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

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

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

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a Musical theatre, musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a Book (musical theatre), book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo an ...

'' fame, who at that time choreographed all of Ross' stage and television shows. The special featured performances by

The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...

, 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 Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

's solo debut. Michael Jackson performed

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

's " It Was a Very Good Year", which drew laughter as its adult-themed lyrics were changed to fit his age. Other guests included

Danny Thomas Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz, (born January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) known professionally as Danny Thomas, was an American comedian, actor, singer, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in ''The Danny Thomas Show''. In additio ...

and

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...

, who would be featured on a similar television special by the Jackson 5 ('' Goin' Back to Indiana'') 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)" and the number 1 song " Ain't No Mountain High Enough". She also performed a cover of

The Carpenters The 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 distinctive soft musical style, combining ...

(They Long to Be) Close to You "(They Long to Be) Close to You" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David with sections of the early version written by Cathy Steeves. The best-known version is that recorded by American duo the Carpenters for their second studio album ' ...

" and the top-20 gold single " Remember Me" released that previous December 1970 included on her forthcoming album " Surrender" 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" #"Jackson 5 Medley" (" Mama's Pearl"/" 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 ...

") #"

" #"Bill Cosby Segment" #" Love Story" (with Bill Cosby) #" Remember Me" #"Jackson 5 Medley" (" I'll Be There"/" Feelin' Alright") #"Danny Thomas Segment" #" Ain't No Mountain High Enough" #" Call Me"

Charts

References

External links

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