Diana Ross

Her second daughter, Tracee Ellis Ross, is an actress who received claim to fame as one of the stars the sitcom "Girlfriends" (2003). "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Leapord-Skin Pillbox Hat", both songs by Bob Dylan, were purportedly written about Sedgwick. Her oldest daughter, Rhonda Ross Kendrick, is a songstress and actress. The Velvet Underground song Femme Fatale (on the album The Velvet Underground and Nico) is also reported to be about Sedgwick. She also has a daughter, Rhonda, with Motown founder Berry Gordy.
The Cult wrote a song about her life called "Edie (Ciao Baby)" which was on their "Sonic Temple" album released in 1989. (Nęss died in a South African mountain accident in January 2004). Her death was ruled a suicide/ drug overdose.

From 1985 to 2000, she was married to Norwegian businessman Arne Nęss Jr., with whom she has two sons. Sedgwick died in November 1971 from barbituate poisoning. From 1971 to 1977, Diana Ross was married to music promoter Robert Ellis Silberstein, with whom she has two daughters (Tracee and Chudney). Shooting resumed on Ciao! Manhattan in 1970 and was completed in 1971. Diana Ross is the second of six children, three girls and three boys, from factory worker Fred Ross and teacher Ernestine Earle Ross. Electroconvulsive therapy treatments were administered extensively and several efforts at drug rehabilitation were made. After a downturn in record sales during the mid to late 80s she returned to the Motown fold with Workin' Overtime. In August 1969, she was admitted to the Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara where she met Mike Post whom she married.

She signed to RCA and had several successful releases, beginning with Why Do Fools Fall in Love, which featured a cover of the Frankie Lymon hit. Sedgwick’s rapidly degenrating health saw her return to family in California and spend time in several different psychiatric institutions. A duet with Lionel Richie called "Endless Love" in 1981 proved to be the biggest record of her career and her last hit on the Motown label. After shooting some footage in New York, work on the film was abandoned due to budget and legal problems. The Wiz, which cost $24 million to make, only brought in $13 million dollars during its original theatrical release. In April 1967 Sedgwick began shooting on Ciao! Manhattan an underground movie in which she was to star. Many eyebrows were raised at Ross, then age 34, playing Dorothy, who in all other versions of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was portrayed as a young girl. The relationship ended in 1967.

1978 saw Ross starring in the film version of the successful Broadway play The Wiz, with Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, and Richard Pryor. During this relationship she became dependent on heroin and barbituates. Her second self titled album, Diana-Ross (1976), charted in the Top Ten, and featured the disco hit "Love Hangover". In 1966, Sedgwick began a tumultuous relationship with Bob Neuwirth. In 1975 another return to acting, this time in the film Mahogany (1975) saw the theme song "The Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To?)" reach #1. While involved with Dylan, Sedgwick was introduced to LSD. Ross released a duets album with Marvin Gaye in 1973, entitled Diana and Marvin, scoring several chart hits. Following her departure from Warhol’s circles, Sedgwick began living at Hotel Chelsea where she became involved with Bob Dylan. Dylan’s friends convinced Sedgwick to sign up with Albert Grossman, Dylan's manager.

Ross also starred in a biopic of Billie Holliday, Lady Sings the Blues (1972), which earned her an Academy Award nomination and a #1 album soundtrack. The friendship did not last beyond 1966 when Warhol and Sedgwick made an acrimonious public split. She found chart success with a number of her early releases, most notably with the #1 single "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (1970). During this period the pair would often dress alike and Sedgwick frequently called herself 'Mrs Warhol'. In January 1970 Diana Ross officially departed from the Supremes and recorded her first solo album, the self-titled Diana Ross. She became Warhol's Girl of the Year during 1965 when she accompanied him everywhere in the New York social scene. During this period, the group had two more #1 hits as Motown began plans for a Diana Ross solo career, which was announced in November 1969. It was during this period that Sedgwick began using illegal drugs, particularly amphetamines.

