THE BOSS

“Hair has always been important.” - Diana Ross

Diana Ross, there is only one! And I must admit, I hold a special place in my heart for the sometimes snobby and downright bitchy, money hungry, whirlwind of a talent that she is. Her angelic voice and stage presence can’t be touched. And yeah, yeah, she’s had her share of drama, but who hasn’t ? It isn’t easy being rich and glamorous. She’s brought it to us “Mahogany” style. She’s given us a “Love Hang Over” and has sung the blues for “Lady Day” . Oh, and let us not forget about the fierce hair! Diana Ross is the epitome of “fabulous“. Very few are within in her scope when I comes to diva-like personas. I recently learned that we share the same birth date, thus crystallizing my love for this ultimate diva even more. ARIES, we got the FIYAH!

But, I haven’t always felt this way. There was a time when I dreaded the sound of Diana’s voice. As a child I would stare at her album covers and wonder what the big deal was all about? In the 70’s and 80’s my grandmother was a huge fan of Diana. Although she very rarely played music in the house, occasionally she would take the notion to turn on her “floor model” stereo “and get busy” with it.

Now, this stereo was some special shit that I wasn’t allowed to touch. I remember the day the delivery men from the now defunct Montgomery Wards department store, delivered it to our house. I was 6 years old. I had never seen anything so spectacular and I couldn‘t believe they were bringing this high-tech “record player” into our living room. I remember thinking at the time that my grandmother must have turned “rich” overnight.

This deluxe music maker was as long as a sofa and had the appearance wood grain. It was better than our T.V. that my grandmother watched her “SOAPS” on everyday. On Saturdays she would bust out the pledge and give it a good dusting. It was the best piece of electronic gadgetry we had in the whole house. There were two speakers in the front, one at each end of stereo. In the middle were two doors that were there “for looks”, cuz you couldn’t open em‘. Each door was embellished with a large brass plated “door knocker” style handle. The top lifted up and inside was a turntable to your left and enough space to store a few albums. The right hand side was fully equipped with eight-track tape player and the stereo tuner and more space to store your favorite 8-tracks . Yes yes, ya’ll - I was geeked when I discovered a miniature microphone was part of the package! And just for fun they included a BLANK 8-track tape that you could record over. Maaaaaaan that stereo and I became the best of friends starting at day one. And although I wasn’t suppose to touch it, til this very day I know I how to work that sucker better than my grandmother ever could.

Yeah, granny loved her some Diana. Like I said, she rarely played music around the house. But, every now and then she would cut loose. This usually occurred after several sips tupperware tumblers of MD/2020. I don’t know why she drank the cheap shit (liquor) but that’s what she like. I’d be in the be sound asleep and all the sudden, out of nowhere, Diana is pumped up to 10!

Last time I saw him He sweetly kissed my lips . . . Last time I saw him he said: “I’ll be back for more of this” . . . Last time I saw him we were crying at the bus I knew he hated leaving, but he had to set us up . .

And when we get behind closed doors . . .Then I let my hair hang down . . . Oh, he makes me glad I’m a woman . . .Oh, no one knows what goes on behind closed doors . . .

This went on for years. The same stereo . . . the same albums. A few times I got out of my bed and watched her from the hallway. At the time I thought she was a crazy drunk. Whatever Diana was singing about moved my grandmother in a way that as child, I didn’t understand. Unintentionally, I learned the lyrics to all of her songs and as the years passed, I began to develop a fondness for Diana and her music. Now I own her CD’s and play them from time to time, minus the MD/2020. It’s funny how a song/songs can trigger the senses. Diana brings me back to my younger days. Her songs remind of my first true love - THE STEREO! And most importantly, whenever I hear Diana I will always think of my grandmother. Now I understand what it’s all about.