In 1959, Ross was brought to the attention of Milton Jenkins, the manager of the local doo-wop group The Primes, by Mary Wilson. Primes member Paul Williams convinced Jenkins to enlist Ross in the sister group The Primettes, which included Wilson, Florence Ballard and Betty McGlown.
In 1976, Billboard magazine named her the female entertainer of the century. In 1993, The Guinness Book Of World Records listed her as the most successful female artist ever (the title is now attributed to Madonna), partly due to her combined total of eighteen number-one singles, six of them recorded solo and the remaining dozen from her work with the Supremes.
Ross was also one of the few pop singers to find modest success in the acting world winning an Academy Award nomination for her role as Billie Holiday in the 1972 film, "Lady Sings the Blues" as well as having hits with other film roles such as "Mahogany", "Out of Darkness" and "Double Platinum", not to mention her role in "The Wiz".
Ross has been awarded many lifetime achievement accolades from many organizations and media outlets: she has been featured on BET, Soul Train, and awarded multiple times at the NAACP Image Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007 and given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement in 2011.
Ross' professional vocal collaborators have included the following during her career: Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Julio Iglesias, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Smokey Robinson, among many others.
A Breath Taking Guy
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And whispered in my ear
All night sweet words
I never heard
And I believed every word
Next day you came my way
Without a word to say you passed me by
My darling won't you tell me why
You're acting strange toward me
Why have you changed toward me
Are you just a breathtaking
First sight soul-shaking
One night love-making
Next day heartbreaking guy
That night your love was true
The next day we were through
Your love won't come
And you were moving on
And I was left to cry alone
What have I done to you
Was it just fun to you
Are you just a breathtaking
First sight soul-shaking
One night love-making
Next day heartbreaking guy
Breathtaking, soul shaking,
Lovemaking, heartbreaking guy
Breathtaking, soul shaking,
Lovemaking, heartbreaking guy
The lyrics to Diana Ross's song "A Breathtaking Guy" tell a story about a brief, intense relationship that turns out to be nothing more than a one-night stand. The singer reminisces about the sweet words and passionate moments they shared, only to be confused and hurt when her lover suddenly ignores her and moves on. She questions whether he was just a "breathtaking, soul-shaking, one-night love-making, next day heartbreaking guy." The song captures the emotional rollercoaster of a fling that burns bright and fades quickly, leaving the singer wondering what went wrong.
At its core, "A Breathtaking Guy" is a classic example of a girl group song from the 1960s, with its catchy melody and relatable lyrics about love and heartbreak. But it also reveals something about the position of women in relationships during that era. The singer is at the mercy of her lover's whims, unable to understand why he has suddenly changed his attitude towards her. She is left to pick up the pieces and deal with the fallout of their fling on her own. The song taps into a universal experience of love and pain, but also highlights the challenges that women faced in relationships at that time.
Line by Line Meaning
One night you held me tight
You hugged me really tightly one night
And whispered in my ear
You spoke very softly close to my ear
All night sweet words
You said kind and loving words all night long
I never heard
I had never heard such sweet words before
And I believed every word
I trusted and had faith in everything you said
Next day you came my way
The following day, you approached me
Without a word to say you passed me by
You walked right past me without saying anything
You didn't give an eye
You didn't even look at me
My darling won't you tell me why
Could you please explain why, my love?
You're acting strange toward me
You're behaving oddly around me
Why have you changed toward me
What caused you to act differently around me?
That night your love was true
Your affection for me was genuine on that particular night
The next day we were through
The following day, the relationship was over
Your love won't come
You stopped loving me
And you were moving on
You were leaving me and moving forward
And I was left to cry alone
I was alone and upset, crying
What have I done to you
What did I do to cause this
Was it just fun to you
Did you only do this for enjoyment?
Are you just a breathtaking
Are you simply a stunningly beautiful
First sight soul-shaking
One who shakes my soul upon first seeing them
One night love-making
Whose love is only experienced for one night
Next day heartbreaking guy
And whose actions are heartbreaking the following day
Breathtaking, soul shaking,
You're awe-inspiring and exhibit a profound impact
Lovemaking, heartbreaking guy
You're only interested in brief love and will cause hurt
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SMOKEY ROBINSON, WILLIAM ROBINSON JR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rick Zelenka
One night you held me tight
And whispered in my ear
All night sweet words
I never heard
And I believed every word
Next day you came my way
Without a word to say you passed me by
You didn't bat an eye
My darling won't you tell me why
You're acting strange toward me
Why have you changed toward me
Are you just a breathtaking
First sight soul-shaking
One night love-making
Next day heartbreaking guy
That night your love was true
The next day we were through
Your love won't come
And you were moving on
And I was left to cry alone
What have I done to you
Was it just fun to you
Are you just a breathtaking
First sight soul shaking
One night love-making
Next day heartbreaking guy
Breathtaking, soul shaking,
Lovemaking, heartbreaking guy
Breathtaking, soul shaking,
Lovemaking, heartbreaking guy
Kenneth Hamlett
I have heard Diana Ross say on a number of occasions that this is her favorite song by the group. She thinks it is a terrific song, but she also likes it because all three members are featured on the recording. The song was a part of building the group's sound and the appeal that broke through so dramatically with "Where Did Our Love Go." I have always thought that if this song had come at a different place in the order of their songs -- after the first couple or few hits -- it would have been a big hit, too. But, it served a great purpose, and we are lucky enough to have it to enjoy forever. All three Supremes sound wonderful, and Mr. Robinson's song and production are impeccable.
Basil Marasco
Maybe they should have re-released it in 1965, in between two of their #1 hits. I wonder what would have happened. By then, HDH was established as their songwriting team, so it may be that one of Smoky's songs would have been ruled out.
Jobu Cats
@Basil Marasco In my opinion, that HDH sound and production was too risky to intercept another producer/songwriter's song into the formula which appeared to be working.
Basil Marasco
@Jobu Cats That's right. Don't mess with success. I think HDH at one point had four consecutive #1 songs with the Supremes, and their success was so good that when the string was broken with a song that came just short of cracking the Top Ten (#11, I believe), they considered that "a failure."
unsegregated SOULS
This has always been my favorite song by them, too.
Phillycheez
Motown should've re-recorded it as a single after The Supremes rise to fame. This would've solidified this masterpiece. It has become my favorite Supremes song for the harmonies and the showcase of each individual. ๐ค๐ค๐ค
D. Singler-Kron
Without Mary on the alto part this would not have the richness it has.... Flawless.
Basil Marasco
Thank you, Mary Wilson, for being and sounding Supreme. We miss you.
Eros Sinema
She was an average singer at best. Usually she sounded like an off key foghorn
Therone Dawson
Yes,Mary was on point, and so was Florence. They were the original Supremes, and each one of them brought something to the table..
Considering they were breaking ground in the 60s. Three young women color and they were attracted women who could sing.
We were so proud of them back then because you did not see many black entertainers on televisions.
Most of the guys like Florence because she had a nice body. We also like Mary because she was pretty and she had a nice chest.
Diane was okay. She had no shape and no chest. She looked good in her clothes that were tailor-made for her.