Customer Reviews

Secrets of a Sparrow

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Ms. Ross should have put her ego asided and hired a good ghostwriter like David Ritz to tell her story. One of the most shallow autobiographies I've ever read

Diana Ross, stung by all of the juicy insider gossip and unauthorized biographies, wanted to sit down and tell her own side of the tale. The only problem with that is, she took the word too literally. While she does give little-known family anecdotes and photographs, she manages to smooth over every negative aspect of anything without seeming to own up to her part in it, or even acknowledging that some fault (or bad judgment, youthful naivete, whatever) of hers even exists. She treats the late Florence Ballard's alcoholism like it was a character flaw, like she and Berry played no part in her eventual destruction. And when she brings up leaving Motown or the Supremes, she waxes rhapsody like it was just a learning experience and not an attempt at (music) world domination. The result is that she paints herself to be a saint and makes her mistakes look even worse, almost as if she thinks that people who followed her career, fans or not, are stupid enough to believe in her "innocence". By attempting to hide the ugly parts, Ms. Ross only magnifies her self-deluding tendencies and she takes absolutely no responsibility for her wrongdoings, something that she should be confident enough to do at this stage in life. But since she isn't, this book is nothing but a fairy tale. If you want the REAL deal, check out "Call Her Miss Ross" and read the quotation from her at the beginning. It sums up her attitude completely. Nice try, Diana.

Miss Ross has done it again! Total control of a manuscript that should have wound up in the trash. No insight into the friction between her and Florence Ballard, no historical anecdotes of the recording sessions, all this book is about is Miss Ross and her family. That's fine but most people want to read about her history with the Supremes and Motown and RCA records..It has a nice cover and will make your coffee table attractive until she writes something a little more informative keep your coffee mug on top of the book you won't need to buy a coaster.

This sad book spends too much time looking at Diana's kids and other topics not important to the general reader. One would expect a well-rounded memoir of her career, but Miss Ross leaves you hangin' on! "Set me free, why don't you, Miss Ross"!! I bought this book for $2 from a sale rack and I think it is worth that only because of the wonderful photographs. The photographs earned this book one star. If you want an inciteful look into Diana's early career with the Supremes, you would be much better off reading Mary Wilson's 2 memoirs. Otherwise, there are several unauthorized but better memoirs of her later career available.

This is, perhaps, the best book on Diana Ross' life you'll ever read!
Why? Because she's laid out the road map for exactly how she became the successful artist, woman and mother she's become, without "trashing" others or pretending to be anyone's "victim". She acknowledges her choices, good & bad, & owns all of them.

I bought & read the book as a kid when it was released in 1993. I read it again, and, boy, did I miss a lot in my initial readings!

For starters, she was enrolled in Cass Technical High School, a four-year college prep MAGNET SCHOOL, where one had to have a high GPA or pass a heckuva test just to matriculate. There, she chose fashion as her "career path"-the school's version of a major-where she learned costume illustration, seamstress skills(reinforcing her mother's earlier lessons), pattern-making & millinery. She was also a majorette, possibly on the swim team, took tap classes at the local community center, evening cosmetology classes, weekend modeling classes, served as her neighborhood's hairdresser, worked part-time at Hudson's dept. store(where she was the first African-American employee "allowed outside of the kitchen"), was voted "Dest-Dressed Girl" in her class, all while maintaining a GPA high enough to graduate one full semester ahead of her classmates, in January, 1962.
Whoa!
The Diana Ross described here is a classic over-achiever. This is the reason for her continued success, more than 50 years after her first recording. She didn't walk over anyone. She walked past them. The transformation from neighborhood tomboy into the definition of female glamor, style & beauty is well-detailed here.

We're given glimpses of a young, mischievous Diana, who didn't always do what her mother said, got into trouble, fights with bullies, racist schoolmates & her older sister, Barbara, hung out with a rough crowd, was dragged out of a basement party by her mother & who couldn't fathom of a world beyond West Grand Boulevard.

Diana Ross, unflinchingly, details the horrors of traveling through the segregated South and its stifling discrimination, not to mention nearly being murdered by anonymous snipers who riddled the MotorTown Review's tour bus with bullet holes, the horror of the Emmett Till case, the tragic, unnecessary deaths of some of her young neighbors & the horrible silences that surround denied spousal abuse of a family member.

Ross notes, with no self-congratulatory smugness, how, when she joined The Primettes(who, btw, hadn't won any contests or performed at parties, sock-hops, etc., until she joined the group), she became the group's hairdresser, make-up artist, costume designer, seamstress & stylist. She'd copy haute couture designs featured in Vogue & Harper's Bazaar, rework them for the group, then, take Mary Wilson with her to local fabric stores & purchase fabrics for the group's ensembles. This is why I've never believed the stories relayed by Martha Reeves & Patti LaBelle regarding Diana's "stealing" their stage wardrobes. Diana Ross was copying haute couture, not Woolworth's, where Reeves & LaBelle state they purchased their stage clothing. Their stories just doesn't make sense.
(It should be noted that Reeves gave a completely different account of her relationship with Diana Ross when she was interviewed for Vanity Fair's article, "It Happened In Hitsville", December, 2008. LaBelle has stated publicly that she "was wrong for holding a grudge against Diana for all these years", and has since apologized to Ross.)

Ross' account of The Supremes' rise to fame is well-documented here. She details how they made sure that their priorities were in the right order, though, it was Diana's persistence and insistence that the group be at Motown each day, that eventually opened the doors to performing backgrounds & their own contracts, following their audition, garnered by Ross' Smokey connection. She eventually became Gordy's secretary, to get the group noticed by the boss.

If Ross was so "cut-throat", why didn't she audition as a solo artist?
Why didn't she go to Motown every day, alone, since, she was the member who had all of the connections?
The negative stories don't stand up to logic.

Ross described her group mates in balanced terms, describing them as beautiful & hard workers, but, she had to detail Florence's issues because of their negative effects on the group. Perhaps most telling was Ross' description of Ballard's siblings who, in her estimation, caused most of the rift between the two(w/out really even knowing Ross), due to their demand for reflected glory(and money)from Ballard's success.

Ballard did not do her job(missed shows, etc.), &, she lost her job. It's that simple. Ross, Wilson, Gordy, et al, tried to help Ballard, ad nauseum, to no avail. Present-day diagnoses of Ballard's behavior as bi-polar sheds new light on her behavior.

Ross could have detailed Ballard's instability & Wilson's promiscuous "boyfriend in every port" behavior, gossiping behind Ross' back(Ballard's quoted as referring to Wilson, not Ross, as "two-faced".) & weaker work ethic, but, Ross demonstrates that she's above all of that.
She didn't detail the financial assistance she'd provided Ballard before her death, the trust funds she created for & the yearly checks she sent to Ballard's daughters following her untimely death, either. Nor did Ross mention the loans she gave to Wilson, on 2 separate occasions(after Wilson had squandered her earnings), to purchase homes, or when Ross attended Wilson's shows to garner publicity for Wilson, or that she's godmother to one child each of Wilson & Ballard. If Ross was so "despicable", why grant her such an honor?
Think, people.
If Ross wanted to portray herself as a "saint", these actions would have guaranteed her canonization.

Ross illuminates the reader as to the complex nature of her relationship with Berry Gordy, whom she alternately describes as a lover, friend, inspiration, most ardent supporter, mentor & slave-driver, noting that their understanding of each other's over-achiever tendencies brought them together, often leaving less "together" people by the wayside. Ross' other well-publicized relationships were with entrepreneurs.
Like kinds with like kinds.

Ross describes Gordy's creation of a kind of sibling rivalry environment at Motown, which may have been bad form, but, it was his way of trying to get the other acts to perform at as consistently high a level as Ross. Instead, they whined & envied, when they should have emulated her work ethic, as she emulated that of those who were where she wanted to be. Their complaints read as classic "crabs-in-the-barrel" syndrome.

Regarding the group's voices, Ross FINALLY states that maybe, just maybe, her pop/soul/jazz sound was better suited to the types of songs composed by HDH, pop/soul/jazz composers, though she regrets never having taken formal voice lessons(unaware that Ballard & Wilson, surreptitiously, took vocal lessons from Arthur Silvers).
All of The Funk Bros.(whom she credits) were jazz musicians whose music was perfectly suited to Diana's sound.

Ross notes the painful decision to leave the group, the challenges & resentments she faced while establishing herself as a solo artist, the creation of an entirely new artistic identity, breaking new ground in and overcoming the skepticism of her choice as lead in "Lady Sings The Blues", "Mahogany"(John Galliano's said to be a huge fan of the film.) & "The Wiz", detailing the arduous work that went into the creation of each product, their success & failure, again, taking ownership of both.

Ross describes her marriages in as much detail as is possible when describing such intimate matters before a throng of complete strangers. Her descriptions of her relationships with her children are inspirational & speak well of her character. Her childrens' notes are especially moving. Those who've complained about them are just jealous that they don't have that kind of love in their lives, &, once again, instead of emulating her well-detailed organized parenting style, to achieve similar results, they'd rather sit on the sidelines & "throw mud".

