age 78. Diana Ross put her ageless talent (and tenacity) on full display at the Hollywood Bowl , where she kicked off the American portion of her world tour in support of her new album, Thank You , with a performance that showcased her ever-impressive range as a defining diva.

Following an engaging opening set from Tony Award nominee Joshua Henry , the longtime Queen of Motown resumed her reign with a run of what can only be described as absolute bangers. From coming out to, well, “Coming Out” and bouncing around to her cover of Spiral Staircase ’s “More Today Than Yesterday” to spinning out chart-topping hits from the Supremes —including “Come See About Me,” “Baby Love,” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Love Child”—Ross had a packed house of 17,000-plus patrons out of their seats and on their feet. And that was all before the first wardrobe break, each of which took place inside a curtained box on the left side of the stage.

From there, Diana dove deep into her catalog to unearth ageless classics and new favorites alike. There were disco standards like “It’s My House” and “Upside Down”, which had the house lit in the now-common colloquial sense—as well as ballads like “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)”, which had the crowd waving their phone lights to form cellular constellations. There were nods to her crossover into acting, including “Ease on Down the Road” from The Wiz , the theme from Mahogany , and “Don’t Explain”, from Diana’s role as Billie Holiday , one of the original divas, in Lady Sings the Blues.

Related: Gipsy Kings Show Spectacular Display Of Rumba Flamenco At Two-Night Hollywood Bowl Run [Photos/Videos]

With the second costume change came a shift toward material from her 2021 release, Thank You , which was borne of gratitude for her fans and, to some degree, boredom without the ability to tour during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those tracks, especially “Tomorrow” and “If the World Just Danced”, are imbued with a degree of broader consciousness, something for which she may not always be known but of which she is certainly capable.

Not that Diana Ross has ever been shy. She interacted a bit with the audience—particularly her youngest son, Evan, to whom she sang “Beautiful Love” on his birthday—and much more with the production crew, critiquing the overuse of lights and inability to hear her own band at times.

In spite (or maybe because?) of those challenges, Diana persevered to shine bright on every song she sang and in every outfit she wore. After busting out her iconic rendition of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” she fittingly closed out the show with a cover of Gloria Gaynor ’s “I Will Survive” that wove in a piece of DJ Khaled ’s “All I Do Is Win”.

Indeed, Diana Ross has been winning for a long, long, long time. After 62 years in the business, she stands as one of the most successful musicians ever, regardless of demographic. And if her latest bout with the technical elements at the Hollywood Bowl was any indication, she still has plenty of skill and spunk to keep going as a world-class performer, even as she approaches the age of 80.

Click below to check out a selection of fan-shot videos from the performance. For a complete list of upcoming Diana Ross tour dates, head here . For a complete list of upcoming shows at Hollywood Bowl, head here.

Diana Ross – “Come See About Me” – 8/26/22

[Video: Brian James ]

Diana Ross – “Do You Know Where You’re Going To” (Theme From  Mahogany ) – 8/26/22

Diana Ross – “Beautiful Love” – 8/26/22

Diana Ross – “The Boss” – 8/26/22

[Video: SoCalLiveitLive ]

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Live Review: Diana Ross at AO Arena

By Jay Darcy

Article Summary

Diana Ross is back in the UK for the first (and final) time in 15 years. Before beginning the UK leg of the Thank You Tour , she closed the Jubilee celebrations. She opened the tour with performances at Cardiff Castle and the Cambridge Club Festival, before playing a few arenas, beginning with the AO Arena in Manchester.

Diana Ross’ opening act was the adorable British-Moroccan Zak Abel – who I had heard of, but I was unfamiliar with his music. Abel only found out he was opening for Ross the day before. He told us that he is a huge fan so it was an honour to be there. He has a stunning voice, and I particularly enjoyed his charismatic performance of the catchy ‘Be Kind’, which involved a little audience participation. It might have been wise to perform his only UK top 20 hit, ‘Unmissable’ ( Gorgon City featuring Zak Abel), but Abel instead chose to promote his new music (and his merchandise). It was a sweet showcase of his music, and it was great to see a habib i representing!

Ross was on shortly after Abel. She might be the Original Diva, but she did not keep the audience waiting.

As is tradition, she came out to I’m Coming Out – but not before a video montage celebrating Ross’ career (images of her albums, etc.) played on the screens. Ross began singing the iconic opening of the song, before the curtain dropped dramatically to reveal her backing singers and band. Ross then strutted her way onstage and sang the rest of the song.

She wore a gorgeous, glittery, orange dress, complete with a huge piece of material that formed a cape behind her skirt. At first, she held it in her arms, before letting it drop to the ground. As she moved, it flowed graciously. She looked like a mermaid.

It was a little strange to go from one of her signature hits to the little-known ‘More Today Than Yesterday’ – though the song is a staple of her concerts.

Ross then announced that she would be singing some hits by The Supremes – of which she was the lead singer during their more commercially successful period (indeed, the band was renamed Diana Ross and the Supremes ).

Whilst the previous two dates had started with ‘Where Did Our Love Go’ – the band’s first number one single (following a string of unsuccessful singles that lead to the group being named the “No-Hit Supremes”) – it has sadly been cut from the setlist. Instead, she weirdly started this section with ‘My World is Empty Without You’ – one of the few songs written and produced for the Supremes by Motown’s main production team of Hollan-Dozier-Holland to not reach number one on the US charts. The Supremes had 5 consecutive number ones and 12 overall – more than any other group and joint 6th place (with Madonna) amongst artists with the most numbers ones – so why sing one of their lesser hits?

She then sang ‘Baby Love’ – the band’s second US and first UK number one – which was a real riot with the audience, as was ‘Stop! In the Name of Love’ (complete with the routine). It was in between these two numbers that she detached the puffy skirt/cape thing, allowing her to move around more freely and do those iconic dance moves.

The Supremes section ended with ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’ and ‘Love Child’. Sadly, ‘Come See About Me’ – which was placed in between these two songs on the first date – has also been cut from the set. I had been so excited to sing, “Smiles have all turned to tears, but tears won’t wash away the fears” at the top of my lungs, but alas…

Ross then went away for her first costume change, only to return in a luscious yellow gown and a massive shawl, complete with sleeves. The rest of the concert was made up of songs from her solo career, beginning with electrifying performance of ‘Chain Reaction’ – her second UK number one (though, surprisingly, not a hit in the US). My dad often played this old banger in his “old banger” of a car; it was my introduction to the legend that is Ms Ross. Steps memorably covered this song, and they performed it at this very arena last year. I always turned my nose up at their covers of ‘Chain Reaction’ and Kylie Minogue ‘s ‘Better the Devil You Know’, though they were both fantastic performances. However, nothing quite compares to seeing the original artist of the song perform it live.

This was followed by ‘I’m Still Waiting’ – the song that defined the three years of waiting for this concert (which was postponed twice, each time by a year). This mellow moment was ended abruptly with the unbeatable ‘Upside Down’ – which was actually Ross’ biggest UK chart hit (#2) since the #1 ‘I’m Still Waiting’ (ironically) 9 years prior.

Ross then lost the vivacious but restrictive shawl – for she needed the freedom for the medley that followed. The medley was made up of dance hits ‘Love Hangover’, ‘Take Me Higher’ and ‘Ease on Down the Road’ – the latter being her duet with Michael Jackson from the film adaptation of The Wiz . It was a great idea putting these songs in a medley, what with ‘Love Hangover’ brilliantly transitioning from ballad to disco – and following this with two dance tracks.

In the next set, Ross calmed down a little. She sang ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love’ and ‘If We Hold on Together’ – the latter of which really spoke to our mindset during the pandemic. Her dress was simpler too. I mean, it was still fabulous, but not quite as extravagant as her first two.  It was a polka-dot, light green ball gown with sleeves that hung below her shoulders.

