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.
I Will
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna make it, I will wait for you
I'm gonna make it, I will wait for you.
When you went away
There's nothing I could say
But now I feel the hurt's coming over me
Wishing you were here, thinking out you, dear
Although it's been so long since you were by my side
I'll keep holding on and won? let this love die.
I'm gonna make it, I will wait for you
I'm gonna make it, I will wait for you.
Every girl has a dream of happiness
But all I dream of you's your sweet caress
I just can't tell you how I miss you so
But all my love I won't let go, oh.
I'm gonna make it, I will wait for you
I'm gonna make it, I will wait for you.
Everywhere I go the tears begin to flow
Cause I pass by every place we used to meet
And when I'm home alone
My friends call me on the phone
They all say that you will not return to me
I know you're gone without me
Although I don't know where
I know you're thinking bout me, I feel it in the air.
I'm trying not to let another take your place
Even though the loneliness is on my face
You can't let someone take what they don't own
Baby, I'm yours, so please come home.
I'm gonna make it, I will wait for you
I'm gonna make it, I will wait for you.
The lyrics of Diana Ross's song, "I Will" convey a sense of longing and determination. The song speaks of a failed relationship, where the significant other has left, leaving the singer feeling hurt and alone. The lyrics describe a person who is willing to wait for their loved one, no matter how long it may take. With lines such as "Although it's been so long since you were by my side," and "Every night and day the way it used to be," the song expresses a deep desire for the return of the loved one. The singer vows to keep holding on and not let this love die, no matter what.
The lyrics of the song discuss the emotions that come with being in love. Even though the person is gone and the singer is struggling, they refuse to let go of their love. The song speaks to the idea that sometimes love is difficult and requires patience, persistence, and resilience. The lyricist's use of repetition, with lines like "I'm gonna make it, I will wait for you," further emphasizes the singer's determination and commitment to their beloved.
In conclusion, "I Will" is a song about the power of love and the lengths one will go to keep it alive. With its emotional lyrics and Diana Ross's soulful voice, the song remains a classic and a reminder that love is a strong force that can weather all storms.
Line by Line Meaning
When you went away
When you left me
There's nothing I could say
I was unable to say anything
But now I feel the hurt's coming over me
But now I feel the pain coming over me
Wishing you were here, thinking out you, dear
I wish you were here, dear, I think about you all the time
Every night and day the way it used to be
Every night and day I remember how it used to be with us
Although it's been so long since you were by my side
Although it has been a long time since you left me
I'll keep holding on and won't let this love die.
I will keep holding on to our love and won't let it die
Every girl has a dream of happiness
Every girl dreams of being happy
But all I dream of you's your sweet caress
But all I dream of is your sweet touch
I just can't tell you how I miss you so
I can't even describe how much I miss you
But all my love I won't let go, oh.
But I won't let go of my love for you
Everywhere I go the tears begin to flow
Wherever I go, I start crying
Cause I pass by every place we used to meet
Because I walk by every place we used to see each other
And when I'm home alone
When I'm alone at home
My friends call me on the phone
My friends call me on the phone
They all say that you will not return to me
They all say that you won't come back to me
I know you're gone without me
I know you left without me
Although I don't know where
Although I don't know where you went
I know you're thinking bout me, I feel it in the air.
I know you're thinking about me, I sense it in the air
I'm trying not to let another take your place
I'm trying not to replace you with another
Even though the loneliness is on my face
Even though I am lonely
You can't let someone take what they don't own
You can't let someone take something that doesn't belong to them
Baby, I'm yours, so please come home.
You own me, so please come back home
I'm gonna make it, I will wait for you
I will survive, I will wait for you
I'm gonna make it, I will wait for you.
I will survive, I will wait for you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DEBBIE DEAN, DEKE RICHARDS, DENNIS LUSSIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gerard Lee
Diana Ross is still loved after all these years. The fans out there are loving her performance.
Don Don
Diana is one of the beautiful women in the world. What a class act.
Stephen Michael
Yes..But anyone else lip-syncing to her is gross AKA.. RE Paul... nasty.. honestly..??.
mattchu_chow
itchydiscoman So is most people in the music/movie or any entertainment industry lol
Falou Sauo
seen her in that movie Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To) thats the best!
D0N 0MAR
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 YES!
brittany ritenour
crazy how she is here singing and was way back from the Supremes, another amazing example. Her and Frankie Valli in modern times.
Stephanvann1965
No doubt Miss Ross will forever and always be one of musics greatest creations. I just watched her new video and her look is timeless, always in good taste. Always a lady and those costumes and gowns! Fabulous!
Valarie Torbert
She epitomizes classic feminine POWER ❤
Aaron Van Cleve
Diana Ross is still a TRUE Motown Legend with its beautiful voice on glamorous class!