Ross describes the strength it took to leave her mentor & the comfort of the Motown machine behind, to discover life's basics:who owned her home, cars, furs, music, jewels-her or Motown? She humbled herself by going to music business classes to study contracts & the music BUSINESS, in general, which Gordy refused to show her, for fear losing control of her. She wisely invested her RCA advance & combatted real estate discrimination in Manhattan because she was a single African-American parent. When film roles were scarce in the 1980's, she founded her own production company & created her own projects for television, becoming an astute businesswoman & inspiring throngs of women, African-Americans & anyone wanting to control their own lives.

Ross mourned the passing of Ballard, Kendrick, Ruffin, Gaye & her beloved mother, Mama Supreme, Mrs. Ernestine Ross, respectfully & sincerely.

"Secrets of a Sparrow" is a great read, the ULTIMATE guide on how to "woodshed", take yourself to the next level, overcome obstacles, ignore the naysayers & gossip-mongers & achieve one's desired goals with a good set of values, reflected in her loving and successful family, demonstrating that she's kept her priorities in the right order.
She doesn't sanitize her history, nor does she request "sainthood". She provides a balanced account of her life, refusing to wallow in the pettiness, spite & gossip of her former label mates. Her descriptions of her work ethic make it clear: she didn't "walk over" anyone. She just walked past them. This may be what this books "critics" hate most about it. It makes them confront their collective mediocrity-& they hate her for it.
Note the spite-filled tones of the more negative reviews.

Personally, I'd have loved to see more detail regarding the creation of all of her television specials & her classic albums, as I love seeing how the different elements are brought together, but, she does describe the films thoroughly enough for my taste, so, I can infer.

This book is for people who are ready to take the steps required to create their success, on their own terms.

Let me start by saying that Miss Ross is the most successful female artist of allll time and I will love her till the day I die! Her legacy is a great one--no an excellent one and Ross has lived the musical life that others only dream about. Not Whitney, Not Celine No one can touch what she has done..period! This is why I am so SEVERELY disappointed. 2 stars for the pics.
I could not BUHLEEVE this bio! I'm shocked, horrified, mystified, petrified! After reading 'All That Glittered' (Tony Turner), 'Dreamgirls/My Life As A Supreme and the outstanding 'Call Her Miss Ross' (J. Randy Taraborrelli) I was looking forward to THIS BIO to set the record straight. Let me tell yah---this sparrow told absolutely NO SECRECTS. Her childhood was completely glazed over. Ross said that she always felt that her older sister was more loved and more beautiful than she was/is so she always tried harder to get her parents-particularly her father's attention. I suppose this experience lead to her famous drive and ambitious behavior. Ross's GLAZED over 'early years just leaves you hanging on. Again, I could not BUHLEEVE it--virtually nothing about her siblings.

Her meetings with Mary and Florence before they became the Supremes-her recordings-LEAD recordings of the songs that built Motown-the shows (Sullivan, Hullaballo)-Florence exiting the group-Cindy joining-her relationship with Berry Gordy-the fact that she was pregnant with Rhonda (Gordy's child) when she married Bob Ellis-her solo years--her years at RCA! Again, I could not BUHLEEVE it-I read this paltry 250 pg bio in just one day-I laughed and cried (not really but you get the message) at the end. Ross GLAZED over sooooo many vital parts---she should open up her own bakery or better yet, bottle and patent her super duper secret GLAZE recipe.

The bio's mentioned above, talk about Ross receiving so much power and attention from Gordy, that she became a tyrant. According to Gladys Knight's bio, Ross had them kicked of a tour that they (Pips) served as the opening act. They got one too many standing ovations for Ross to stand. Martha Reeves said in her bio that Ross would sweep in--late-- with Gordy on her arm-- to one of her many concerts. Ross apparently would whisper nasty things to Gordy during Reeves's performance-then backstage Gordy would ridicule Reeves. Even the fantastic Patti Labelle in her bio talked about Ross's behavior (Ross found out what dresses The Bluebelles were wearing and got three identical ones, The Supremes sang right before them-get the pic?). Ross talks about none of this but says that Berry chose her-the way a father chooses a favorite child. Ross says that he would pit other stars against her by saying, why can't you (fill in the blank) be more like Diana? Many stars were jealous of me because of that-- this was not my fault she says (very innocently). She never took advantage of the fact that she was sleeping with and carrying the child of the most powerful music mogul at the time.

I was, am-- and will always be disappointed with this bio. Why? I LOVE this woman sooo much. I love your insecurities, your HAUNTY ways; I even love your innocence. She is and will always be an inspiration to me. ... Your life story is greater than anyone I can imagine. Please hire a ghostwriter and this time write a BIO that your fans deserve! PUHLEEZE! OH by the way... lots of great pics. The pics are the only reason why I will not resell this book!

