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.
Little Bright Star
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When he was born long ago on Christmas night
Above his head a little star was shining bright
The wise men followed that light above
Little bright star lead us today to his love
Little church bells keep ringing
Little church bells keep ringing
Little church bells ringing out at Christmas time
Reminding us that the star of love still shines
Not just at Christmas but every day
Little bright star, you're there to show us the way
Little bright star keep shining
Little bright star keep shining
Oh, little star shining over every land
Just keep on glowing so the world can understand
The joy of Christmas comes from within
Little bright star, please keep on shining for all means
Keep on shining, keep on shining
Little bright star, keep shining
Keep on shining, keep on shining
The lyrics to Diana Ross's song "Little Bright Star" are a tribute to the star that shone over Bethlehem which led the wise men to the baby Jesus. The song begins with the plea for the star to continue shining, an acknowledgment that it has become a symbol of hope, guidance and salvation. The little church bells that are ringing are also a reminder of the importance of Christmas and how the star of love still shines not just during this season but throughout the year. The song expresses gratitude for the light that the star continues to bring, a guiding light that points the way towards love.
Throughout the song, the little bright star is used as a metaphor for hope, love, and joy. It is a message for everyone to keep their inner brightness shining, shining so that the world can have peace and love. The song reminds us that the joy of Christmas comes from within and that we all can keep that light burning all year round. It calls us to never give up on having hope and to always allow our hearts to shine through the darkness.
In conclusion, "Little Bright Star" is a song of hope and encouragement, reminding us that we all have a little star within us that can shine through any darkness. It is a call to celebrate the joy of Christmas every day and to let our inner brightness shine.
Line by Line Meaning
Little bright star, keep shining
Continue to shine brightly and guide us
When he was born long ago on Christmas night
At the time of Jesus' birth on Christmas Day
Above his head a little star was shining bright
A shining bright star was above him as he was born
The wise men followed that light above
The three wise men followed the star to find Jesus' location
Little bright star lead us today to his love
Continue to guide us towards finding Jesus' love
Little church bells keep ringing
The sound of church bells ringing
Little church bells ringing out at Christmas time
The bells are ringing to celebrate Christmas
Reminding us that the star of love still shines
The bells remind us that the symbol of love is still present
Not just at Christmas but every day
The star of love is present in our lives every day
Little bright star, you're there to show us the way
The star continues to guide us in finding the right path
Oh, little star shining over every land
The star is present and shining over the entire world
Just keep on glowing so the world can understand
Continue to shine so everyone can understand the importance of the symbol of the star
The joy of Christmas comes from within
The happiness of Christmas is felt from the inside
Little bright star, please keep on shining for all means
Continue to shine for everyone to see
Keep on shining, keep on shining
Continue to shine brightly
Little bright star, keep shining
Remain illuminated
Keep on shining, keep on shining
Continue to shine radiantly
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALLAN CAPPS, ALLEN CAPPS, MARY DEAN-LAURIA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ChrisDutch
Great song from one of the really great albums of the sixties. I requested this song on WFUV in New York some years back and they dug it up and played it.
clouseau186
I love this song and play it every year around the Christmas Season. NOthing beats the Supremes MOtown Christmas album. I grew up with it from the early 70's and is awesome.
Jay Johnson
I've always loved hearing this song around the holidays
westphillysoul
I believe they would love it! Keep on playing that album! Happy Holidays =)
Matt Bryant
I have been listening to the "Merry Christmas, The Supremes" Christmas album since I was a kid, and I'm 48 now. So many memories of listening to this while decorating the tree as a kid. Now it's my tradition to make this the first Christmas album I listen to EVERY year !!! And I'm a WHITE dude !!! Wonder what Diana and the Supremes would think about that !!!!
clouseau186
I am a white dud and am 42 and I too have a tradition since the early 70's of listening to the Diana Ross and Supremes Motown Album. You can't beat it. It is always Christmas to me. You have great taste. Happy Holidays to you.
kurtsupreme
This song is from the 1965 album "Merry Christmas" by the legendary trio.
JUST FOR YOU
Lovely memories. Thank you and Merry Christmas!
shmuli9
It was the Supremes that made "My Favourite Things" a Christmas song... If you remember, in "the Sound of Music", that song was done during a SUMMER thurnderstorm...
westphillysoul
Yes, originally and it is also in the album stated above.