Memory making to continue for Diana Ross

Fifty years ago, the start of 1969 marked the beginning of the end of The Supremes, billed as "the greatest girl group ever."

The following January of 1970 saw lead vocalist Diana Ross embarking on her solo career that would result in more massive hit singles and starring roles in movies like "Lady Sings The Blues."

Now half a century later, Ross, who turns 75 in March, continues to be a legendary musical figure traveling the world entertaining audiences.

Her iconic voice sang lead on The Supremes’ hits like “Stop In The Name of Love,” “You Keep Me Hanging On,” “Baby Love,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “Love Child” and “Where Did Our Love Go.”

And her solo hits have included “Touch Me In The Morning,” “Do You Know Where You’re Going To?” “I’m Coming Out,” “Upside Down,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and the “Endless Love” duet with Lionel Richie.

She returns to Augusta for a performance at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, at Bell Auditorium. Tickets are $129.50, $89.50, $69.50 and $49.50. Visit augustaentertainmentcomplex.com, call (877) 428-4849 or buy at the James Brown Arena box office on Seventh Street.

Mary Wilson, another original member of The Supremes, returns to the Newberry (S.C.) Opera House at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10. Tickets are $50, $55 and $65. Visit newberryoperahouse.com or call (803) 276-6264.

One of the first solo singles for Ross in 1970 was "Remember Me" by the dynamic songwriting duo of Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson.

Some of the lyrics go: "Remember me as a sunny day that you once had along the way. Didn't I inspire you a little higher? Remember me as a funny clown that made you laugh when you were down. Didn't I boy, didn't I boy?"

Fans who have followed Ross' long and productive career would agree she has provided a ton of great memories along the way.

She was among the first to champion and promote The Jackson Five family music group that resulted in the even bigger solo careers of Michael Jackson and his sister, Janet Jackson.

Many television viewers have no clue that Diana is the mother of Tracee Ellis Ross, co-star of the hit series “Black-ish.”

And yet it’s hard to believe that Ross never has won a Grammy Award outright for her successful singles and albums as a Supreme or as a solo artist. She has been nominated 12 times but her only Grammy Award to date has been a non-voting honor in 2012 for Lifetime Achievement.

Ross was last here performing in the round in the then-Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center for 8,318 attendees on March 5, 1983, with the stage erected in the middle of the arena floor.

Few who were there can forget Ross singing her hit single "I Want Muscles" while inviting well-built guys from the audience to come up on stage and take off their shirts.

The night proved to be especially memorable for a 5-year-old girl named Rasheda Downs who got to sing with Ross. It happened at a point in the show when Ross took her wireless microphone and began climbing the arena stairs of one aisle singing "Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand)" face-to-face with audience members.

Rasheda was attending the concert with her father, Gregory Downs; her aunt, Litischua Downs; and her grandmother, Gladys Downs. Ross noticed Rasheda wearing a pretty lacy, white dress standing in the stairs and not only talked with her but invited Rasheda to come onto the stage.

When Ross started singing her hit “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” (originally made famous by former Augusta resident Frankie Lymon), she got Rasheda to dance with her.

Then Ross noticed the little girl was singing the words as well as copying every dance move and held the microphone lower so she could be better heard. Ross and the audience was surprised that Rasheda not only knew the familiar chorus but all the rest of the words to the song as well.

When Rasheda went back to her seat, audience members had her sign napkins and other things and told her, “You’re our star. You’re fantastic.”

After the concert, Rasheda was asked what she would tell Ross if she had the chance.

She replied, “That I love her singing, and she has a nice voice, and she’s beautiful, and that I want to be just like her. Also thank you for letting me be on the stage.”

Here are some other concerts to keep in mind:

⦁ Clay Walker: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10, Bell Auditorium, $29, $39.

⦁ Dailey & Vincent: 7:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 11, Imperial Theatre, for the Morris Museum of Art's Budweiser Southern Song & Soul series; $15, $23, $28

⦁ Travis Tritt: 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, and Friday, Jan. 18, Newberry Opera House, $75, $80, $95; solo acoustic shows.

⦁ Terri Gibbs, Ashley Gibbs and the Blue Brindle Band: 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, Imperial Theatre, $22.

Reach out to Ramblin’ Rhodes at don.rhodes@morris.com.