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There is something uniquely special about the chemistry between Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. Not only did they star in The Wiz together, but they shared a very personal bond that many would describe as ‘mother and son,’ which makes sense because of their age difference.
In 1977, Michael Jackson accepted the role as the Scarecrow in the film adaptation of ‘The Wiz’. This was largely due to his long-time friend, Diana Ross, who was also named to play Dorothy. However, it was speculated that Ross would only get the part if she could get Michael Jackson, a teen idol at the time, to take part in the film as well; as at 33 she was considered too old for the part. Pauline Kael, a film critic, described Ross’s efforts to get the film into production as “perhaps the strongest example of sheer will in film history.” Wow! I’m so glad that they were both cast in The Wiz. I couldn’t imagine any others in these iconic roles for this film.
Well, fast forward to the Diana Ross Special in 1981 and they performed “Rock With You” together. It was divine!
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My thing is: when he hit that spin he didn’t get tangled in the wires! Did y’all notice that, too? Look at the breakdown. Just look at it! And that mic was ON! He was literally the coolest.
And another thing…they got up close and personal with that camera work, didn’t they? This makes us feel like we had a front row seat to see Michael Jackson. Makes me wanna dance! I hope this brings back memories for all of y’all who haven’t seen this performance in a while.
And we can’t forget about this classic performance of “Upside Down” when Diana Ross and Michael Jackson shared the stage.
To give even more insight, we stumbled upon this article from Essence Magazine which chronicles the relationship between Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. Their bond is one of the most storied friendships of all time.
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