1969- Diana Ross

Randy says Michael loved working with Diana, April, 1979


Randy says that Michael is very excited with the Wiz. “He loved it. He knows and loves Diana and that made it so much easier for him. She’s like a sister. He loved the original film and loved the play. He saw it when he didn’t know he was going to do the movie. He saw it about thirteen times.”

MJ talks about how he speaks to Diana on the phone, Ebony, September, 1979


On whether he has any close friends

“There are a lot of people I like, and I think they like me, but only time will tell whether our friendships are really true ones, close ones. Diana Ross and I have some deep, deep conversations at times-especially on the phone, because I’m much deeper in conversation on the phone than I am in person.”

Stephanie Mills speaks about Diana, Reading Eagle, Dec 28 1979


One of Mills’ disappointments, although she’d rather not talk about it, is the fact that Diana Ross got the movie role in “Wiz,” a role that she wanted very, very badly.

“I visited the Wiz set,” Mills is saying, trying to sound cheerful and not succeeding, “and Diana asked me if I was bitter that she was there and I was just passing through,” she recollects. Ross, by innuendo, made her feel even worse. “She told me that if she didn’t get Wiz that Melba Moore or Lola Falana were next in line.”

Michael speaks about how he wanted copies of photos made for Diana, "Before He Was King", Todd Gray, photos taken in 1980


We arranged to do this shoot of Michael in the Presidential Suite of the Peach Tree Hotel in Atlanta in the late afternoon, the time photographers call the “magic hour,” when the light casts a warm glow and the angle of the sun creates deep shadows. Throughout the session, Michael tended to look away from the camera and directly into the lens, and he only smiled once of twice during the forty-five-minute shoot. We barely spoke to one another, not wanting to break the spell. I made minimal hand gestures to direct him, and I would nod and hum approvingly when I was sure I got something special.

Later, when I showed him the proof sheets of the photo session, he ordered two large prints of every picture, which was highly unusual. Typically, if someone orders one or two pictures from a session, it’s considered a success. I was blown away. “Two of every single one? That’s about 144 prints… Michael answered, “Yes, I can count. I want one set for myself and one for Diana [Ross]. Todd, this is magic.”

Michael speaks about Diana checking in on him, Melody Maker, March 1, 1980
http://www.the-michael-jackson-archives.com/mmake.html


“Every day [Diana Ross] would stop in my room and ask me if I wanted anything. She’s a real, real mother. We met her when we auditioned for Berry Gordy at his mansion in Detroit — and it’s really a mansion. You think everything seemed big to you when you were a little kid because you were small, but we were back there on the last tour and — ooh — it’s still huge. It’s got everything — an indoor pool, a bowling alley, a gold course — and we auditioned at the pololside. Diana came over and told us how much she loved us and wanted to play a big part in our career. So she introduced us to the public. Our first hit album was called ‘Diana Ross Presentes The Jackson Five.’

When we came out with ‘Destiny,’ which was our first album writing all the songs and producing ourselves, she told us she’s proud of what we’re doing. She told me: to be with Motown or not be with Motown, she’ll always be here for us when we need her.

She checked in on me today. She’s in New York and she heard I was in hospital — I don’t know what made her think so — and I got a message that she wants me to call her. She really cares.

Michael says that Diana is very special to him, Blues and Soul, May 6-19th, 1980


How much help and influence did you get from Diana Ross in those early days?

“Diana was – and still is – like a overseer for the whole group. As well as Berry Gordy – they were the two. You know, Berry has only ever managed two groups in the whole Motown history – the Supremes and the Jackson 5. But when we auditioned for Berry in Detroit, Diana came over when we were finished and she kissed and said that we were going to go a long, long way and that she wanted to be a part of it – and that’s what she did. In the things we have done together – such as “The Wiz” or the MTV specials – she been for us 100% and making sure that everything was done for us that could be done.

So she is someone very special to you?

MJ: Very!

Michael is Diana's date to the American Music Awards, January 30, 1981


Michael attends the American Music Awards with Diana Ross as his date for the evening.

Michael and Diana perform Upside Down together onstage, February 5, 1981


During a Diana Ross concert in Los Angeles, Michael gets on stage to sing Upside Down with her.

Michael and Diana film a special together, March 2, 1981


CBS airs a Diana Ross’s TV Special featuring Michael. Together, they perform Rock With You & Ease On Down The Road (with Quincy Jones on the piano)

Diana speaks about men in her life and how sometimes Michael is her date, Toledo Blade - Mar 1, 1981


“It would be nice to have somebody to share my life,” says Diana, “somebody who is mine. I really don’t like transit affairs – I can’t stand that.

“I want a family relationship, but a lot of men get really scared of that. They’re afraid of getting tied up, trapped.”

Diana’s steady date and lover for the past year has been Gene Simmons for the rock group KISS. She took up with him after being introduced by Cher… soon after Cher gave him up.

But there are problems.

For one thing, Simmons won’t go out in public without a mask and, of course, he appears on stage only with full face makeup, usually with his tongue extended.

Complains Diana: “When I went to the Golden Globes, I wanted Gene to come with me, but he couldn’t go, because it’s a big deal about his face and everything.”

Keeping covered started as a gimmick for Simmons, but now, according to Diana, it has grown into much more.

“His ego has nothing to do with showing his face. He wanted very much to go with me to the American Music Awards and thought of sitting in the back, but we knew there would be problems.

“So again, that left me without a date. So I took Steve Binder (a television producer). Sometimes, Michael Jackson and I end up being dates.”

She sighs, stretching on the sofa like a cat, her slender limbs sheathed in a satin jump suit.

Michael is asked about his relationship with Diana, April, 1981


Alright Michael, so just what’s all this about you and Diana Ross?

He looks to the floor and flounders a bit.

“We’re just good friends.”

Fan sees Michael backstage at a Diana Ross show, "My Michael Jackson Encounters" Blackwomenconnect, 1980
http://blackwomenconnect.com/cgi-bin/blog.cgi?blog_id=139706&cid=10


One afternoon I was backstage as Diana Ross was rehearing for a special I was assigned to. I felt someone come up from behind, and there were three black guys. It was Michael with his two brothers. I can’t tell you which of his brothers, because I was absolutely mesmerized by the quiet, unassuming Michael who greeted Diana with a hug, as I stood just ten feet away.

I couldn’t say anything to him, because I was shocked he was there. It was surprise to everyone. He turned around, and we caught one another’s eyes. He smiled. I smiled back, and just like that he was gone.

Michael is Diana's date to the Oscars, March 31, 1981


Michael attend the Academy Awards with Diana Ross and then they go to an after party where he meets and befriends actress Brooke Shields.

MJ calls Diana his "mother love friend", BC Interview, October, 1982
http://www.the-michael-jackson-archives.com/octinterview82.html


BC: You worked with Diana Ross…
MJ: Only very special people. I mean, Diana’s like a mother-lover-friend to me. She’s wonderful. I just produced and edited her next single, Muscles.
BC: Did you write the lyrics, too?
MJ: Lyrics, Music – I just finished that and it should be coming out at the end of this month.

Regarding the “mother-lover-friend” comment, in January 1977 (http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20072719,00.html) Diana Ross gave an interview to People where she refereed to Berry Gordy as her, “father, mother, brother, sister, lover.” At the time it wasn’t public knowledge that she and Berry had had an affair together years earlier.

Michael speaks in Moowalk re: Muscles 1982



“That song fulfilled a lifelong dream of returning some of the many favors she’s done for me. I have always loved Diana and looked up to her. Muscles, by the way, is the name of my snake.”

It includes the lyrics; “Let this be, we’ve got this thing made/Lost at sea, hide the desert/Stay with me, you won’t regret it/Take this love, so deep to swim in/Come to me, and let the love in.”

Michael attends the premiere of the play Dreamgirls on behalf of Diana, April 1983


For instance in 1983 at the Los Angeles opening of the musical “Dreamgirls,” Entertainment Tonight reporter Catherine Mann waylaid Jackson at the post-show party. When Mann asked Jackson what he thought of the show, he replied: “It was the most incredible play I’ve ever seen. It’s brilliant. Everybody should see it.”

Asked how close it was to the true story of the Supremes, he said, “Boy, I’d hate to comment on that ’cause Diana Ross is a very dear friend of mine. So I better not say anything.”

Asked when he might tell Ross about the show, he said, “Actually she told me to see it for her. She did.”

Director for Bea It, Bob Giraldi, says Michael and Diana always think about how the other would do things, 24, Dec, 1983


But it’s Diana with whom Michael confides his “deepest, darkest secrets.”

“They have a friendship as genuine as any I’ve seen,” says Bob giraldi, director of his ‘beat it’ and ‘Billie jean’ videos in addition to Ross’ flashy video. “on set Diana would say, ‘what would Michael think of this?’ Michael would say, ‘what would Diana do with this?’”

Michael says he tells Diana sometimes he's gonna marry her, 1983


Of course one of my best friends in the world is Diana Ross. She’s a good friend, a very dear friend. She’s the kind of person I can tell anything to- the most private of secrets! And she tells me her secrets as well. Sometimes I tell her I’m going to marry her. Our relationship goes on forever.

Diana Ross says Michael can be so shy but onstage he turns in to this "sexy macho thing", 1984


Diana Ross says of her good friend, “Sometimes even I’m stunned at how he can be so shy. He’ll hide, talk like this (she whispers) — then you let him on stage — and and he turns into this sexy, macho thing. I try to get him to step out socially, to get a little more out of himself. He spends too much time by himself.”

Michael blows Diana a kiss from the audience as she presens, AMA, Pittsburg Press, 17 Jan 1984


Diana Ross, Jackson’s close friend and mentor since their days together on the Motown label, then came up to present the award and Jackson blew her a kiss.

Diana says she tried to get Mike to take his sunglasses off, Michael Mania TV Special, AMA 1984


@3:05 Michael Mania TV Special, AMA 1984



Diana: “He’s a very special kid and he’s grown up. I tried to get him to take his sunglasses off, he wouldn’t. But he’s very shy you know and he’s a star.”