Following this, she performed a remix of her relatively new single, ‘If the World Just Danced’ – t0 the delight of fans who are familiar with her new music. It’s a great song, but I would have preferred it if she sang the titular song of the album, ‘Thank You’ – after all, it is the Thank You Tour . She sang ‘Thank You’ last at the gig in Leeds the following night, as part of a two-song encore with ‘It’s My Turn’ (an audience request).

The penultimate song of this act was the beautiful ‘Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)’, which transitioned into ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ – her second single and first US #1. A radical revision of the original song, one of many tremendous duets by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell , Ross’ version is known for its splendid spoken word passages and gorgeous gospel influence.

The last act of the main set consisted of Ross’ fabulous cover of Gloria Gayno r’s ‘I Will Survive’. Her cover, with the music video featuring RuPaul and other drag queens, made Gaynor’s original look butch in comparison – and this live performance brought the fabulosity. For this song, she wore a glittery black dress with tiny sleeves and detachable feathered sleeves – which glittered too! She completely embodied the disco diva! She sang a tiny reprise of ‘I Will Survive’ in the closing moments of the show, after a two-song encore.

The encore was very casual. Ross walked onstage in a sparkly, relaxed, black blazer and pants. She calmly sat on a chair placed in the centre of the stage. She told us that she would be taking a couple of requests. The first request was ‘The Boss.’ When I tell you I exclaimed “Yes!”, I mean it. I do not shout at concerts, ever, but I was gutted that she had cut my favourite songs of hers from the setlist after the first day. “I didn’t know you wanted it,” she said, bewildered that we would want to see the woman we call The Boss sing the song behind that honorific title.

It would have been great if we she sang ‘It’s My House’ – another single from that album ( The Boss ), which she sings at some dates – but I was just thrilled she sang ‘The Boss’!

The next request was ‘Home’ – a waste of a request, if you ask me. A lovely, little-known song from The Wiz , which she did not even release as a single ( Stephanie Mills , who played the role of Dorothy in the stage musical, released it as a single years after the movie was released). It was a little anticlimactic to end the night on a song that most people do not even know, let alone associate with Ross.

The woman has countless hits – you could have asked for ‘Endless Love’ (her most-streamed song on Spotify), ‘My Old Piano’, ‘Muscles’, ‘Touch Me in the Morning’, ‘When You Tell Me That You Love Me’, ‘You Are Everything’, or the song that she often ends her concerts with, ‘Reach Out And Touch (Somebody’s Hand)’ – but no. Ironically poetic, I guess, for we all headed home after this song…

It might have been a good idea for Ross to put it to the entire audience – take a few requests from the people at the front, shout them out, and see which one gets the loudest applause. There is not a chance in hell that ‘Home’ would have been chosen.

In spite of that, this is, without a doubt, one of the best concerts I have ever been to. It might not have been a mighty production, à la Cher and Queen + Adam Lambert , but Ross puts on a helluva show. The concert is a complete package – with Ross supported by stunning backing singers and a beautiful band – worthy of the woman that defined a generation of music and who is the blueprint of so many female artists who followed.

Diana Ross’ Thank You Tour has now left the UK, but Ross is playing two festivals in continental Europe – Starlight Festival (Spain) and North Sea Jazz Festival (the Netherlands) – and then returning to her home country of the United States for the last few dates of the tour.

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Diana Ross - Thank You (2021)

Diana Ross - Thank You

Shortly after Diana Ross left the Supremes in 1970, her inaugural solo single, “Reach out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand),” began a string of hit records that would carry her to worldwide commercial success for three decades. Since the turn of the millennium, however, she’s released very little new music—save for a covers album in 2006 and a stand-alone single here and there. One wonders, had the world not been struck with the COVID-19 pandemic, if she would have even released any more music.

Touring has been Ross’ constant for the last 15-plus years, and it was only last year that she took to recording an album’s worth of new material in her home studio. The result is Thank You, a 13-song collection that sees her more integrally involved in writing than before, but also sometimes settling for tepid song structure and arrangements that don’t quite match the caliber of her last few original albums from the 1990s. (Strangely enough, the cover photo is a heavily altered image from that time period.)

Ross doesn’t concern herself too much with bowing to contemporary trends, although the opening title cut of Thank You does bear notably Bruno Mars-esque melodies mixed with an arrangement and chord progression largely lifted from Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “You’re All I Need to Get By” (penned by two of Ross’ most prolific composers, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson). The message of their “Reach Out and Touch”—perhaps her most constant in-concert staple—forms the lyrical foundation for a majority of the tunes here.

“The Answer’s Always Love,” a modern-day take on “Reach Out,” has a sweet melody and thoughtfully optimistic lyrical passages, and Ross offers a vulnerable performance which is among the strongest on Thank You. Though her range has shifted somewhat since her last album, her delivery comes across as comfortable and assured. The approach is more affected, however, on daughter Rhonda’s composition, “Count on Me.” Producer Troy Miller furnishes the tune with one of the set’s more authentically sound arrangements (featuring the London Symphony Orchestra), but there’s not much distinctive about the melodies or words.

While ballads comprise much of Thank You, there are a handful of groove-laden tracks which add some variety to the proceedings. “In Your Heart” is filled with lyrical clichés, but Triangle Park’s production is at once retro-minded and just edgy enough to prevent it from sounding too sappy—even if one of its lines is “reach out and just touch somebody.” That’s not quite the case for “All Is Well,” which works well as a lullaby, but otherwise seems like an outdated musical Hallmark card. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra adds a nice touch to the number, yet the quasi-Motown rhythm arrangement just doesn’t cut it.

Thank You ’s second single, “If the World Just Danced,” is one of several dance-oriented selections. Atop a homogenous arrangement, Ross delivers the innocuously catchy chorus alongside familiar phrases such as “Go on and take somebody by the hand,” “It will be alright if you just love,” and “Let the rhythm just catch ya’.” “Let’s Do It” is somehow more engaging in its low-rent charm, with Ross, Fred White, Neff-U, and Triangle Park all pitching in on the production. Passages like “Wave your hand and just say ‘hi’” and “You’ve heard it takes a village, it’s quite essential” are a bit obvious, but the mention of “a nurse, a teacher, community leader” at least attempt to make the sentiments more relatable in this impersonal day and age. Yet it’s hard to envision the crowd in a club throwing down to the track without substantial beefing up of the rhythmic components.

Ross shifts from sweeping societal hopes to other contexts of love on a few occasions other than the aforementioned “Count on Me.” “Beautiful Love” is an ode to the fulfillment of motherhood, while “Just in Case”—one of the set’s more jazz-tinged moments—is an affirmation of commitment to a loved one. It’s a little schmaltzy, but Keyon Harrold’s trumpet solo and the orchestration provide a soothing counterpoint to the somewhat off-balance piano fills. Meanwhile, “I Still Believe,” an anthem to living for love which musically brings to mind Randy Crawford’s “Almaz,” incorporates subtle Latin influences and bears one of the most memorable melodies on Thank You.

A close second to “I Still Believe” in overall melodic and rhythmic appeal is the Triangle Park-produced “Tomorrow,” which assimilates fun percussion elements and a lyrical means that will likely be slightly more resounding with younger listeners than many of the other cuts.

On first listen, Thank You feels a bit drawn-out with many moments of repetitive verbiage set to inconspicuous melodies. Several tracks, however, begin to stand out more when given a fair chance. Vocally, Ross has aged gracefully. Consequently, she comes across effectively on the stronger cuts while floundering somewhat on the weaker ones. Moderately recommended.

By Justin Kantor

Thank You is one of Diana Ross' most definitive pieces of work

"thank you".

Diana Ross’ new record, Thank You , is her first album of new material in decades, her 25th studio album in total, and the first collaboration (hopefully of many) with super-producer Jack Antonoff - who kept himself busy over lockdown with about thirteen different projects, and most of them were world class. Put simply, Ross has entrusted her legacy to the sturdiest pair of hands in the market.

