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.
Forever Young
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay
May you stay forever young
Forever young
Forever young
May you stay
Stay forever young
May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay
May you stay forever young
Forever young
Forever young
May you stay
Stay forever young
May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
And may you stay
May you stay forever young
Forever young
Forever young
May you stay
May you stay forever young
The song Forever Young by Diana Ross is a beautiful and heartfelt wish from a mother to her child. The lyrics offer a vision of a life well-lived, full of joy, meaning, and purpose. The song is essentially a prayer for the child to always be blessed, happy, and young at heart, and to live their life with kindness, courage, and grace.
The first verse of the song wishes for the child to always be blessed and have their dreams come true. It also emphasizes the importance of altruism and reciprocation in relationships, suggesting that people should strive to give and receive help and kindness from each other. The second verse implores the child to grow up to be righteous and true, always seeking the truth and remaining faithful to themselves. It also encourages the child to be brave, strong, and upright, facing life's challenges with dignity and determination. The final verse is about the importance of hard work, agility, and resilience, and the power of love, joy, and music to sustain us through life's ups and downs.
Overall, the song embodies the ideal of forever youthfulness, not in the sense of immaturity or naivete, but rather in the sense of curiosity, wonder, and vitality. It suggests that we don't have to grow old in spirit, that we can always find ways to stay young and vibrant, and that we can pass on this spirit to the next generation.
Line by Line Meaning
May God's bless and keep you always
May you always feel protected and loved by a higher power.
May your wishes all come true
May you experience the fulfillment of your hopes and dreams.
May you always do for others
May you have a compassionate heart and always seek to help those in need.
And let others do for you
May you be open to receiving the kindness and generosity of others.
May you build a ladder to the stars
May you have the ambition and drive to achieve great things.
And climb on every rung
May you persist in your efforts and climb towards success, one step at a time.
May you stay
May you continue to exist and thrive in this world.
May you stay forever young
May you maintain a youthful spirit and a positive, optimistic outlook on life.
May you grow up to be righteous
May you develop a strong moral compass and always choose to do what is right.
May you grow up to be true
May you always stay true to yourself and your values.
May you always know the truth
May you be enlightened and aware of reality, and never be deceived by falsehoods.
And see the lights surrounding you
May you be able to recognize the positive aspects of your surroundings and be filled with hope and optimism.
May you always be courageous
May you have the bravery to face challenges and adversity with strength and resilience.
Stand upright and be strong
Maintain a posture of confidence while handling challenges head-on.
May your hands always be busy
May you lead a productive and fulfilling life, using your time and energy wisely.
May your feet always be swift
May you have a sense of urgency and purpose as you move forward in life.
May you have a strong foundation
May you be rooted in strong values and principles that guide your decisions and actions.
When the winds of changes shift
When life takes unexpected turns, may you be able to adapt and adjust to the new circumstances.
May your heart always be joyful
May you experience deep and sincere happiness throughout your life.
May your song always be sung
May your unique voice and perspective always be heard and valued in this world.
May you stay forever young
May you always be full of vitality, energy, and enthusiasm for life.
Forever young
An expression of the desire for eternal youth, both in terms of physical appearance and mental outlook.
Stay forever young
A wish that the person receiving this song will always maintain the qualities associated with youthfulness, such as curiosity, idealism, and hope.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
HERU the Copper Colored God
OMG her performance in Lady Sings the Blues spelled it ALL OUT for ANY doubters ..
Ladies and gentlemen we are dealing with one of the MOST realist women there are on the PLANET with Miss Ross!
But just like with MOST any woman NEVER be fooled by heavy makeup, big hair or a slamming body!
People think because a woman performs on stage or has a theatrical ability that she is "fake" ...what you will find with a great deal of these type of women is that they are much smarter than meets the eye...and much TOUGHER than any man!
