You know that voice, even if her name means nothing to you. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "I'm Coming Out", "Chain Reaction" - that's all her. And here's one thing you probably don't know: today's world-famous name came from a mistake. The singer was born Diane, but her birth certificate contained a typo, and from 1965 she began using the form Diana, which surprised even her colleagues of the time, who had only ever known her as Diane. When people now type Diana Ross Pilsen into a search engine, they are really looking for an encounter with a woman whose career has lasted more than sixty years and who has sold over one hundred million records.

Diana Ross is not the kind of artist you simply put on in the background. She belongs to those who helped define what soul, pop and disco sound like. Before we get to whether and where you can experience her live, let's look at why her name carries such weight.

Diana Ross Pilsen: what we know right now

Briefly and honestly: we currently have no confirmed Diana Ross concert in Pilsen in our calendar. If you are interested in the Diana Ross Pilsen connection, the most reliable approach is to follow the singer's official channels and verified ticket sellers.

Diana Ross continues to tour even at an advanced age. Her website announces a tour under the banner Celebrating Timeless Classics, taking her to cities across continents. Whether a specific date within reach of Pilsen will appear is subject to change and can only be verified at first hand. We therefore make no claims about dates, venues or ticket prices until an event is actually in the calendar. For a star of this stature, always buy tickets exclusively through verified official sellers; the secondary market is risky for concerts of this scale. Anyone who wants to keep an eye on what is coming up in the region in the meantime will find the current offer in our concerts overview and in the events calendar. Now, here is why Diana Ross is a name worth waiting for.

From "Supremes with no hits" to the most successful girl group

Diana Ross grew up in Detroit and became famous as the voice of The Supremes. The road to the top was slower than anyone would expect today - at Motown the group was initially mocked for having no hits.

The original members came from the Brewster-Douglass housing project in Detroit and started singing as the Primettes, a sister group to The Primes, who later became The Temptations. After signing with Motown they got a new name, but not yet fame. In the offices of Hitsville U.S.A. they were jokingly nicknamed the "no-hit Supremes", and the girls helped out wherever they could, including clapping and backing vocals for other artists such as Marvin Gaye.

The turning point came with a song nobody wanted. "Where Did Our Love Go" had previously been turned down by The Marvelettes and initially the Supremes themselves didn't like it either, yet it became their first number one. After that the floodgates opened. The group followed it with four more consecutive number ones - "Baby Love", "Come See About Me", "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Back In My Arms Again" - at a time when no other girl group had ever had more than two.

The numbers speak for themselves. The Supremes became Motown's most commercially successful act and the most successful American vocal group, with twelve number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, most of them written by the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting trio. Their significance reached far beyond the charts: their breakthrough is regarded as an event that opened the door to mainstream success for other African-American R&B and soul musicians.

In 1967 the group received a new name: Diana Ross & the Supremes. It was not just marketing. Berry Gordy renamed the group partly because a solo star with a backing band could command a higher fee. From that moment, Diana Ross's departure was only a matter of time.

Solo career: six number ones and a record that stood for decades

After leaving the Supremes in 1970, Diana Ross launched a solo career that placed her among the absolute elite of pop. The foundation was laid by her very first record.

In May 1970 her eponymous debut solo album was released, and the second single, a new arrangement of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", became her first solo number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The peak came at the end of the decade. The 1980 album Diana produced the hits "Upside Down", "I'm Coming Out" and "It's My Turn". "I'm Coming Out" in particular has since been borrowed by countless other artists.

The year 1981 wrote Diana Ross into the record books. When "Endless Love", a duet with Lionel Richie, shot to number one, she became the first woman in music history with six solo number ones. Adding the twelve with the Supremes brings the total to a figure that went unmatched for a long time: eighteen songs at number one in all, more than any other female singer in history, until Mariah Carey equalled that tally in 2007.

Around the same time she made a bold business move. In 1981 she signed a $20 million deal with RCA, at the time the most lucrative contract in music. Across all the styles she passed through - from the Motown sound through ballads to disco - Diana Ross has sold over 100 million records in total. The standing she achieved is also reflected in a record from the nineties: in 1993 the Guinness Book of Records listed her as the most successful female singer in history, based on the number of hits in both the USA and the UK.