For an album that was created - from first demo to final mix - during a worldwide pandemic, the songs here feel remarkably alive. Back in June, when the album was announced, we got the first real taste of the delicious buffet Ross’s served, when she released the title track. Filled with the kind of youthful exuberance and knowing maturity that the aforementioned Mr Sheeran goes for with unnerving precision, it was telling that one of the co-writers was Amy Wadge, who was at least partially to blame for “Thinking Out Loud”. The title track opens the album, and is both an introduction to, and a summation of, the kind of writing happening throughout the record.

“If the World Danced” and “All Is Well”, which follow, showcase more of the nuanced songwriting and measured melodic precision that Ross is known for - and they also highlight Ross' known excellence in the careful curation of her collaborators. The centre of the album - both literally and figuratively - is the simply incredible pair of “The Answer’s Always Love” (co-written with Siedah Garrett, a close friend of Ross’ protege Michael Jackson), and “Just In Case”, which was co-written with Jimmy Napes and Freddy Wexler.

By the time you’ve reached the closer - the wonderful “Come Together” - Ross and her team have taken you on a whirlwind tour of all of the highlights of her stellar career. There’s soulfulness (and some actual Soul), a knowing ear for melody, and a production that holds up against any of her work with Ashford & Simpson or Rodgers & Edwards.

It feels surreal to experience artists of this calibre reaching such new and refreshing creative peaks this deep into their careers. Diana Ross simply has no right to produce music this engaging, this vital, at this point in her life - and this devil may care attitude has enabled her to produce one of the most definitive bodies of work in her entire career.

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Review: Diana Ross gives us a dose of hope on ‘Thank You’

This cover image released by Decca Records/Universal Music Group shows “Thank You” by Diana Ross. (Decca Records/Universal Music Group via AP)

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“Thank You,” by Diana Ross (Decca Records/Universal Music Group)

Diana Ross’ first album in 15 years cuts through our present cynicism and slices past the despair. “Thank You” is a warm hug of music, less a tightly constructed pop vehicle, than a mood.

“It never rains forever,” Ross sings in one song. On another: “Turn it up/And give love a chance.” On a third she asks: “What if we could find a way/To laugh, love and pray?”

“Thank You” is a twinkling, blissful and bubbly wave of optimism, like being invited to a champagne party on a puffy cloud. Our hostess is full of goodwill, her voice warm and welcoming. There’s no velvet rope. All are welcome. “No matter what the question/I know the answer/The answer’s always love,” she sing.

The 13-track album finds Ross at the intersection of ‘70s disco, ’80s electronica, ‘90s house and the production savvy of the 2020s. There are two speeds — twinkling ballads and bootie-shakers.

But don’t get the wrong idea about the up-tempo ones. There’s nothing raunchy here. The song “Let’s Do It” isn’t about bedding anyone: “Let’s do it,” she sings. “Let’s make life better together.”

With “In Your Heart,” Ross urges us to “reach out and just touch somebody” – a nod to her 1970 hit “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand).” She revisits the opening lyrics of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” for “Beautiful Love.”

“Thank You” is Ross’ first collection of original songs since 1999’s “Every Day Is a New Day.” Cynics might dismiss it as overly sentimental, but is that a serious crime? She wants to say thank you, but we should be the ones thanking her.

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

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Diana Ross: Thank You review – an anaemic comeback that should have been great

With disco enjoying one of its periodic moments in the sun, a supremely classy 21st-century reboot was possible. But this isn’t it

I n 1982, Diana Ross was interviewed by Smash Hits magazine. Her presence in among the breathless coverage of Duran Duran and Haircut 100 was testament to her continued commercial success two decades on from the Supremes’ first hit. She talked a little about that band’s 60s heyday, but, as befitting an artist who had just enjoyed two platinum albums stuffed with Top 10 singles, insisted that the 80s were the real “golden age. There’s so much opportunity.”

But not, as it turned out, for Diana Ross , whose recording career stalled shortly afterwards. She had her last US Top 10 hit, a tribute to the recently murdered Marvin Gaye called Missing You, 37 years ago. Britain remained under her sway a little longer – Chain Reaction, a flop in the US, rightly reached No 1 in 1986 – but even so, it was all over bar the shouting by the early 90s.

The ensuing years have been marked by the sense that Diana Ross doesn’t really know what to do to rectify the situation, or perhaps isn’t that bothered either way. A disastrous attempt to reunite the Supremes in 2000 aside, her tours still rake it in. In the studio, a nadir was reached with 2006’s I Love You, a covers album Ross audibly approached with all the enthusiasm of a hostage reading out their kidnapper’s demands. You could see why. The album appeared to have been masterminded by someone with a longstanding grudge against her: how else to explain the cruise-ship cabaret takes on The Look of Love and Take My Breath Away that lay within, not to mention the big band take on Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love, complete with widdly-woo guitar solo by Brian May?

The weird thing is that what to do with Diana Ross in 2021 doesn’t seem to be the most taxing of problems. Disco is enjoying one of its periodic moments in the sun, and Ross made a succession of fantastic albums during the disco era – not just 1980’s justly celebrated Diana, but the previous year’s superb The Boss (helmed by Ashford and Simpson) and 1978’s Ross – and there are dozens of producers and remixers who could be called upon to provide a supremely classy 21st-century reboot of their styles, ballads and all. Instead, Jack Antonoff is in charge, perhaps as a result of the recent US law that no female pop artist is allowed in the studio unless the former guitarist of Fun has already been safely installed behind the mixing desk. He is assisted in his endeavours by a team of big-name songwriters including Sam Smith collaborator Jimmy Napes and Amy Wadge, best-known for her work with Suffolk’s premiere dancefloor boogieman, Ed Sheeran.

You can’t argue with the hitmaking pedigree on display, and initially it seems as if they might get away with it: the opening title track marries a piano line designed to provoke Motown memories – specifically of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s You’re All I Need to Get By – with a killer chorus. But the uneasy feeling that they’re not really sure what to do sets in immediately with the arrival of If the World Just Danced, a frightful bit of anaemic pop-house that’s frankly so beneath Diana Ross, you suspect she had to wear a diving helmet while recording it. You listen to it first gripped by horror – not least because it’s hard to avoid the feeling it was put together specifically with Ross’s gay fans in mind, thus elevating it from the level of rubbish to that of insulting rubbish – and then panic. If this is their notion of a good idea, what else awaits? It didn’t look like Brian May’s name was in the special guest credits, but perhaps it’s best to double check.

He isn’t, and in fairness, Thank You never quite plumbs those depths again, although there are a few moments that run close: the point, three minutes into In Your Heart, when Diana Ross’s voice gets the one thing it’s always cried out for, a burst of enemies-of-the-Daleks-must-be-exterminated Auto-Tune; a breakneck-paced, weirdly unfunky bit of horn-heavy house called Tomorrow; the closing Come Together, which sounds like the syrupy finale from a musical. For the most part, it deals in the Diana Ross of Endless Love rather than that of Love Hangover. That it majors in ballads isn’t necessarily a problem, although the fact that the ballads arrive in varying degrees of runniness is. Put it this way, there are moments where you don’t need to check the songwriters’ CVs to know they’ve worked with Westlife. The best of them is probably Beautiful Love: melodically strong, tastefully orchestrated, but nothing fit to steal Touch Me in the Morning’s place in her setlists.

Infuriatingly, you get a couple of fleeting glimpses of a different Diana Ross album: tougher, funkier, less schmaltzy. I Still Believe offers Latin-flavoured disco: not amazing, but a marked improvement on most of what’s on offer here. Let’s Do It, however, is Thank You’s one unequivocal triumph: flurries of strings; a rhythm track that sounds as if it’s influenced by UK garage, of all things; an anticipatory, twilight atmosphere. It feels like proof that Diana Ross could still make a great album if she wanted to, if she was steered more carefully, or partnered more sympathetically. But she hasn’t been, and this is the result: Thank You, but no thank you.

