Celebrity Feuds
Miss Ross Booed in Jamaica, Mon

Oh, the diva has gone and done it this time!


Diana Ross pissed off a crowd of 40,000 at the 2008 Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival on Saturday, where Miss Thing, 63, was booed and heckled by Jamaicans attending the festival in Montego Bay -- after organizers told them that "to honor Miss Ross' wishes, she will not be shown on the monitors." That news was greeted with widespread hissing. Oh no she didn't!

Patrons in the stadium-sized arena were unable to see the diva onstage, so they called for organizers to put her performance up on the big screen. "It was at the eleventh hour that her manager said she wouldn't allow us to IMAG (In Vivo Imaging) her performance," said a concert promoter, "and, if any cameras were present, she would not go on stage."

Hisses turned to full-out boos when Ross started her set with Supremes hits -- and the crowd beyond the first section couldn't see her -- and the booing continued throughout her set.

No Makeup -- Click to LaunchFestival spokesperson Carlette DeLeon issued a statement Sunday blaming Ross for upsetting the Jamaica crowd, saying, "The much anticipated performance of Diana Ross on Saturday proved somewhat disappointing to many patrons who expected a very interactive set. Miss Ross' request to have a restricted display of her performance however, inconvenienced patrons who were left feeling distanced from the stage and her performance."

Attendees paid from $80 to $307 to watch Ross -- who was reportedly paid $300,000 for the gig -- perform the hour-long set with fellow headliners Mary Mary, Billy Ocean and KoKo Taylor.

Tags: Diana Ross, DianaRoss

Reader Comments

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91. It is a Jamaican tradition to stone the person on stage that does not deliver and have such contempt for the paying fans. I can not for the life of me understand why this did not happen, yard people yu let mi down.

Posted at 8:19PM on Feb 3rd 2008 by Andy

92. I FELT PERSONALLY DISRESPECTED AND SO DID MOST OF MY COUNTRYMAN AND VISITORS. HOW DARE THAT " WITCH OF ROSE HALL"
IF I THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS HUMBLE ENOUGH TO READ THIS BLOG, I WOULD SAY MY PIECE BUT SINCE SHE WILL NOT BE SEEING THIS; MAY I JUST SAY TO YOU - DO NOT EVER ALLOW THIS YESTERDAY WANABE TO INSUKT YOU. DO NOT EVER GO TO SEE HER AND JOIN ME IN NOT EVER LISTENNING TO HER MUSIC AGAIN.

THAT WILL MAKE SOME SPACE FOR JILL SCOTTS CDS WHICH WLL NOW BE IN MY COLLECTION.

Posted at 4:17PM on Jan 29th 2008 by seph

93. Porgie again I missed a very important piece of info she was staying at this Villa in Jamaica and she told her guards to let the people in the villa next to her that she would not be signing any autographs and did not wanted to be disturbed. They sent a message back telling her they did not know that she was even staying there and informed them to tell her that she did not want to be disturbed by her again. Now was she not only bringing attention to herself.

Posted at 12:55PM on Jan 29th 2008 by Porgie

94. I never thought she could sing. She was just skinny. she really mistreated her co-Supremes. And BTW its called "retirement"
and she should go and stay in it.

Posted at 1:10PM on Jan 29th 2008 by noshedidn't

95. Diana ovbiously forgot that she came out of the projects of Detroit and should remember that people out at that Festival came to see her with a good heart, only to be slammed by her not wanting to be put on screen. We also flew to Jamaica and spent thousands of dollars on hotel and transportation for this festival, I can only hope that the promotors make it up to the people of Jamaica next year for the dissappointment that was presented to them this year. As I blame them, this had to be a part of her contract prior to all this I don't believe for one minute that she made this demand 24 hours prior to her appearing on stage BS. Another point to #77 Rickie's comment, Billy Ocean was the highlight of the night if you were present you would have understood why. If Billy Ocean had come on stage before Diana everyone would have walked out on her. Some people were walking with their chairs from 4:30pm hoping to get good seats for her show and she pulls this crap, shame on you. Diva my a**

Posted at 1:19PM on Jan 29th 2008 by porgie

96. USED UP, NO TALENT, MEGALOMANIACAL HAS BEEN WRINKLED UP OLD HAG!

Posted at 1:29PM on Jan 29th 2008 by KAT

97. O.K....she's old...it happens to the best of us. But, have you heard her voice lately? Geez, it's awful and it's like she can't even carry a tune anymore - deaf, maybe? It's sad and kinda pitiful at the same time.

Posted at 1:55PM on Jan 29th 2008 by HelenWiells

98. In Jamaica for Jazz and Blues, we were all anticipating Ms Ross, lot of tourist came to the Island and we paid big money, We were all expecting to see her, and all you can see on the stage was like a DOT she deserved the boo's , we people make everyone a celebrity and if we were not buying there album, guess what !!!! Get off this DIVAs attitude, and APOLIGISE TO WE JAMAICAN AND ALL THE TOURIST THAT CAME TO THE ISLAND.

Posted at 9:05AM on Jan 30th 2008 by Jamaican

99. miss ross can now be called ms rass. she dissed us here in jamaica. many persons like myself saved our hard earn monies to see the Diva but she proved herself to be a DIVER. Ms Rass u ought to apologise to us.

Posted at 3:39PM on Jan 29th 2008 by tanya

100. Miss so call Ross...you are a rass for dissing Jamaicans like that.....go get outta here with your Botex face

Posted at 12:31PM on Jan 30th 2008 by ANGEL

101. She is so lucky that it was montegobay she was at , and not Kingston where she would surely have gotten some red stripe bottle , along with the booing.

Posted at 10:20PM on Jan 30th 2008 by proud jamaican

102. Boy, I'd love to know how many people have told Ms. Ross straight to her face to "Go F*#K" herself........Man I'd love to hear someone tell her that................Someone posted that they saw Ms. Over the Hill at a Blockbuster,,,,,,,,and that she said something smart to them.....................now that would have been a "Go F*#K" yourself moment.........!!!!!

Posted at 8:09AM on Jan 30th 2008 by Montana

103. It was not only that she didn't want to be seen on the monitors, it was also because she lipsynced her entire performance. The sound was low and "bland" not the rich sound you get during a live performance. And for those who made comments about Jamaicans making "petty criticsm" know this, most of the crowd there were foreigners who flew in for the show. However, don't you think that Jamaicans are just mere "natives" running around in grass skirts we are well educated and aware people but even if we weren't it is unfair to pay over US$100.00 to listen to a tape (or CD) we could have stayed at home and done that. Another thing, she changed so many times that we had to wonder if we had come to a fashion show. If she had even requested no video or no "closeup" shots but did a performance in her present voice I would not have felt so cheated. Name calling is not needed, age does take a toll on all of us but she DID disrespect her audience by her actions and that is what must be addressed on this forum.

Posted at 10:29PM on Feb 1st 2008 by dale_stud

104. LEAVE HER ALONE.... SHE'S A LEGEND...SHE'S STILL MAGNIFICENT...AND SHE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO PERFORM AS SHE SEES FIT....DIANA WILL ALWAYS BE MAGIC TO ME....I CAN'T WAIT TO BE IN HER PRESENCE IN HOUSTON .... I LOVE HER.

Posted at 10:15AM on Jan 31st 2008 by blonddaddy

105. Isn't she waaaayyyy too OLD to be acting like a spoiled brat! Doesn't she know that her STAR faded a long time ago? Her ride is over.........and somewhere in the pearly gates of heaven, Miss Flo Ballard is saying: " Karma's a BITCH honey!".

Posted at 7:27AM on Feb 1st 2008 by Blondie

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