MANY men are fooled by a woman such as the Diana's
And I am WELL ashamed to say many people of COLOR tend to TOP the list of haters of women or men of color who DON'T sing like she is some riff ridden gospel belle who sings for "Satan just as quickly as she will sing for "Jesus"
People of color will be he first to judge who can "sang" I mean if your ONLY point of reference is sister so & so who sings in your local church choir then I guess YEAH the ONLY type of singing you KNOW is based off that character...
I guess there i some need to feel like one is in church when they are actually at a night club or some other place they aint s'pose to be when they are not in church..
But never think that the gospel type singer is ALL there is to singing & the ONLY way to FEEL a song!!!
Because you just lose out on gems like a Diana Ross who may be ACTUALLY MORE REAL than any church woman singer if you know where I am coming from!
Let's face it there is a heap of fakery & keeping appearance in a CHURCH/RELIGIOUS setting OMG ....heaps & TONS of it AMEN!
I was guilty of this with Diahanne Carroll....I never saw her realness because I was too busy seeing her facade!
And YES Claudine was a REAL moment in her career just like Lady Day in Diana's!
But I STILL didn't recognize...
Until just now after her passing and going over her appearances & interviews ...
Diahanne was I am finally learning much MUCH more real than I EVER gave her credit for.. & I am very saddened by that in her passing!
It is just that she was extremely poised & had immense sophistication BUT it was ALL NATURAL this was WHO SHE REALLY WAS & IS I am watching her later interviews and I am just ASTOUNDED how incredible intelligent this woman was & I am SO SO SO proud of her!
I am watching her acting technique and I SWEAR I am feeling Joan Crawford or Bette Davis level quality I NEVER realized it before but that is classic acting! & she was an EXCELLENT actress!
Point is these are real woman with very real talent so much so that they are almost too unbelievable to comprehend.
And so we basically refuse to comprehend them. Diana may often get accused of somehow not "sanging" IF that was even true (which it is not) ONE answer to that ignorant assertion is ..
OMG the woman is MUCH MORE than JUST a a "singer" she is MULTI-GIFTED on many front and several levels Diana Ross
Is often called a SUPER-STAR a SUPER STAR is a SUPER STAR because it is WELL understood that whether you are too ignorant or limited in reference point to comprehend her singing talents or NOT!
YOU WILL be speaking her name WHY because even YOU know her, you know WHY because she is of that MAGNITUDE REGARDLESS you know WHY?
Because she was born to be not only heard but seen experienced and have her name roll of your tongue....WHY...because she is a FULL package SUPER STAR not JUST a singing star but a SUPER STAR regardless of our OPINIONS!
Don't hate ...appreciate!
.
Bheki Mazibuko
This song I played while my father was in ICU all the staff cried with me as they saw me giving my dear father a peaceful send off. RIP my father 💔
Brenda Short
Bheki sorry you lost your father. You pick a very nice song for your dad. May he rest his soul. 💔
Dtrn254
RIP Dad.
Yaazzyy8
I'm very sorry about your loss. Sending you lots of love✌🏽💌
vonb2009
This is one of my most favorite performances of Miss Ross'. Standing up there, shining like a candle in the dark, she took a beautiful Bob Dylan song and turned it into an angelic Diana Ross song. I consider her version of "Forever Young" to be an overlooked gem, though I hope it does not continue on that way. May it live on forever, forever young.
Kenneth Hamlett
Ms. Ross interprets the lyrics of a song. She makes you believe the song's message. She does not oversing or use tricks to show off and distract from the song's beauty. That is why early in her solo career, the songwriter's association gave her their award for her impressive interpretations of their work. She is certainly a songwriters greatest asset, and the list of great writers whose work she has elevated with her amazing talent and her impeccagle phrasing is an impressive one..
Obsocky
True!
Gio G
Love this song...Love this beautiful lady..What a voice...Much Love Diana!!!
🎼❤🎼
Dtrn254
Look at this woman....WOOOW!!!....I fell in love with Diana's voice and powerful glittering aura as a child. She always inspirationally stood in the light....my girl. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥊
Ken Wall
I've always LOVED Her!