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Diana Ross, Eminem, Jack White and Many More Light Up Detroit’s ‘Concert From Michigan Central’

By Caryn Rose

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When your all-star Detroit concert opens with none other than Miss Diana Ross gliding down the stage catwalk in an enormous cloud of orange chiffon singing “I’m Coming Out,” you are setting the bar high from the jump — especially if you’re kicking off an event with Eminem , Jack White , Jelly Roll, Common and many others.

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But six years ago, the Ford Motor Company decided to save the building, and now, after years of painstaking renovation and restoration, the building has reopened as an “innovation hub.” In theory, the concert is in celebration of the station’s revival — but in reality, it was a declaration: Detroit isn’t back, says the sizzle reel — it never left. (The concert, called “Live From Detroit: The Concert At Michigan Central” and produced by Oscars and Super Bowl Halftime veteran Jesse Collins, will air on NBC as a one-hour primetime special on June 9 starting at 7 p.m. ET/PT.)

Big Sean performed at the 2018 groundbreaking ceremony where Ford declared their intentions, and he was back tonight, visibly stoked to be on stage in front of the old train station, and his set reflected that: 2024’s “On Up,” a song about his son, along with “Blessings” and closing with “Bounce Back,” an absolutely relevant Detroit almost-anthem. This was followed by a tribute to 79-year-old local hero Bob Seger featuring Melissa Etheridge, Fantasia, and Jelly Roll. Etheridge’s smoky alto worked well on the low-key “Mainstreet,” but Fantasia’s turned up for a Tina Turner-esque rendition of “Shakedown,” Seger’s 1987 contribution to the “Beverly Hills Cop II” soundtrack. And Jelly Roll’s “Turn the Page” perfectly captured the original’s pathos. The three finished the tribute with a joint version of “Old Time Rock and Roll” — a predictable but energizing cap on their set.

Veteran rapper Common appeared with Slum Village in tribute to J Dilla in a segment that was introduced by the late, pioneering hip-hop producer’s mother, Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey. Dilla passed in 2006 but his stamp on hip-hop is indelible and continues to unfold in current artists influence and his absence are still very real to his friends, fans, and collaborators, as evidenced by the emotional performance tonight. 

Introductions tonight were handled by an array of popular local celebrities, sports figures, politicians —Governor Gretchen Whitmer made an early appearance before concluding with a verbal mic-drop, “Big Gretch, out!” — and Ford executives. Throughout the night, the train station’s iconic facade was creatively utilized as a backdrop, illuminated with lighting, special effects and tasteful implementations of pyrotechnics. The production was staged by Jesse Collins Entertainment, known for their work on large spectacles from the Super Bowl halftime show to countless awards shows. There was a clear roof over the stage just in case — the day before, a tornado had touched down in a nearby suburb during dress rehearsal — but Thursday night the problem wasn’t rain, it was wind so strong that the production could not fly the speaker columns or the video screens until the last few acts. Even with those challenges, the sound was stellar throughout Roosevelt Park, the grounds in front of the station where the free event took place in front of a crowd of approximately 20,000.

Techno City got its props during the set change before Jack White when DJ Skyy Jetta performed a tribute to genre pioneers the Belleville Three. Detroit is widely considered to be the birthplace of techno, and the genre’s history isn’t an afterthought here. Jetta’s brief but innovative set kept everyone moving as the anticipation for the end of the night approached. 

The always color-coordinated White, who grew up not far from where he was now performing, turned Michigan Central blue as he told the audience he was going to play some songs that were written “a few blocks from here.” After opening with “Here My Train a’ Comin” (OK he didn’t write that one) and “Hotel Yorba,” he was off and running. White is gifted with the ability to fill any space, no matter the size, with wall to wall rock and roll, and his set tonight was colossal. “Seven Nation Army” had the entire crowd singing and clapping along; they could probably hear the noise in the traffic on the Ambassador Bridge that crosses the Detroit River to Canada, just beyond the station. 

Any attendees who thought they were being smart and beating the traffic by leaving after White’s set probably regretted that decision when they got home. The between-set changeover took longer than others because it required making room for the entire Detroit Symphony Orchestra — who were there to accompany none other than Eminem, who executive produced the event. Every phone was held aloft the minute he walked onstage; his name wasn’t part of the official lineup, but attendees fervently believed he would be there anyway. 

Anticipation aside, it was an enormous, emotional performance that began with “Houdini” (and brought back Jelly Roll to sing the song’s sample from Aerosmith’s “Dream On”), “Sing for the Moment,” “Welcome 2 Detroit” — guest appearance by Trick Trick included — before finishing up with “Not Afraid.” This wasn’t any kind of vanity appearance — at the end of a night like this, Eminem hit the stage and delivered with all of his energy and intensity.

“Detroit, we up,” he announced at the end of “Not Afraid.” “We love you. Our city’s up. Let’s fucking go!” There was pyro. There were fireworks.  Michigan Central turned Ford blue, and the crowd headed out towards Michigan Avenue. (Head here for a full recap of Eminem’s set .)

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Diana Ross – ‘Thank You’ review: plenty of gratitude, but lacking in attitude

The singer's 25th studio album - her first with original material since 1999 - places an emphasis on schmaltzy, mid-tempo diva empowerment

Recent news reports had claimed that Diana Ross ’ first album of new material in over 20 years would see her chancing her arm creatively by working with Tame Impala’s chief cosmonaut Kevin Parker . Alas, there’s no such surprise collaboration on ‘Thank You’, with the singer instead opting to go big on cloying showbiz-trooper gratitude and saccharine co-writes with songwriters who’ve previously worked with the likes of Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith .

Recorded at Ross’ home studio during lockdown and produced by the omnipresent Jack Antonoff , there are flourishes and call backs to moments from the 77-year-old’s storied career throughout her 25th studio album. The nostalgic groove of its title track could have fallen through a wormhole from 1970, while the honeyed R&B of ‘In Your Heart’ sees Ross huskily sing “ r each out and touch somebody ” – a likely nod to her 1970 hit ‘Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)’.

Barring the upbeat reggaeton of ‘If The World Just Danced’, the R&B-inflected ‘Let’s Do It’ and the pass-the-Quaaludes campstravaganza of ‘I Still Believe’ (which sounds like it should be played under the moon and spoon of Studio 54), the emphasis of ‘Thank You’ is on schmaltzy, mid-tempo diva empowerment. There’s a fine line between ‘timeless’ and MOR, and Ross’ kitten heel is firmly on it with earnest, loungey paeans to the power of love like ‘Count On Me’ and ‘Just In Case’.

When she reaches the Siedah Garrett (the veteran songwriter responsible for Michael Jackson ’s ‘Man In The Mirror’)-penned torch song ‘The Answer’s Always Love’, Ross goes full grand dame histrionics. “ You can ignore the dreamer / But you can’t deny the dream ,” she sings, as you imagine fans weeping down in the front row of her Las Vegas residency.

The biggest problem, however, are the lyrics, which leave no cliché uncoined throughout the record. By the time you get halfway through ‘Thank You”s 13 tracks it feels like you’re being held hostage by a Little Book of Inspirational Quotes at ear-point, and you begin to yearn for some of Chic ’s patented “Deeper Hidden Meaning” that they brought to 1980’s ‘I’m Coming Out’’.

Ultimately, it feels as if everybody involved in ‘Thank You’ has reverentially tried to make the platonic ideal of a Diana Ross album, but instead fallen into the late-career artist deadzone of a pleasant record that neither particularly updates nor diminishes her legacy. Don’t get us wrong, it’s great to have Ross back – and she’ll slay Glastonbury when she finally gets her COVID-scuppered chance next year . But you do wonder what more could have been achieved here if everybody had thought outside the box and added a little more attitude instead of gratitude.

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Release date:  November 5

Record label: Decca

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Review: Diana Ross, still reigning supreme at 79, got her groove on at her San Diego concert Sunday

The Motown music legend and her 10-piece band performed to a near-capacity audience at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. It was the third date on her 2023 ‘The Music Legacy Tour,’ which opened Friday at Temecula’s Pechanga Resort Casino

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Diana Ross had at least one surprise up her sequined sleeve at her Sunday night concert at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park — and it was as welcome as it was unexpected.