Not just a singer: actress, icon and holder of the highest honours

Diana Ross was never just a voice. She appeared in films, received an Oscar nomination and collected honours that most artists can only dream of.

Her screen debut was a role that suited her perfectly. She played singer Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues, Motown's very first film production, and earned an Oscar nomination for the role. That was followed by Mahogany (1975), for which she also sang the hit theme "Do You Know Where You're Going To", and The Wiz (1978).

Then there are the awards that take your breath away. In 1988 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Supremes, in 2012 she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2016 the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the United States. She is also among the handful of artists with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one as a solo artist and one as a member of the Supremes. And she holds one more unique distinction in pop history: she is the only artist to have number ones as a solo performer, as a member of a trio, as one half of a duo and as part of a larger group.

Comeback with the album Thank You and what her concerts are like

After two decades without new material, Diana Ross returned in 2021 with the record Thank You and launched a world tour behind it. Her shows are built on timeless hits, costume changes and direct contact with the audience.

The album Thank You was released on 5 November 2021 on Decca Records; it was her first studio album since 2006 and her first original material since 1999. The record received a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, her first Grammy nomination since 1983. Critical reception was lukewarm - it scored 60 out of 100 on Metacritic - but nobody questioned the comeback itself.

Live, Diana Ross reminded everyone why she has earned the title of diva in the very best sense. In 2022 she headlined the Glastonbury festival and her performance became the most watched in the event's history, with more than three million television viewers in the UK. Shortly before that, she sang the title track at the close of the concert celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's jubilee on 4 June.

What does such a show look like in practice? At the opening of the American leg of the tour at the Hollywood Bowl she got over seventeen thousand people moving with a string of Supremes hits including "Baby Love", "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "You Can't Hurry Love". She also made clear she is an artist with a mind of her own: during the show she commented on an excess of lights and on not being able to hear herself over the band. All of this at an age when her contemporaries have long since retired: in 2022 she was 78 and had been in the business for 62 years. Anyone who gets to one of her concerts can expect a cross-section of her entire career, Motown-flavoured backing singers and costume changes that are as much a part of the show as the songs themselves.

What to enjoy in Pilsen while waiting for a big international star

Even though a Diana Ross concert is not yet in the calendar, summer in Pilsen and the surrounding area offers plenty of live music and other events. Here are a few tips you can act on right now.

Fans of Czech alternative music can catch the concert Znouzectnost + Pý Ejdž Band (Navzájem) at Zach's Pub in Pilsen, featuring the band ZNOUZECTNOST. Anyone who loves animated films packed with songs can take the kids to Odvážná Vaiana at Cinema City. For a quieter evening there is the talk Stoicismus v moderním světě? Proč ne. at Nová Akropolis. Electronic music in Pilsen is represented by the event MDK. More tips are gathered in our events calendar, the concerts overview and the artists catalogue, where you can keep track of who is planning to perform in the Czech Republic.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Diana Ross Pilsen concert planned?

We currently have no confirmed Diana Ross concert in Pilsen in our calendar. Diana Ross does continue to tour, however, so it is worth monitoring her official website and verified ticket sellers to see whether a date within reach appears.

Where should I buy tickets if a concert is announced?

Always through official and verified sales channels only. For a star of this stature the secondary market is risky, so buy from trustworthy sources and keep an eye on official announcements.

Who is Diana Ross and why is she so famous?

She is an American singer and actress, originally the voice of The Supremes, the most successful American vocal group of their era. As a solo artist she achieved six number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, sold over one hundred million records, and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

What songs are typically performed at her concerts?

Her shows offer a cross-section of her entire career, from Supremes hits such as "Baby Love" and "Stop! In the Name of Love" to solo number ones like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Upside Down" and "I'm Coming Out". The exact setlist varies from concert to concert.

Is Diana Ross still active?

Yes. In 2021 she released the album Thank You, launched a world tour behind it and continues to perform. Even at an advanced age she remains among the artists who tour at full pace.

Sources