Diana Ross Shares Family Joys and Welcomes Daughter on Tour Ahead of UK Dates

Diana Ross opened up about her family in a rare interview ahead of kicking off her hotly-anticipated UK tour.

The American singer, 81, has five kids and eight grandchildren and her eldest daughter Rhonda, 53, often travels with her on tour.

During a wide-ranging chat, Diana gave a rare insight into her family life as she gushed that her family mean everything to her. 

She told The Mirror: ‘My family is really my greatest joy and blessing. Rhonda travels with me on tour and will be at the shows, my five children really take care of their mum.’

Diana shares Rhonda with Motown legend Berry Gordy in 1971. Later that same year, she married her first husband, music executive Robert Ellis Silberstein, and they had two more daughters: Tracee, 52, and Chudney, 49.

She split from Robert in 1977 and went on to marry Norwegian mountaineer Arne Naess Jr. in 1986. The former couple welcomed sons Ross, 37, and Evan, 36.

Diana Ross opened up about her family, her love for fashion, and why performing live is her ‘life force’ in a rare interview this week ahead of her hotly anticipated UK tour (pictured at the Met Gala last month)

The American singer, 81, who has five kids and eight grandchildren, revealed that family means everything to her and how her eldest daughter Rhonda, 53, often travels with her on tour (pictured with Chudney, Tracee, and Rhonda in 2007)

Diana proudly showed off her love for her family as she made a rare tribute to them while walking the carpet at the Met Gala. 

Diana looked sensational in a floor-grazing white gown complete with a feather-boa-trimmed cape and hat as she made her first appearance at the fashion event in 20 years.

Determined to pay homage to all her children and grandchildren at the event, Diana had all their names sewn onto her extravagant gown. 

‘My son Evan and a young designer, Ugo Mozie, and I collaborated on the gown and cloak that I wore, we wanted something meaningful,’ she explained.

‘The 18-foot train stretches across generations with the names of my adult children and grandchildren beautifully embroidered on it, it’s beaded and has crystals— the details celebrate my family and our love.’ 

She hopes to make a similar fashion statement when kicking off her UK tour, where she plans to make a whole host of dazzling outfit changes. 

All of her gowns for the upcoming shows have been custom-made, with Diana personally designing each one and working with a seamstress to bring them to life. 

Diana is set to begin her UK tour next week with shows in Birmingham, Nottingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, and London.

In a new interview, she said: ‘My family is really my greatest joy and blessing. (Eldest daughter) Rhonda travels with me on tour and will be at the shows. My five children really take care of their mum’ (both pictured 2001)

Diana had Rhonda with Motown legend Berry Gordy in 1971 (Diana, Rhonda, and Berry pictured 2017)

She will kick things off on June 22 at Birmingham’s BP Pulse Live before travelling around the UK for five other shows, then wrapping things up at London’s O2 Arena on July 1.

The star will be bringing along her live band as well as an orchestra and a choir to all of her shows in a unique touch.

She is set to perform five times with the Manchester-based Hallé Orchestra before being joined by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra in London.

In preparation for her tour, Diana has a few strategies up her sleeve to ensure she is performance ready including steaming her throat, drinking hot tea with honey, and plenty of breathing exercises. 

Despite a career spanning six decades, Diana revealed that she still gets as much of a thrill from performing live to audiences and described performing live as her ‘life force’. 

Born in Detroit’s Brewster-Douglass Housing Project, America’s first federally funded housing for African Americans, Diana was one of six children and grew up singing at family parties and in a Baptist church gospel choir. 

But her life changed forever when she met Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson in early 1959. 

The three girls, along with Betty McGlown, formed The Primettes, an all-girl singing group. 

She split from Robert in 1977 and went on to marry Norwegian mountaineer Arne Naess Jr. in 1986. The former couple had sons Ross, 37, and Evan, 36 (Diana pictured with her children in 2012)

Diana proudly showed off her love for her family as she made a rare tribute to them while walking the carpet at the Met Gala, stitching their names on her gown 

The trio auditioned for the fledgling Motown label, and in January 1961, they were eventually signed as The Supremes. 

By 1965, they had racked up five consecutive number-one hits with popular tunes such as Baby Love and Stop! In the Name of Love. 

However, in 1967, the band’s name changed to Diana Ross and The Supremes before she went solo three years later.