First Lady of Motown

Author

By Daniel Knighton

Publish Date

Sept. 21, 2011

When Diana Ross took the stage at Humphrey's by the Bay, the crowd rose to its feet and stayed there, dancing in the aisles or dancing at their seats.

Looking resplendent in a series of sequined gowns (four different ones during the show) and a smile that lit up the stage, Ross lived up to her reputation as the First Lady of Motown. From her beginnings with the Supremes in the early 1960s, she rocketed to the top of the charts with what could be one of the most gifted and recognizable voices in all of pop music. And at 67, she sounds as strong as ever.

Performing many of her Supremes hits such as "Stop! in the Name of Love," "Baby Love," "Can't Hurry Love," and "Love Child," she also delivered on her solo material with "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." As she closed out the evening with Gloria Gaynor's hit "I Will Survive," her voice soared as high and bright as the full moon that shone over the coast.