Was Diana Ross the "Beyonce" of her day?

...except that Beyonce can actually do all the things purported. Diana is not and has never been the across-the-board threat we were told she was.

Ed

 

You can't compare modern pop artists with artists of the rock era.
Artists then had to have immense talent and not only be able to perform to perfection in the studio ( don't forget. Diana Ross had studio experience before multitracking which means before it was possible to go into a vocal track and fix a bad note) and they had to perform with excellence live on very rudimentary PA gear ( before monitors were invented).
Artists then were normally launched on small labels, and even the big labels of the day were like small businesses compared to todays corporate monolith.
Often studios and labels were the creation of guys who were musicians themselves, or who were technicians.
It was an entirely different talent requirement, an entirely different business model, and an entirely different format and marketing situation.
It is like comparing the skill of an expert horse rider to that of someone who drives state of the art race cars.

 

To me, Diana Ross was like a living legend. And I'm not even a real big fan. It's just that she seemed to have such stature. I didn't know about all the wacky things that people don't like about her, I just knew she was Diana Freaking Ross.

The reason people resist the comparison is that it's backwards, and it's backwards because it doesn't really work forwards. Diana Ross was the Diana Ross of the day - she set the template for a lot of divas that came after her. She is the one they have to live up to. The proper question would be, "Is Beyonce The Diana Ross Of Today?", and I think most people would agree that that sounds like a much more dubious proposition.

 

As I stated above, that would be the proper question. And I think the best conclusion to draw.

 

If anything, I would call her the Cher Bono of today.
I don't get the comparison with Diana Ross at all.

 

I give you props for the proper question but I disagree with the conclusion.

 

This can muster no response other than .

The notion that all artists of the "rock era" had "immense talent" and performed "to perfection" is a fantasy and a myth...

 

Keep it fair. Beyonce is not an across the board threat if you drop her in Diana's time.

Seperate point towards Diana. Beyonce had Destiny's Child. And she didn't headline the group by name on the albums as near as I remember. Diana Ross had The Supremes and she was the headline.

 

Perfectly fine, I disagree with yours.

 

Then why were almost all TV "performances" lip synched? And that's to say nothing of the sock hops where the performers would go in and mime to their hit records, sign some autographs and leave. And I'm not slamming Diana, this is just the way stuff was promoted in those days.

Yes, those package tours, where each group trotted on and sang for about 25 minutes and then trotted off were all live, and they'd chew your head off if you tried miming at The Apollo, but it wasn't all about authenticity.

 

The robot voice, the robot voice, the kids all want the robot voice.

And I agree with you. Producers slather it on their as an affect and a way to make the singing as artificial as the backing tracks. This goes for great singers like Beyonce and Katy Perry as well as "pitchy" ones like Taylor Swift or Britney Spears.

 

We can't possibly know that.

...and Diana had the Primettes, later named the Supremes. She wasn't above the name either right away - name wise. In both cases, both became known ahead of their groups rather quickly. In Diana's case, Berry made sure of it. In another, Beyonce simply and the best voice. They came to the forefront for two different reasons. One did so because of talent. The other...because of the record company boss.

Ed

 

To be fair, it didn't hurt Beyonce that her father was the manager of Destiny's Child.

 

He may have been their manager but he wasn't the head of their record label.

Ed

 

No... oh and by the way making this comparison is not taking anything away from Beyonce but more the comparison is overrating Beyonce and taking away from Diana Ross.

Sitkol, before you make comments such as "she is a modern female artist so I'm not surprised you all are not fond of her." I may be in my mid 50's but I am everyday discovering musicians, bands and singers of the current day that I think are great. when it comes to music I do not live in the past. I have an extremely good ear for music and an even better ear for naturally talented singers. Let me tell you Beyonce is nothing to get excited about when it comes to vocal ability.

Now, Diana Ross, I will be honest I do like her voice and I think she is a decent singer but I do not think Diana Ross is one of the all-time great singers... she is adequte and I do however think she is a much better singer than Beyonce.

Though, if we want to talk truly great black female singers than we need to be talking Donna Summer or Aretha Franklin... and if you want to add a current day singer into the mix than we can add Sharon Jones into the scene. Sharon Jones can sing circles around Diana Ross and Beyonce on any given day... and it's a shame she's not more popular... but you know Sharon Jones is an overweight woman and I guess people are not interested in real talent because they would rather buy the music of the half singer that flaunts her scantly clad body. I'll take the overweight singer any day over the half dressed singer... because the overweight singer can sing like it's nobody's business.

 

It amazes me how many people on this forum talk the biggest load of codswallop.

 

When you are asked to compare two singers 40-50 years separated from their prime, there is a lot you don't "know" when comparing the two. Most of what is to be said is conjecture or opinion. Including your own statements.

Like I said, opinion. The wrong one in my estimation. Berry made sure that the Supremes had 12 #1 hits too, right? Diana had nothing to do with it. Who was it Beyonce was portraying in Dreamgirls? Even Beyonce wouldn't agree with you.
"I love her. I think she’s amazingly talented. I hope she enjoys the movie.” -Beyonce on Diana Ross.

At least she can respect Diana's talent, even if you can't.

 

Yeah, to say Beyonce has no vocal talent is total crap. I can respect and see immense talent in both. I'm just level set on who had the goods first.

 

Let's face it, if Diana Ross were not uber talented, Michael Jackson would never have impersonated her for all those years!

 

I don't know man..... he still might have.

 

Yeah. It's well-known that Barbra Streisand once had an engineer edit syllables and notes on tape, and and did numerous punch-ins. She's just another who never needs Autotune.

Some people have it in their heads that ALL singers today need and use Autotune. Where do they get that?

BTW, Ross, while not bad, was never an excellent singer. She improved over time, but just doesn't rank among the greats. I have not heard enough of Beyonce's singing to call it.

 

I've also voiced pure fact about how Berry Gordy completely and utterly protected her career at the expense of others. I guess I didn't totally go there but there's no real reason to do it. It's well-documented.

Diana had almost nothing to do with it. Berry Gordy, Holland-Dozier-Holland, managers, "Motown Charm School", and a host of other people are responsible. Diana, Mary, and Florence were there. They had talent (not in equal measure) but the Motown machine made that happen. All of it.

As for Beyonce's statements, she may say whatever she wishes. Her statements aren't worth any more than yours or mine.

Ed

 

Everything else you've said is invalidated totally and completely by the statements above. You've cancelled yourself out. In one breath, you have an extremely good ear. In another, you say Beyonce is "nothing to get excited about". You may not like her (I hardly love everything she does myself) but to make the statement you made leaves your "extremely good ear" deeply in question.

Ed

 

I think you're getting mixed up! It was me who made the "codswallop" comment.