Diana Ross

In late-1971, it was announced that Diana Ross was going to play jazz icon Billie Holiday in a Motown-produced biographical film loosely based on Holiday's autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues. From the moment the film was announced, critics ridiculed Ross throughout the media: Ross and Holiday were miles apart from each other in style and appearance. Ross soldiered on, immersing herself into Holiday's music and life story. Diana actually knew little about Holiday, and wasn't a big fan of jazz in general. She did not attempt to imitate Holiday's voice, instead, Ross focused on adapting Holiday's vocal phrasing.