In Clearwater, Diana Ross’ dazzling concert included a ‘special gift’ for fans

CLEARWATER — Living legend Diana Ross didn’t come back to Florida just to watch us all stand around.

“Can you feel the music? Are you moving your body? Are you just moving your shoulders?” she asked the nearly 4,000-fan crowd at the BayCare Sound on Thursday night.

Ross swirled her hips to show everyone how it was done.

“And I’m 37!” she laughed. “You know I’m 80, right? They say move it or lose it, so I’m gonna move it!”

Ross’ return to Clearwater — her first Tampa Bay show since 2019 — felt like a warm reunion even for those seeing her for the first time. The Motown star filled her hour and a half set with the hits she knew people wanted to hear, from her solo songs to the best of the Supremes. But it didn’t feel like Ross was going through the motions on some nostalgia tour. Instead, she made it clear: This concert was a big thank you for the loyal listeners.

At one point in the evening, Ross even invited the audience to recite her own personal mantra of gratitude, line by line:

“I’m so grateful for all the blessings in my life, for there are many.

All is well. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

In lieu of an opening act, Ross kicked off her show with a ten-minute film. On the giant screen behind her band, scenes flashed through the singer’s life, starting with her childhood in Detroit. Cursive letters flashed across the screen: “I’m here. I love you. Let’s have fun again.”

Finally, Ross burst onstage, a cloud of curly hair and pink ruffled fabric. She snapped open a matching fan and howled: “I’m coming out!”

Ross proved she’s still “the boss,” with a velvet-smooth voice that sounds just as strong and sweet as it did back in the 1960s. As the last living original member of the Supremes, Ross made sure to spend time on hits like “Baby Love” and “You Can’t Hurry Love.” She flaunted tunes from her acting days: “Ease on Down the Road” from “The Wiz” and a sultry number out of the Billie Holiday-inspired film, “Lady Sings the Blues.”

There were covers aplenty, including her electric version of Gloria Gaynor’s disco staple “I Will Survive.” Ross briefly shared songs from her 2021 album “Thank You,” which was written during a pandemic-induced touring pause.

While most of the audience dressed casual to weather the swampy evening, a few opted for diva-glam: Tiaras, jackets draped with sparkly fringe, even silver slippers like the pair Ross wore as Dorothy in “The Wiz.” One man swung a feather boa over his head. A mother-daughter duo, in coordinated black and silver outfits, serenaded each other in the aisle. Across the amphitheater, everyone thrust their palms straight out in sync with Ross: Stop! In the name of love!

Ross proved herself to be a benevolent diva, inviting fans in front of the stage to snap some quick photos. She urged the audience: “Call me Mama D.” She only scolded those who threatened the dance party.

“I guess the security wants you to sit in your seats,” she said. “But I want you to move your bodies.”

At another point, she quipped:

“I don’t like the security walking up and down...It’s intimidating. I’ve got a nice audience. Gentle and nice — like me!”

The biggest surprise of the evening came when Ross brought out a “special gift” for her fans: Her daughter, Rhonda Ross. Their voices soared together on a touching duet of “Count on Me,” a song Rhonda wrote for her mom.

When Mama D disappeared to change into another flamboyant ballgown, Rhonda stayed to perform a few tunes of her own. One person in the audience, then another, said out loud: “She sounds just like her mother.”

Diana Ross’ Clearwater setlist

1. I’m Coming Out

2. More Today Than Yesterday (Spiral Starecase cover)

3. Baby Love (The Supremes song)

4. Stop! In the Name of Love (The Supremes song)

5. You Can’t Hurry Love (The Supremes song)

6. Touch Me in the Morning

7. Love Child (Diana Ross & The Supremes cover)

8. The Boss

9. Reflections (Diana Ross & The Supremes cover)

10. Upside Down

11. Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)

12. Love Hangover

13. Take Me Higher

14. Ease on Down the Road (from the soundtrack of “The Wiz”)

15. Don’t Explain (Billie Holiday cover, from the soundtrack of “Lady Sings the Blues”)

16. Count on Me (with daughter Rhonda Ross)

17. Rhonda Ross solo interlude (Diana Ross left the stage)

18. If the World Just Danced

19. Why Do Fools Fall in Love (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers cover)

20. Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)

21. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell cover)

Encore:

22. I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor cover)