It takes a long time to get to be a diva. I mean, you gotta work at it.
— Diana Ross
My life has often been described as 'from rags to riches,' but in fact, the Rosses were never raggedy.
It has always been, and still is, my intention to build a playground in Central Park.
I don't have to sit around and wait for the next movie to come along, I can go out and sing.
I'd traveled a lot, was going temporarily insane and became very successful, but there was no one to take that all home to.
If I'm with a man I'm soft and buttery.
I have never gotten into the label thing.
I just appreciate still having the longevity that I've had in my career.
It's the first time I have returned to my roots - like going back to be a trio. The fans really wanted me to go back on stage and do the Supremes music, so I went about trying to make it happen. We'll go on tour in the summer.
Criticism, even when you try to ignore it, can hurt. I have cried over many articles written about me, but I move on and I don't hold on to that .
Years ago I wanted to buy an apartment in New York City. I was a single female - I had gone through my divorce - I had three children, I was in show business and black. It was, like, impossible.
I have three girls, and I say the same thing to them. I'm not involved in their careers because I've learned that it's important for them to stand on their own two feet. They'll feel better and prouder of themselves if they do.
I think a responsibility comes with notoriety, but I never think of it as power. It's more like something you hold, like grains of sand. If you keep your hand closed, you can have it and possess it, but if you open your fingers in any way, you can lose it just as quickly.
I'm not really a songwriter - I'm an interpreter. So in a sense I am an actress first and foremost. I act out the songs, and I lead with my heart.
I was brought up in this part of Detroit that they used to call the ghetto.
You can't just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream. You've got to get out there and make it happen for yourself.
If I have someone who believes in me, I can move mountains.
The first time I heard a Billie Holiday record, I thought, 'What's so great about Billie Holiday?'
People don't know about the human part of me that really cares about the world. For instance, I don't know what I feel about wearing my furs anymore. I worked so hard to have a fur coat, and I don't want to wear it anymore because I'm so wrapped up in the animals. I have real deep thoughts about it because I care about the world and nature.
I'm a dreamer.
I don't get fat, I get skinny.
My children come first and the career comes in around that.
I don't think getting in and out of a limousine has anything to do with being an icon.
Being a parent is very important to me.
No, nothing really upsets me.
With the Supremes I made so much money so fast all I wanted to do was buy clothes and pretty things. Now I'm comfortable with money and it's comfortable with me.
I don't judge people by their sexual orientation or the color of their skin, so I find it really hard to identify someone by saying that they're a gay person or a black person or a Jewish person.
I try to choose the songs that really are basically coming from my heart. I think that through the songs that I select, people know what's going on in my life.
I'm a parent, and I try to take care of my health and keep my life in order. In the last few years I've really had to decide what's important to me, and it seems to me that my family and my health are top on the list. And those have nothing to do with show business.
When we first began, we didn't have any hits.
You know, you do need mentors, but in the end, you really just need to believe in yourself.
My family called me a wiggle tail because I was a little skinny, wiry kid full of energy.
They tell me that it will be hard to find a man strong enough to love my own strength and independence, and not worry about being Mr. Diana Ross, but I disagree. I know absolutely that that man is somewhere out there.
I know that my fans want to know who I'm sleeping with, but it's really none of their business.
I want an autobiography without revealing any personal information.
I think that if my voice for some reason changes - because your voice does change - then it's time for me not to sing.
One thing you cannot control is nature.
I even thought of adopting a child as a single mother.
I keep a great organiser, I try to keep my priorities in the right place.
Icon. What is an icon? When someone is iconic it means they have established a certain kind of legacy possibly, and I think it does come with time. It's something in the arts, I feel. Maybe not, maybe it doesn't have to be in the arts exactly. I'm not really sure. But I don't think you are born an icon.
I listen to most everything that's out there because I need to stay aware of what's happening in the industry.
I look forward to the future - and going into the studio to make new music.
I was looking at making a shift in my career. I've been so blessed I'd like to be able to give that back. If I could find young artists, young performers I can nurture to have a career I would really like that.
I learned something from that. If someone asks me something that I really don't want to do, I say no. I have to trust that. And I'm not afraid to talk money.
You see, I've never really studied acting.
I majored in fashion design in school, and I have always wanted to design my own line of clothing, jewelry, and stuff like that; so this was just a step for me in that direction.
So I'm not worried about the emotions I carry with me, because I'm happy that I have them; I think it's good for the work I do. The emotions that are not healthy are the ones you hold inside, like anger.
My father worked hard, but we were still very poor; and I didn't want anybody arguing about money, so I became the entertainer - the one who wanted everyone to be happy. I didn't want there to be any problems.
Instead of looking at the past, I put myself ahead twenty years and try to look at what I need to do now in order to get there then.
My travels led me to where I am today. Sometimes these steps have felt painful, difficult, but led me to greater happiness and opportunites.