No, it wasn’t the fact this seemingly ageless star — still getting her groove on at 79 — only left the stage twice to change from one eye-popping ensemble into another.

“You guys don’t get to get the last costume change!” Ross told the audience, after claiming not to know The Shell has a 10 p.m. curfew (a fact clearly stipulated in her performance contract).

It also wasn’t surprising that her 10-piece band was featured at length on several songs, the better to let Ross catch her breath offstage as she exchanged one brightly colored gown for another.

But what was surprising — and inspiring — is that a highlight during her hits-packed “The Music Legacy Tour 2023” concert here came with a relatively new selection few in the audience had heard before.

That song, the brassy, dance-happy “Tomorrow,” is a standout from 2021’s commercially moribund “Thank You,” Ross’ first new album since 2006’s “I Love You.”

She delivered “Tomorrow” — which came 70 minutes into her 90-minute performance — with infectious verve and energy. Ross sounded thoroughly engaged with the song, whose release came seven decades after she made her recording debut with “I Want a Guy.” (Released in 1961, “Guy” was her first single with the pioneering Motown vocal group The Supremes.)

Audience cheered heartily

Sunday’s near-capacity audience of 4,400 had a muted response when the legendary diva announced she was about to do a number from her latest album. But they cheered heartily when it concluded.

The enthusiastic reaction was a testament to the propulsive “Tomorrow’s” melodic appeal, its upbeat lyrics and to how thoroughly the nearly 80-year-old Ross threw herself into the forward-looking song.

“Some of you old-timers may not know that I have a new album,” she lamented. “You can’t hear the songs on the radio; you gotta go to Spotify or Apple. It’s different these days.”

“Tomorrow” was, alas, the only piece she included from “Thank You,” which is the 25th studio album of her career as a solo artist. Her concert at the Shell — as denoted by its “Music Legacy Tour” moniker — was crafted to celebrate the breadth and depth of her improbably long career.

That Ross only partially succeeded reflected just how formidable her repertoire remains. Or, as she succinctly noted: “I have too many songs, that’s for sure.”

Her surfeit of memorable material necessitated some trade-offs. So, while “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “It’s My House” and The Bee Gees-penned “Chain Reaction” were included in her set list Sunday, “You Keep Me Hanging On,” “Reflections” and her 1977 funk gem “Baby It’s Me” — by the great San Diego singer-songwriter Don Dunn — were among the songs that didn’t make the cut.

Ross took to the stage following a six-minute film that traced her rise from a Detroit housing project to international stardom.

The multi-generational audience cheered nearly as loudly for some bits in the film as for the concert that followed. And if Ross repeated on stage at least one line from the film — “I’m still here! I’m not going anywhere!” — well, it was a line worth repeating.

In the unlikely event, any concertgoers were daydreaming or somehow forgot whose legacy was being saluted, the large video screen at the rear of the stage offered nonstop reminders throughout the performance. Vintage photos and film clips showed Ross with The Supremes, throughout much of her subsequent solo career and with various collaborators, including Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson.

She opened the show with her celebratory 1980 hit, “I’m Coming Out,” which was written by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic. Her rendition clocked in at two minutes, less than half the length of her original album version.

Ross also zipped through five crowd-pleasing classics by The Supremes, starting with “Baby Love” and “Stop! In the Name of Love,” that averaged 2-1/2 minutes each. The fifth, “Love Child,” was extended to 5 minutes, but she was offstage for three of them for her first costume change.

Returning in a red gown and red ruffled cape, Ross delivered winning, back-to-back versions of two of her disco hits: 1979’s “The Boss” and 1980’s “Upside Down.” Both benefited from the sleek, note-perfect performances of her well-drilled band.

Ross played the audience as if it was a musical instrument at her fingertips, leading them in mass sing-alongs and arm waves. She won cheers when she chided security guards at the front of the stage who were trying to clear the aisles of dancing fans. It was a thankless and, ultimately, impossible task.

Girlish lilt

Ross’ voice has always been thin and wispy. It has grown more so with age, so she wisely had her four backing singers do much of the heavy lifting.

But her voice has retained much of its girlish lilt, while her personality and charisma enabled her to largely hold her own whether she was breathlessly crooning through the unabashedly sentimental ballad “Missing You” or romping through “Love Hangover.” And hearing her voice crack during her concert-concluding version of Gloria Gaynor’s pulsating 1978 ode to resiliency, “I Will Survive,” provided added pathos to the lyrics.

Ross didn’t dance up a storm from start to finish — she is a septuagenarian, after all.

But she was on her feet for the duration of her nearly two-dozen selections, offtage costume changes notwithstanding. And she knew exactly when to strut or add a well-timed shimmy-and-shake for maximum impact. For good measure, at one point during “Upside Down” she playfully patted her derriere.

“Now look,” Ross told the audience. “If I can move my body like this when I’m 47 — you know, I’m kidding, I’m 79 this year — (you can) move that body!”

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Diane Ross Offers a ‘Thank You’ to Her Fans

Diana Ross considers Thank You to be a “songbook of love”, and indeed all 13 cuts are explicitly about love, but there’s little passion in her romanticisms.

Diana Ross recorded some of the most notable records of the past 100 years. Her work with the Supremes and as a solo artist constitutes some of the greatest love songs ever made. Despite her musical protagonists’ age or situation, Ross displayed a combination of strength and fragility that revealed the complex nature of human feelings. Part of this was due to her youth. She started singing as a young girl. But even as she matured, Ross conveyed the innocence of one who saw the world ingenuously. There was that part of her sound that seemed to come from that more naïve and hopeful place.

That’s not true of Ross’ latest album, Thank You . She mostly sounds tired, and her voice seems wrapped in gauze. The record is grandiosely overproduced, so Ross often competes with walls of instrumentation and always loses. Consider cuts like “If the World Just Danced”, “Let’s Do It”, and “In Your Heart”, all of which she co-wrote. The songs seem static and tired despite the dance beats and polyrhythms.  Ross carefully annunciates the words, but she doesn’t infuse them with feeling. She comes off like a pro, reading from a teleprompter more than the talented diva she is.

Then some tracks evoke Ross’ past, like the title song and Siedah Garret’s “The Answer’s Always Love”. “Thank You” has a melody and refrain that frequently recalls Ross’ 1970 Motown hit “You’re All I Need to Get By” (written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson). The song was an ode to one’s soulmate. Ross co-wrote this cut which is also a tribute to the one’s true love, but while the original was full of heartfelt detail, the new one is generic with lines like, “Thank you for the smile / Thank you for the tears / Thank you for being who you are, for all those years.” Lyrics like this drain the sentiments of feeling.

Garret is best known for co-penning Michael Jackson’s call for individual social responsibility and love, “The Man in the Mirror”. “The Answer’s Always Love” is a tribute to Jackson and concerns similar themes to “The Man in the Mirror” (i.e., “What if there were no problems that we couldn’t solve? / What if the only thing we needed to do was get involved? / That’s when we’d all know we are one.”). The song’s presence reminds one of Ross’ connections to the Gloved One. She sings it in a voice reminiscent of her old protégé’s singing.

Ross considers the album a “songbook of love”, and indeed all 13 cuts are explicitly about love. Other titles include “Beautiful Love”, “Come Together”, and “(In Love) I Still Believe”. As such, all the cliches about love of all types are covered. However, there’s little passion in her romanticisms. Ross recorded the album in her home studio and is perhaps a little too comfortable. While I only wish this amazing artist good things in life, maybe she needs some more trouble in her music to keep it more interesting. After all, when she had the blues, she got an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role and a number one album!

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Diana Ross tour review, setlist, photos and more

Motown legend Diana Ross made a dedication to the fan who she saw had been dancing all night

• 14:42, 16 JUN 2022

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There was lots of glitz and sparkle shining in the summer sun as many flamboyantly dressed Diana Ross fans made their way into the First Direct Arena.

