''Diana!'' is the first solo television special of American singer

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

and aired on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

on April 18, 1971. The special was choreographed by David Winters of ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1 ...

'' fame, who at that time choreographed all of Ross' stage and television shows.David Winters remembers Michael Jackson « Magick Papers & Nightlife Thailand
The special featured performances by

The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

, and also included Jackson 5 lead singer

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

's solo debut. Michael Jackson performed

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

's "

It Was a Very Good Year "It Was a Very Good Year" is a song composed by Ervin Drake in 1961 and originally recorded by Bob Shane with the Kingston Trio. It was made famous by Frank Sinatra's version in D minor, which won the Grammy Award for Best Male Vocal Performance ...

", which drew laughter as its adult-themed lyrics were changed to fit his age. Other guests included

Danny Thomas Danny Thomas (born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz; January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) was an American actor, singer, nightclub comedian, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in one of the most successful and long-running sitc ...

and

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

, who would be featured on a similar television special by the Jackson 5 (''

Goin' Back to Indiana ''Goin' Back to Indiana'' is a live/soundtrack album by the Jackson 5 for Motown Records, taken from their September 16, 1971 ABC TV special of the same name. It is the Jackson 5's sixth album overall, and was released on September 29, 1971. ...

'') a few months later. Since this was right at the beginning of her solo career, she took the opportunity to promote the two hits from her debut, the gold audience participant "

Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand) "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" is the debut solo single of singer Diana Ross, released in April 1970 as the first single from her solo self-titled debut 1970 album by Motown Records. Background Diana Ross, having just left The Suprem ...

" and the number 1 song "

Ain't No Mountain High Enough "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is a song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla label, a division of Motown. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and ...

". She also performed a cover of

The Carpenters The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter, Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct ...

" (They Long to Be) Close to You" and the top-20 gold single " Remember Me" released that previous December 1970 included on her forthcoming album "

Surrender Surrender may refer to: * Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy * Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power Film and television * ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...

" to be released later that summer. (Though she performed "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" on the special, it was not included on the soundtrack). The television special, and its subsequent soundtrack, was a Nielsen ratings winner, hitting the top 20 (number 17) of shows that week and garnering Emmy nominations for Ross and Bob Mackie and in technical categories.

Track listing

#"Intro" #"

Don't Rain on My Parade "Don't Rain on My Parade" is a popular song from the 1964 musical '' Funny Girl''. It was also featured in the 1968 movie version of the musical. The song was written by Bob Merrill and Jule Styne. Both the movie and stage versions feature Barbra ...

" #"Jackson 5 Medley" ("

Mama's Pearl "Mama's Pearl" was a hit recording for The Jackson 5 in 1971 and was written by The Corporation, a songwriting team that had helped the group score four consecutive #1 singles. Chart performance "Mama's Pearl" was one of six consecutive top 5 s ...

"/" Walk On By"/"

The Love You Save "The Love You Save" is a song recorded by the Jackson 5 for Motown Records. It was released as a single on May 13, 1970, and held the number-one spot on the soul singles chart in the US for six weeks and the number-one position on the ''Billboard ...

") #" (They Long to Be) Close to You" #"Bill Cosby Segment" #" Love Story" (with Bill Cosby) #" Remember Me" #"Jackson 5 Medley" (" I'll Be There"/" Feelin' Alright") #"Danny Thomas Segment" #"

" #" Call Me"

Charts

References

Sources and external links

Rateyourmusic.com, album ''Diana!''.

Allmusic.com, album ''Diana!'' (Original TV Soundtrack).
{{Authority control Television soundtracks 1971 soundtrack albums Motown soundtracks Diana Ross soundtracks