While this has some great photos of Diana...if you want the truth about what happened to the Supremes, read Dreamgirls, Mary Wilson's book. Much more informative and much more honest when it comes to what being a "Supreme" was like. This book, while I won't call it BAD, is not the one you want to read to find out what makes "Miss Ross" tick.

I seriously doubt that the whole truth about her life will ever be known. While multi-talented, a mega star, a diva, a GREAT performer and etc....she is still only human and this book tends to forget that aspect. She took the title "Supreme" just a bit to much to her head.

Also, I have to tell you this. After seeing Mary perform in concert a couple of years ago in Salt Lake City...and seeing Diana's Forever Tour, I can tell you, Mary is the one you want to see, should the opportunity ever afford it's self to you! "She Kicks A__!"

While I will always have a special place in my heart for Diana, because I was born a Supremes fan, I know the truth is in "Dreamgirls" and Mary Wilson will always reign "Supreme"!!!

I have found over the years that just the mention of Diana Ross's name either sparks great adulation for her talent or a fury of negative stories detailing her bad behavior. With that said, while no one can dispute the accomplishments of Diana Ross's distinguised career as both the lead singer of the Supremes and a solo superstar, her talents as an author are sorely lacking. I've read several books about Diana Ross, the Supremes and other Motown performers but this is the absolute worst book I have ever read! I found myself laughing out loud at the sheer stupidity of statements like "Having a lot of hair is a huge responsibility" and "we never knew where to oil her to get her working again" - in reference to fellow Supreme, Flo Ballard. She makes it seem like her life has been one big fairy tale and she is the heroine while everyone else are the monsters. She comes off as completely innocent and seems to have lived her life more saintly than Mother Theresa. I can't believe someone with her talent would think her fans are this stupid or naive. She blames everyone else for her negative press and takes absolutely NO responsibility for some of the things she's done to other people. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes during the course of our lives - it's what makes us all human.

However it seems like Miss Ross is above it all and is trying - and failing miserably - to re-write history to suit herself. It is a well documented fact that she and Berry Gordy both conspired to advance her role in the Supremes at the expense of Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard - both of whom were just as talented as she was. True, she had talent, drive and ambition to suceed but her rise to the top left a lot of talented people resentful of her cut-throat tactics at their expense. It is well known that she was jealous of the other women at Motown - most notably Martha Reeves and Gladys Knight - both of whom were both clearly more talented than she was. She certainly had her hand in Florence Ballard's downfall and blamed her for her own troubles and ouster from the Supremes. She never stops to ponder what might have been had Mary Wilson or Flo Ballard been made the lead singer and slept with Berry Gordy to advance their own careers at her expense.

Her treatment of other Motown artists like Martha Reeves, Gladys Horton, Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye and former employees is legendary. Berry Gordy himself has stated that he cannot fathom why she acts the way she does with such little regard for other people's feelings.

I realize that some people may think I'm bashing Diana Ross which is completely untrue - I'm merely stating facts. I recognize her talent and accomplishments which make her a show business legend and icon. However, if she is going to write an autobiography of her life she needs to own up to her mistakes like any other human being and realize that while there are many positive aspects in her achievements as an artist, there are also negative ones that have hurt other people.

And it's truly a shame that her bad behavior and poor decisions over the past few years has severely damaged her career. Maybe someday she'll own up to her shortcomings and make a career resurgence because, I for one would like to see her back onstage where she belongs!

I commend Ross for NOT slinging the trash and I, personally, commend her for it. Regrettably, there will be plenty critics who will feel that she didn't address the ISSUES, as they see them. If you choose to enter her autobiographical take on her life, thus far, and with an unbiased approach, then you, the reader, may learn quite a bit about an extraordinary artist, performer, and most of all, person. She is spreading love. That's all. The hate-mongers should look elsewhere, though. She takes the high road and anyone willing, should do likewise. I loved her writing (and reading) of her own book. You will too! I'm waiting for the follow-up impatiently!

This book was somewhat disappointing. It's best described as light and airy. I enjoyed Ross' recollections of her childhood, but she's not very forthcoming about her years as a Supreme. I can understand "taking the high road", but there comes a time when you need to come clean and tell your side of the story. While she mentions her siblings, she never gives insight as to what her relationships are with them. However Ross does give insight as to why her first marriage failed. She is also pretty candid about her relationship with Berry Gordy. I understand Ross is writing another book. Hopefully she will dig deeper and help us understand who she really is.