They waited patiently at the security checks with that being a mere footnote in the delay of Diana Ross’ UK tour which was halted because of the coronavirus pandemic . Inside, those who ardently love the Motown icon got the chance to show off their glittery outfits in all their splendour at the big Leeds funk and soul disco.

Ahead of her taking to the arena’s stage, support act Zak Abel, spoke of his admiration for Ross and covered a dancefloor fave Good Times by Chic. Rather fittingly, later in the evening when Ross joined her band making a grand entrance, to rapturous applause, she opened with I’m Coming Out - a collaboration with Chic’s Nile Rodgers.

Read more: Kaiser Chiefs and George Ezra to headline Temple Newsam music festival

This then led to a joyous tour of The Supremes’ best hits, of course fronted by Ross, with showstopper after showstopper coming in the opening period of the concert. Baby Love into Stop! In the Name of Love (where all in attendance raised their hands as sassily as possible) and You Can't Hurry Love were just wonderful.

Ross, one of music’s true divas, was accompanied by a 14-piece ensemble band but in fact there were actually over 10,000 backing singers in the audience all playing their part - the crowd were ridiculously loud at times. This is something which seemed to humble Ms Ross who on at least one occasion looked to wipe away a tear. Throughout the show, part of her Thank You tour, the world famous singer spoke of how much she loved her fans and being in Leeds on tour.

Sometimes when performers make these admissions it can feel a little hollow and transparent but, in this instance, there was a sense of gratitude and clear sentiment from the Detroit star - who has sold over 100m albums. And, her voice was incredibly impressive, although maybe this is to be expected as she’s still only 47 after all...

A loose fact she joked with her audience about. She’s actually 78 and has been performing since the age of 14. Later in the evening, we got a mix of Ross' biggest solo hits and collaborations as well as a couple covers. I’m Still Waiting, Upside Down and I Will Survive being just some of the night's highlights.

The musical great’s band were also brilliant and effortlessly filled for time as Ross exited the stage for her four costume changes. If you are in any doubt, the frocks were undoubtedly fabulous. The occasion was just full of fun and you couldn't want for more at Leeds First Direct Arena on Wednesday.

Ross probably wouldn’t describe the show, or the night’s preceding one in Manchester, as such but the performance was something of a warm-up for her massive legends slot, in front of hundreds of thousands, at Glastonbury later this month. Once again, based on Ross’ Leeds performance and greatest hits set, the Eavis family might well have pulled off another masterstroke with their legends booking. It had been hard to see anything eclipsing Lionel Richie and Dolly Parton’s previous sets, both stuff of Pilton folklore, but on this form it is likely Ross will be one of the highlights of Glasto 2022.

Not least because of that purposeful attention the star has clearly given to her audience during this run of UK shows. While screens showed montages of Ross throughout the years there was also a camera floating around the crowd all night with the masses displayed on screen - it was always a sea of smiles (this reviewer’s ugly mug did feature twice which, admittedly, was difficult for all concerned).

As the show went on, we had audience members screaming out declarations of marriage and love for the disco queen. While, in the encore, there was quite a tender couple of minutes where Ross asked for a chair to be brought out and the house lights raised.

Something she regularly does during her Las Vegas concerts she spoke, seated centre stage, to the audience and answered some of their questions. It concluded in a rather touching moment where she spoke to a fan on the front row, who’d she noticed had been dancing with everything he’d got, all night, who asked if Ross and her band would do a rendition of It’s My Turn.

You can watch Diana Ross' interaction with a Leeds fan below

After a little conversation with those behind her, Ross, duly obliged and it was so apparent that moment made that fan’s night - if not his year. It is mighty impressive too performing an unplanned song off the cuff too.

Hopefully there will be a tender moment like this, complimented by an ridiculously infectious supply of disco classics, that will go viral after Ross’ Glasto appearance - which will be televised to millions.

In short, if you are off to Worthy Farm in a few weeks, then don’t miss the musical great that is Diana Ross.

• I'm Coming Out
• More Today Than Yesterday
• My World Is Empty Without You
• Stop! In the Name of Love
• You Can't Hurry Love
• Chain Reaction
• I'm Still Waiting
• Upside Down
• Love Hangover / Take Me Higher / Ease on Down the Road
• Why Do Fools Fall in Love
• If We Hold on Together
• If the World Just Danced
• Theme From Mahogany
• Ain't No Mountain High Enough
• I Will Survive
• It's My Turn

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Photo: Ross Naess

Thank You’ is Diana Ross’ 25th studio album and the first since 2006’s wretched ‘I Love You’—a covers record that would have otherwise served as an unsatisfactory coda to a magnificent recording career. And while there is no evidence that this will indeed be the 77-year-old Michigander’s last offering, it’s hard to avoid a sense of finality as that title runs up against songs full of groove, heart and sentimentality.

A main offender here is If The World Just Danced, a Europop song clearly aimed at underlining Ross’s status as a queer icon. The track is locked into the 1990s with dated drum patches, brain-warp samples and scattergun melodic motifs. It’s trying to cash in on Ross-as-1970s-disco-icon, but lacks the innovation, bravery and creativity of that heyday.

That said, there are some nice turns on ‘Thank You’. Count on Me is an elegant ballad with a detailed arrangement and the nebulous gentility that has bolstered much of Ross’s softer work. Elsewhere, I Still Believe starts as a musical theatre piano ditty before dropping into a disco two-step of emotional complexity and integrity. It’s one of the album’s high points.

Additionally, closer Come Together is an attempt at a groovy anthem that has some brilliant work undermined by shoddy processed horns. It’s a vexing choice one suspects could have been obviated had there been a more direct, powerful producer.

While Diana Ross is in the upper echelon of pop grandees, ‘Thank You’ demonstrates how her catalogue of hits is probably some way behind those belonging to Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner or Whitney Houston. It’s an album that, though full of compassion and experience, lacks newness and modernity and takes the easy road too often.

Diana Ross Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:

Fri June 10 2022 - CARDIFF Cardiff Castle Sun June 12 2022 - CAMBRIDGE Childerley Orchard Tue June 14 2022 - MANCHESTER AO Arena Wed June 15 2022 - LEEDS first direct Arena Fri June 17 2022 - GLASGOW SSE Hydro Sat June 18 2022 - LIVERPOOL M&S Bank Arena Mon June 20 2022 - BIRMINGHAM Utilita Arena Tue June 21 2022 - ST AUSTELL Eden Project Thu June 23 2022 - LONDON O2 Arena Fri June 24 2022 - LONDON O2 Arena Tue June 28 2022 - LANCASHIRE Lytham Green Wed June 29 2022 - DURHAM Emirates Riverside

Compare & Buy Diana Ross Tickets at Stereoboard.com.

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Review: Diana Ross – Thank You

It’s a pleasure to see Diana Ross return with a new full-length release. “Thank You” is her first record of originals in over 20 years, yet the songs sound familiar, which seems to be very much intentional. The album consists of 13 tracks with a cool blend of soul and disco sound in classic Diana Ross fashion. The 77-year-old ex-Supremes star made this record happen in her home studio during the pandemic, along with a team of songwriters and producers led by Jack Antonoff. The aim of her 23rd solo album is clear: all she wants is to put a smile on everyone’s face and make us enjoy the moment. “Thank You” is pep talk and nostalgia together in one worthwhile LP.

→ Listen to Pop Magazine’s playlists on Spotify

Comprised of sweet songs spreading an optimistic wave of love and life, this album invites the listener to a warm party. The host of our get-together is full of love and joy and welcomes everyone. “No matter what the question is, the answer is always love”, she sings in her song. For Ross, “Thank You” is also a moment of reflection on a lifetime of experiences. This album can take you places and make you ponder upon your own way of living. Ross and her team are evoking Motown memories with this production through beautiful ballads and dance floor tunes. And with its uplifting mood, listening to this album seems like going through a book of inspirational quotes.

“Thank You” is certainly a good album, however, it can’t plunge the same depth that Ross could during her peak time. Although there are a few moments which come quite close in the way it deals with the Ross of “Endless Love” rather than the Ross of “Love Hangover”. The songs on “Thank You” don’t fit into the modern music culture but they could still mend some of today’s problems if people really listen. If you’re old enough, these songs can certainly take you back to the 90s and help you relive your favorite memories associated with pop culture and soul music of the late 20th century.

  Written by Waleed Qaisrani

Waleed is a content creator, music lover, and Aerospace engineer. He loves to write and tell amazing stories to people through his work. He loves to discover any form of art whether it is in the form of music, photography or storytelling. As a photographer and traveler, he loves to explore new places all the time while listening to music in this journey of life.

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Chicago Concert Reviews

We’ve got the windy city covered., “ain’t no mountain high enough” for diana ross throughout supreme hard rock live lovefest.

Posted by Andy Argyrakis

Words like “icon” and “legend” get thrown around so much nowadays, they’ve lost much of their meaning, but there’s still one Supreme superstar in the form of peerless performer Diana Ross.

Not only has the double Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee blazed the trail for each subsequent generation of divas, but she hasn’t slowed down a shred since the 1960s, even at 79-years-old, recording the new album, “Thank You,” during the pandemic and presenting it alongside a multitude of classics throughout “The Music Legacy” Tour, backed by six musicians, two background singers and a giant video wall.

The headliner’s tenure in The Supremes was a significant part of the front half thanks to “Baby Love,” “Stop! In The Name Of Love,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Love Child,” all signaling this was going to be nothing but a lovefest.

The audience heaped their affections right back at the vocally and visually beautiful artist for both the ballad “Touch Me In The Morning” and the bounce of “Upside Down,” in spite of a gracefully handled wardrobe malfunction involving sequins and wires.

Ross further rewarded faithful via “Ease On Down The Road” from “The Wiz,” plus the immortal likes of “Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” accompanied by triumphant footage of her record-breaking and history-making Central Park concert.

Though the house lights rose to indicate the end, the cheers were so loud and unceasing that a casually dressed Ross and the band came back for impromptu editions of “Tomorrow” and “Thank You,” either of which could’ve capped off an unprecedented career had she not had so much life and love left to give.

For additional information on Diana Ross, visit DianaRoss.com .

Upcoming concert highlights at Hard Rock Live Northern Indiana include The Killers (May 11); Wayne Newton and Tony Orlando (May 13); Billy Currington (May 19); Andrew Schulz (May 20); Incognito (Jun. 3); Kevin Hart (Jun. 10); Kevin James (Jun. 18); Halsey (Jun. 30); Cypress Hill (Jul. 2); Dream Theater (Jul. 7); Jimmie Allen (Jul. 8); Weezer (Jul. 9); Shinedown (Jul. 21); Deon Cole (Jul. 29); Volbeat (Jul. 30); Extreme (Aug. 17); W.A.S.P. (Aug. 20); Daryl Hall (Aug. 22); Gipsy Kings (Sept. 29); Styx (Oct. 13); Tom Segura (Oct. 14); Aaron Lewis (Oct. 27-28) and Grand Funk Railroad (Nov. 2). For additional details, visit HardRockCasinoNorthernIndiana.com .

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Diana Ross kicks off Eminem-produced Michigan Central concert in epic fashion

• Updated: Jun. 06, 2024, 11:30 p.m. |
• Published: Jun. 06, 2024, 8:40 p.m.

• Edward Pevos | [email protected]

DETROIT - We knew this would be an epic concert, we just didn’t realize just how monumental the Michigan Central Open would actually be. The world is watching live on Peacock and locally on WDIV-TV in Detroit, a concert the likes we have never witnessed in Michigan and may never witness again. And it’s just getting started.

In a scene that can only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime atmosphere in front of nearly 20,000 people with the iconic, six years in the making, renovated Michigan Central Station in the background, Motown legend Diana Ross, kicked off the Eminem-executive produced concert in grand fashion just after 8:30 p.m.

The legendary Detroiter performed some of her biggest hits with “I’m Coming Out,” “Upside Down,” “Thank You” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

As the concert continues, also scheduled to perform are: Jack White, Big Sean, Fantasia, Common, Melissa Etheridge, Jelly Roll and The Clark Sisters, among others. The concert will also feature a tribute to Bob Seger .

Joining the performers at this concert throughout the evening will be a number of famous Detroit faces as presenters, like Barry Sanders, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jared Goff, Judge Greg Mathis, Loni Love, Sam Richardson, Taylor Lautner, Mike Epps and Sophia Bush. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Bill Ford Jr. also addressed the crowd right before the concert began.

Michigan Central first opened back in 1913. It closed in 1988 and it lay abandoned until Ford purchased it in 2018. After a six-year restoration, Ford just unveiled this week what the inside looks like.

More Michigan Central :

First look inside the once abandoned Michigan Central, restored to its 1913 glory

See Michigan Central Station before and after 6 years of restoration

Take a tour of Michigan Central Station’s ground floor renovations

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Diana Ross Setlist at Michigan Central Station, Detroit, MI, USA

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• I'm Coming Out Play Video
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Diana Ross Gig Timeline

• May 17 2024 New Jersey Performing Arts Center Newark, NJ, USA Start time: 8:05 PM 8:05 PM
• May 18 2024 OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino Niagara Falls, ON, Canada Start time: 9:00 PM 9:00 PM
• Jun 06 2024 Michigan Central OPEN 2024 This Setlist Detroit, MI, USA Add time Add time
• Jun 27 2024 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison, CO, USA  –  Find tickets Scheduled: 7:30 PM Tickets 7:30 PM
• Aug 09 2024 Plænen Tivoli Copenhagen, Denmark Add time Add time

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Review: Detroit's stars show city love at Michigan Central Station concert

Detroit — The city’s stars showed up and entertained a hometown crowd Thursday night for one of the biggest moments in a year filled with big moments for Detroit and Michigan.

The pinnacle of the evening was like a Detroit-centric fever dream: a surprise finale from rap superstar Eminem performing his new single “Houdini” in front of a reborn Michigan Central Station while backed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra after an introduction from Bill Ford himself. 

Eminem largely let the music and the high-production light show speak for him, offering few words to the hyped-up audience that just witnessed a rapid-fire, celebrity-filled, 90-minute show on which the award-winning rapper had executive producer credit. After the song "Houdini," which was just released Friday, Eminem brought out Jelly Roll for Aerosmith's "Dream On" followed by fellow Detroiter Trick Trick for his song "Welcome 2 Detroit."

"Detroit! Did you enjoy your (expletive) self tonight" Em asked during his final song "Not Afraid" just before a burst of fireworks. "Detroit, we love you. Our city's up, let's (expletive) go"

While many of Detroit’s musical forces were represented — Motown, techno, rock and roll, blues and more — it was the scorching guitar of southwest Detroit’s own Jack White toward the end of the evening that had the crowd stomping, clapping and singing along during the rock anthem “Seven Nation Army.” 

White and his band started with "Hotel Yorba," the 2001 single from the White Stripes' third album "White Blood Cells." The tune refers to a real place less than two miles from the iconic train station being feted Thursday night.

Although billed as a headliner, Diana Ross opened Thursday’s Michigan Central Station concert in front of 20,000 people, underlining the show’s anything-can-happen vibe in the first few minutes. 

Dressed in a flowing bright orange floor-length dress, the breathy diva started with her 1980 hit “I’m Coming Out” — now an LGBTQ anthem and the perfect choice for not only the reopening occasion but also because June is Pride Month. 

Ross, 80, is one of Motown Records’ most successful artists and fronted the legendary Supremes, one of the top female vocal acts of all time. 

“Thank you, Detroit, coming home,” she ad-libbed during her song “Thank You.” “Thank you for your love! Thank you for this wonderful night.”

