Diana Ross is bigger than life, and she proved it once again reigning over the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Hair blowing in a wind just as fierce as herself, the diva dominated a list of celebrities who took part in the annual Manhattan tradition. Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Rita Ora and Martina McBride also came along for the ride. Musical newcomers were introduced to the crowd bundled up against 20-degree chills. But Miss Ross, swathed in a hugely voluminous white fur and defiantly lip-synching without a mic, ruled atop the Hallmark Channel’s Advent calendar-themed float.
Matriarch Diana brought along her family who, dazzling in a display of coordinated, all-white ensembles, wowed the crowd by doing the floss dance and goofing around as Diana mimed performing to Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime.” The family portrait on parade included other famous celebs such as daughter Tracee Ellis Ross, son Evan Ross, and his wife Ashlee Simpson.
Black-ish star Tracee showed off a pair of $1,590 bejeweled Gucci sneakers that adhered to the day’s dress code.
Evan, 30, who married Ashlee in 2014, donned a sheepskin coat with trousers and athletic shoes. He carried his daughter with Ashlee, Jagger, in his arms. Jagger, three, wore a padded jacket, frilly frock, large fluffy hat, tights and gold boots.
Ashlee, 34, wore her long blonde hair loose under a knitted hat with a faux fur bobble on top. She topped her winter coat with a long fluffy stole and wore flared trousers. Her son Bronx, 10, also wore a knit beanie along with an Aran sweater and a padded hooded jacket, skinny jeans and sneakers. Bronx is Ashlee’s son from her first marriage to Pete Wentz.
Social media loved the fashion display, but fans focused most of their attention on Diana’s insouciant refusal to make even a pretense of singing live.
And Twitter celebrated!
‘Diana Ross, not even bothering to lipsync. Like the legend she is. #MacysParade,’ one user wrote.
‘Love how Diana Ross is like f*** the mic, I’ll just have my hair blowing in my face,’ another tweeted.
‘Diana Ross ain’t having it today! Y’all know I can sing, just play my s*** & let me stand up there!’ joked a third.
Other celeb singers braved the cold and one, Kelly Clarkson, made a subtle point to prove she wasn’t lip-synching when she improvised lyrics at the end of her performance. The superstar, clad in a black, fur-lined coat, gave a powerful rendition of Meaning of Life track “Heat.”
Crooner John Legend brought some holiday cheer with his cherry-red peacoat and sang “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” while riding on Build-A-Bear’s sailboat float. Bundled up in a cinched black puffer coat, Rita Ora sang “Let You Love Me,” the fourth single from her just-released sophomore album, Phoenix. She rode the colorful Krazy Glue fun house float.
Kane Brown had plenty to smile about with his sophomore album just debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The country singer celebrated by singing “Good As You,” his latest single from Experiment. Puerto Rican native Bad Bunny performed his Spanish-language hit “Estamos Bien.” Rising R&B star Ella Mai sang her colossal hit “Boo’d Up.”
It was the Diana Ross clan, however, who showed that they have nothing but “endless love” for each other. Just like her hit song.