At this time, the group was also renamed "Diana Ross & The Supremes," officially recognizing Ross as the focal point of the group. In 1965 she met Andy Warhol and quickly became his favourite 'Warhol superstar', featuring in many of his underground films including Poor Little Rich Girl, Vinyl, Beauty #2, the Chelsea Girls and Diaries, Notes and Sketches. In July 1967, Florence Ballard was fired from The Supremes and replaced with Cindy Birdsong. She appeared in TIME, Life and Vogue between 1963 and 1965. Between the summer of 1964 and the summer of 1967, The Supremes released nine #1 hit singles and became the most successful black group of the decade. In 1964, Sedgwick moved to New York to pursue a career in modelling. Diane also began using her given name of "Diana" at this time. As a young woman Sedgwick suffered with clinical depression and anorexia nervosa.

Although all the girls originally took turns singing lead, Motown chief Berry Gordy made Diane Ross the permanent lead singer starting in 1964, because he felt her soprano voice had the pop appeal The Supremes needed to cross over to white audiences. Later in life, Sedgwick claimed to have experienced sexual abuse as a child. Barbara Martin left the group shortly afterwards, and The Supremes carried on as a trio. She was born in Santa Barbara, California as Edith Sedgwick to a troubled and eccentric establishment family which was seriously blighted by alcoholism and mental illness. After signing to Motown in 1961 and replacing McGlown with Barbara Martin, they changed the name of the group to The Supremes. Edie Sedgwick (April 20, 1943 - November 15, 1971) is best known as a star of underground films made by artist Andy Warhol in the 1960's. Diane Ross (although she originally went by "Diane," "Diana" is what is on her birth certificate), together with Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard and Betty McGlown formed The Primettes in 1959. The Philosophy of Andy Warhol.

Diana Ernestine Ross (born March 26, 1944 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American soul, R&B and pop artist, and one of the most successful female artists of her era. Andy Warhol. 1999: Double Platinum (telefilm). American Girl. 1994: Out of Darkness (telefilm). Jean Stein: Edie. 1978: The Wiz. Jean Stein: Edie an America Biography.

1975: Mahogany. Film Factory. 1972: Lady Sings the Blues (Nominee for the Academy Award for Best Actress of 1972). Michael Opray: Andy Warhol. 1999: Every Day Is A New Day. Victor Bockris: Andy Warhol. 1998: Very Special Season (Christmas album). All Movie Guide (http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll/).

1995: Take Me Higher. Edie Sedgwick fan site (http://www.rams.demon.co.uk/esmain.htm/). 1993: Stolen Moments: The Lady Sings Jazz & Blues (live). Ciao! Manhattan (1972). 1993: Christmas in Vienna (live, with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras). Diaries, Notes and Sketches (1970). 1991: The Force Behind the Power. The Chelsea Girls (1967).

1989: The Greatest Hits Live. **** aka the Four Star Movie (1965). 1989: Workin' Overtime. Outer and Inner Space (1965). 1987: Red Hot Rhythm & Blues. Beauty #2 (1965). 1985: Eaten Alive. Poor Little Rich Girl (1965).

1984: Swept Away. Restaurant (1965). 1983: Ross. Vinyl (1965). 1982: Silk Electric. Screen Test #2 (1965). 1981: Why Do Fools Fall In Love?. Space 1965.

1980: diana. 1979: The Boss. 1978: Ross. 1977: Baby, It's Me.

1977: An Evening with Diana Ross (live). 1976: Diana Ross. 1974: Live at Caesar's Palace. 1973: Last Time I Saw Him.

1973: Diana & Marvin (duets album with Marvin Gaye). 1973: Touch Me In The Morning. 1972: Lady Sings the Blues (soundtrack from the Billie Holliday bio-pic Ross starred in the same year). 1971: Surrender.

1971: Diana! (soundtrack from a 1971 television special). 1970: Everything is Everything. 1970: Diana Ross (reissued the same year as Ain't No Mountain High Enough).