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.
Sleepin'
Diana Ross Lyrics
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'Cause life never treated him right
Well he ain't running now
You see his eyes are closed
They can't hurt him tonight
Sleepin', he's sleepin'
Just let him be for a while
To where the people don't smile
Sleepin', my man is sleepin' nice now
Please let him stay here with me
I promise, I'll keep him
At home, where he's supposed to be
He's been out there
In the streets you know
And strugglin', scufflin'
Trying to survive
Out there in a richman's world
And now you say my Johnny is not alive
But you're wrong, can't you see
Sleepin', he's just sleepin' mister
He doesn't rest very much
He lives hard and he gives hard
And I'll just die for his touch
Sleepin', he's sleepin'
Without a care to his name
He's peaceful
He's quiet
He's tired of runnin' his game
He's been out there
In the streets you know
With all the pain and all the suffering
Out there
Where you fight like hell
He never learned a fix don't fix a thing
Don't touch him
Johnny put too much in his vanes
And now you're trying to tell me he's gone
I don't believe you
I'm just gonna sit here
And rock him in my arms
Sleepin', he's sleepin'
He doesn't rest very much
You see he lives hard and gives hard
The lyrics of "Sleepin'" by Diana Ross reflect the story of Johnny, a man who has faced numerous struggles in his life, having to run all the time to survive. The song starts by highlighting how life has never treated him right, and how he has been running all his life to escape the pain. The lyrics then paint a picture of Johnny as a man with closed eyes, finally peaceful and without any worries. The chorus of the song is simple and full of emotion, with Diana Ross begging that nobody wake Johnny up and take him to a place where there is no happiness or joy. She pleads that he be allowed to rest for a while, and promises to keep him where he is supposed to be, at home.
The song continues with a picture of Johnny's life story, struggling every day to survive in a harsh and cruel world. Diana Ross talks about how Johnny lived in a "rich man's world" and how he fought really hard every day, despite all the pain and suffering. She reminds us that he never learned that a fix won't fix anything and that he was tired of running his game. She speaks about Johnny's tiredness and how now he can finally rest in peace.
Finally, the last part of the song tells us that Johnny died as a result of substance abuse, and now the singer addresses someone who's telling her of Johnny's passing. She is in disbelief and grief, and the only thing she wants is to be able to hold Johnny in her arms and rock him back and forth, not ready to let go of the man she loved so much.
Overall, the song tells a deeply emotional story of a man's struggles, pain and grief, and ends with a powerful message that he should be allowed to rest without anyone disturbing him.
Line by Line Meaning
Johnny's been runnin' hard all his life
Johnny has been constantly struggling and fighting in life without any respite.
'Cause life never treated him right
Johnny has always faced hardships in life despite trying his best.
Well he ain't running now
Johnny has stopped struggling and running away from his problems.
You see his eyes are closed
Johnny is now at peace and resting with his eyes closed.
They can't hurt him tonight
Johnny is safe and secure from the painful realities of life while sleeping.
Sleepin', he's sleepin'
Johnny is sleeping deeply and without disruption.
Just let him be for a while
He needs his rest and should not be disturbed for some time.
Don't wake him, don't take him
He needs to stay asleep and should not be disturbed or taken away from his peaceful state.
To where the people don't smile
He should not be taken to a place where people are not kind or happy.
Sleepin', my man is sleepin' nice now
Johnny is sleeping comfortably and peacefully at the moment.
Please let him stay here with me
He should be allowed to rest with the singer who promises to take care of him.
I promise, I'll keep him
The artist assures that Johnny will be taken care of and protected from harm.
At home, where he's supposed to be
Johnny deserves to be in a safe and comfortable environment which is his home.
He's been out there
Johnny has been facing problems outside of his home environment.
In the streets you know
He has been living and struggling in the unforgiving and harsh environment on the streets.
And strugglin', scufflin'
He has been continuously trying and fighting to survive amidst the hardships.
Trying to survive
Johnny has been trying to live and make ends meet in a tough world.
Out there in a richman's world
Johnny has been living in a world dominated by the wealthy and privileged with minimal opportunities for people like him.
And now you say my Johnny is not alive
The singer is being told that Johnny has passed away, which is hard to believe and accept.
But you're wrong, can't you see
The artist believes that Johnny is not dead and is just sleeping peacefully at the moment.
Sleepin', he's just sleepin' mister
Johnny is currently and only sleeping, contrary to what the artist is being told.
He doesn't rest very much
Johnny rarely gets to rest and relax, making his current sleep an important and needed respite.
He lives hard and he gives hard
Johnny lives and fights hard without giving up or quitting.
And I'll just die for his touch
The artist worships Johnny and would do anything to be close to him.
Without a care to his name
Johnny is currently sleeping without worrying about or being affected by any of the struggles and hardships in his life.
He's peaceful
The singer observes Johnny being peaceful and at rest.
He's quiet
Johnny is silent and not making any noise while he sleeps.
He's tired of runnin' his game
Johnny has grown tired and exhausted from playing the game of life and is resting now.
Out there
The cruel and harsh world outside the comfort of home.
Where you fight like hell
The outside world is filled with intense struggles and fights to survive and make ends meet.
He never learned a fix don't fix a thing
Johnny was unable to find an effective solution or fix to his problems, leading him to continue struggling rather than finding a quick fix.
Don't touch him
Johnny is currently sleeping and should not be disturbed or touched.
Johnny put too much in his vanes
Johnny had injected too much drugs in his veins.
And now you're trying to tell me he's gone
The artist is being told that Johnny has passed away, which is hard to accept and believe.
I don't believe you
The singer refuses to believe that Johnny is no longer alive.
I'm just gonna sit here
The artist will not leave Johnny's side and will continue watching over him.
And rock him in my arms
The singer will comfort and rock Johnny while he rests in her arms.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RONALD MILLER, RONALD N. MILLER, TERRY M ETLINGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind