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.
He's The Wizard
Diana Ross Lyrics
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Let me tell you 'bout
The world and the way things are.
You've come from a different place
And I know you've traveled far.
Now that you've told me what it is,
I'd better point you towards the Wiz.
He's the man,
He's the only one,
Who can give your wish right to ya.
He's the Wizard.
He'll send you back through time
By running magic through ya.
All of the super power's his.
Listen and I'll tell you where he is.
He's the Wiz and he lives in Oz.
He's the Wizard.
There's the way to Emerald City.
That's not too far, is it?
He's the Wizard.
Just take your dilemma, child,
And lay it on the Wizard.
He'll fix you a drink
That'll bubble and foam.
And in a flash
You will be home.
He's the Wiz.
He's the Wiz.
He's the Wizard of Oz
He's got magic up his sleeve
He's the Wizard
And you know without his help,
It would be impossible to leave
Fantastic powers at his command
And I'm sure that he will understand
He's the Wiz and he lives in Oz
Sweet thing,
Let me tell you 'bout
The world and the way things are
I'm gonna point you towards the Wiz
He's the Wiz
Fantastic powers at his command
And I'm sure that he will understand
He's the Wiz and he lives in Oz
Sweet thing,
Let me tell you 'bout
The world and the way things are
You've come from a different place
And I know you've traveled far.
Now that you've told me what it is,
I'd better point you towards the Wiz.
He's the Wiz!
The song "He's The Wizard" by Diana Ross is from the classic movie, "The Wiz," which takes Dorothy's story from the "The Wizard of Oz" and sets it in an urban space with an all-black cast. In this song, the Tin Man, played by Nipsey Russell, introduces Dorothy, played by Diana Ross, to the magical powers of the Wizard, who can make anything possible. The lyrics are about how the Wizard, who lives in the fictional world of Oz, can use his vast powers to help anyone in need. The Tin Man suggests that Dorothy ask the Wizard for help in order to get back home.
The lyrics reflect the idea that we all have our problems and that sometimes asking for help is the key to solving them. The song also makes use of the metaphor of a magical wizard to demonstrate how sometimes we need to tap into our own inner magic to overcome life's obstacles. The upbeat rhythm and catchy chorus make the song a perfect fit for the movie's joyful and colorful musical numbers.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet thing,
Let me tell you 'bout
The world and the way things are.
You've come from a different place
And I know you've traveled far.
Hey there, I want to explain to you how things work in this world. I know you come from a different place and have traveled far, so let me give you some guidance
Now that you've told me what it is,
I'd better point you towards the Wiz.
Since you've told me your dilemma, I know just the person who can help you. Let me guide you to the Wiz
He's the Wiz,
He's the man,
He's the only one,
Who can give your wish right to ya.
He's the Wizard.
The Wiz is the man with the magical powers to grant your wish. He's the only one capable of doing so since he's the Wizard
He'll send you back through time
By running magic through ya.
All of the super power's his.
Listen and I'll tell you where he is.
With his magical powers, the Wiz can send you back through time. He has all the superpowers and I can tell you where to find him
He's the Wiz and he lives in Oz.
He's the Wizard.
There's the way to Emerald City.
That's not too far, is it?
The Wiz resides in the land of Oz and he's known as the Wizard. By following the way to Emerald City, you'll find him. It's not too far away, is it?
Just take your dilemma, child,
And lay it on the Wizard.
He'll fix you a drink
That'll bubble and foam.
And in a flash
You will be home.
Just take your problem to the Wizard and he'll fix it in no time. He's got a magical drink that'll bubble and foam and before you know it, you'll be back home
He's the Wiz.
Fantastic powers at his command
And I'm sure that he will understand
The Wiz has fantastic powers at his disposal and I'm sure he'll be able to help you
He's the Wiz and he lives in Oz
Once again, the Wiz lives in the land of Oz
Sweet thing,
Let me tell you 'bout
The world and the way things are
I'm gonna point you towards the Wiz
Hey there, let me explain how the world works and guide you towards the Wiz
He's the Wiz!
Fantastic powers at his command
And I'm sure that he will understand
Once again, let me reiterate that the Wiz has amazing powers and I'm certain he'll be able to help you
Contributed by Jackson G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.