Detroit rapper Big Sean was also dressed in monochrome — all black leather — as he cranked up the energy level of the concert for his three-song set that included “Blessed” and “Bounce Back.” He began with a new song "On Up," which he dedicated to his son, Noah, whom he shares with singer Jhené Aiko.

Keeping the rockstar-in-all-black theme going, Melissa Etheridge started the Bob Seger tribute portion of the evening by singing and playing guitar to “Main Street” after a quick introduction from actor Taylor Lautner. 

“Fantasia, c’mon!” quipped Etheridge before the R&B singer shimmied out to absolutely crush Seger’s 1987 jam “Shakedown." Jelly Roll followed with a throaty version of “Turn the Page” before all three stars came together to do justice to a hand-clapping, soul-infused snippet of “Old Time Rock and Roll.” 

Between tributes to all of Detroit’s musical genres, the proud calls of “what up doe?” marched on with blink-and-you’ll-miss-them appearances from Jalen Rose, Mike Epps, Sophia Bush, Judge Greg Mathis, Loni Love, Sam Richardson and others. Earlier in the show, NFL and Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders took the stage with current Lions Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. John to cheers of “Barry! Barry!” from the crowd. 

Detroit hip-hop group Slum Village and Chicago rapper Common joined forces for a polished set in tribute to late Detroit producer J Dilla followed by a heavenly, emotion-filled vignette from the Clark Sisters and Kierra Sheard. Their powerful voices were a major highlight of the evening, and one that didn't need to be punctuated by pyrotechnics.

The booty-shaking crowd became the show during Sky Jetta’s DJ set with the sun fully set and the weekend just on the horizon. Shots of the audience and performers were shown on a handful of video screens in the park, but unfortunately for some they were partially obstructed by stacks of speakers.

The concert in Roosevelt Park was part of the festivities associated with Ford Motor Company's reopening of Michigan Central Station, the once-abandoned Corktown landmark that closed in 1988 and for decades stood as a symbol of Detroit's decline. In front of national television cameras and a crowd of thousands, Detroit-bred heroes appeared and performed on the front lawn of the station, showing the city and the world that Detroit is on the rise.  

Headlined by Motown diva Ross, rocker White and Big Sean — all three are alums of Cass Tech — the hyped-up event started on time with a preshow with the Martin Luther King Jr. High School marching band and musical tributes to Detroit neighborhoods Corktown, Mexicantown and southwest Detroit. 

 Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and  Gov. Gretchen Witmer took the stage before Ross’ 11-minute set, walking out together to Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours.”

“The best thing about Detroit is the Detroiters! I love you, Detroit. Big Gretch, out,” said Whitmer. 

“How does it feel to be in Detroit tonight?” Duggan asked the crowd as the sun started to dip behind a cloud cluster. He did his best to hype the crowd up for Bill Ford, who came out to Alice Cooper’s “Under My Wheels” wearing sunglasses and blue suit jacket. 

While the show was livestreamed to Peacock and aired locally on WDIV-TV, it will also run as a one-hour, primetime special at 7 p.m. Sunday on NBC.

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Eminem Performs Surprise ‘Sing For the Moment’ With Jelly Roll, Debuts ‘Houdini’ Live at All-Star Michigan Central Station Re-Opening

Other highlights from Thursday night's (June 6) concert included performances from Diana Ross, Fantasia, Big Sean, Common and Jack White.

By Gary Graff

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That meant a lot to White, who grew up in the same neighborhood. Before the show, he told reporters he’d ride his bicycle over to the site during the 80s and watched it deteriorate as he began his music career. “If you’d have asked me then if this place was ever coming back… there’s no way. It’s just too massive a job,” White said, calling the renovation, “just incredible.”

It was also personal for Patti Smith, who attended to accept a special pre-show Michigan Central Honor — along with White, Slum Village and the late J Dilla — for contributions as global ambassadors for Detroit. Smith, who shared her honor with her late husband and MC5 veteran Fred “Sonic” Smith (daughter Jesse Paris accompanied her), told Billboard that, “Fred loved the train station, and he would fantasize about it being restored and opened to the people. He really talked about it quite a bit, so I know that this would have made him very happy. It means something to me that they’re honoring him, as he should be, and I’m happy to be included with him.”

The show itself — which was streamed on Peacock and will be edited into a one-hour NBC special at 7 p.m. ET/PT on Sunday (June 9) — was a nearly two-hour party celebrating the city and its musical heritage, but with a global perspective. “We’ve been invested in trying to rebrand the image of the city and how people see it for a long time,” Rosenberg, who worked in conjunction with Jesse Collins Entertainment, explained to Billboard prior to the show. “The challenge was, ‘What kind of picture can we paint here that’s going to be interesting not just locally but nationally?’ We wanted to make a compelling program that’s going to interest people across the country , not just people who are familiar with Detroit. 

Rosenberg added that he and Eminem used the adage “as goes Detroit, so goes the nation” — from a 1942 Arthur Pond essay in The Atlantic — “as a framework… all these ideas about how the city is viewed not just locally but nationally to help frame the program.”

Starting with a Motown legend didn’t hurt, of course. Ross, clad in a mass of tangerine tulle, began the night with singalong versions of her solo hits “I’m Coming Out” and “Upside Down,” plus the title track from her 2021 album Thank You before finishing with a soaring “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” “It’s so good to be home,” Ross said before leaving the stage. “I love you so much.”

“I’ll be Forever Soul, but there’s a little rock in me,” Fantasia told Billboard , invoking the name of her new company. “I wanted that challenge.” 

Common was an out-of-towner in the house — though, being from Chicago, he told the Detroit crowd “we’re cousins” — as he recited “Didn’t One Know,” his tone poem about J Dilla. Slum Village also gave props to the late Baatin and Amp Fiddler as the duo performed “Fail in Love” and “Get Dis Money,” the latter with Dilla’s younger brother Illa J and both with the Blackstone band. “We’re always gonna represent the legacy,” the group’s T3 said before  the concert. Common joined Slum Village to close the segment with a poignant rendition of “The Light.”

The Clark Sisters, in glittery gold dresses and joined by the Greater Emmanuel Choir, then took the estimated 20,000 fans to church with “Livin'” and “Blessed & Highly Favored” before backing Sheard — daughter of Karen Clark-Sheard — on a powerhouse version of her “Miracles.” Sheard stayed on stage for the Clarks’ signature hit “You Brought the Sunshine,” a stunner even if the sky was turning dark. 

A pair of DJs, Theo Parrish and Sky Jetta, represented Detroit’s famed techno heritage, while White brought the rock and the White Stripes with “some songs that were written a couple blocks from here” — debuting a new two-keyboard band lineup on “Hotel Yorba” and a “Seven Nation Army” that was literally on fire as (planned) pyrotechnics and flames erupted to accent the anthem.

“Timing worked out for us fortunately great because we just dropped a single — that wasn’t always the case when we agreed to jump on board,” Rosenberg noted. “We weren’t sure we were going to have new music out. It happened to work out great, and it became an opportunity to perform a new song.”

Dionne Harmon, president of Jesse Collins Entertainment — which also produces Super Bowl halftime shows and a variety of awards shows, among other events — told Billboard that the universal appeal of the artists ultimately opened the door for “Live From Detroit” to be a streaming and network special. “Everybody knew this wasn’t just a Detroit story or an American story, but a global story,” she said. “So we started looking for a partner who could help us tell this story. We’ve done a lot of work with NBC in the past; when we took this to them they fell in love with the story and the city, the same way we did.”

The performers, meanwhile, bought into the idea of telling that story together. “These things, you never know how they’re gonna turn out, who’s gonna show up and who’s gonna be invited,” said White, who attended the same high school as Ross and Big Sean. “When they were first talking about Eminem and Diana Ross and Slum Village I thought, ‘Wow, if that really happens….”

“It’s one of the biggest events Detroit’s ever seen,” Slum Village’s T3 gushed. “Even the other artists I just met today, like Jelly Roll, which was super cool… We’re having a good time out here, and it’s just a beautiful event.”

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