When Diana Ross pulled Boy George on stage for a staggering duet of ‘Upside Down’

29 October 2020, 17:00 | Updated: 17 November 2020, 15:14

Diana Ross was performing a selection of her hits in front of a celebrity audience on An Audience With Diana Ross when she handpicked Boy George to sing with her from the crowd.
Diana Ross was performing a selection of her hits in front of a celebrity audience on An Audience With Diana Ross when she handpicked Boy George to sing with her from the crowd. Picture: YouTube/LWT

By Giorgina Ramazzotti

The moment Diana Ross pulled superfan Boy George on stage to join her for a duet in 1999 is a memory he has no doubt cherished forever.

Diana Ross was performing a selection of her hits in front of a celebrity audience on An Audience With Diana Ross when she handpicked Boy George to sing with her from the crowd.

Inviting 'Georgie' on stage, the star launches into 'Upside Down' as a clearly delighted Boy George looks on, surprising her as he joins in with a word perfect rendition of the song.

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Diana is thrilled that Boy George can keep up and says to him over the music "Did you already know this song?"

The show was taped before a live studio audience in London in 1999 and saw the Diana Ross perform classics such as 'Not Over You Yet' and 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough'.
The show was taped before a live studio audience in London in 1999 and saw the Diana Ross perform classics such as 'Not Over You Yet' and 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough'. Picture: YouTube/LWT
Inviting 'Georgie' on stage, the star launches into 'Upside Down' as a clearly delighted Boy George looks on, surprising her as he joins in with a word perfect rendition of the song.
Inviting 'Georgie' on stage, the star launches into 'Upside Down' as a clearly delighted Boy George looks on, surprising her as he joins in with a word perfect rendition of the song. Picture: YouTube/LWT

"Course I know this song!" he replies, laughing.

The show was taped before a live studio audience in London in 1999 and saw the soul legend belt out classics such as 'Not Over You Yet' and 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough'.

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The memorable night, which included a Q&A and an introduction to tracks from Diana Ross's new album Not Over You Yet, was attended by a specially selected audience that included Graham Norton, Zandra Rhodes and Ian Wright.

Diana Ross & Boy George - Upside Down (Duet Only)

The memorable night, which included a Q&A and an introduction to tracks from Diana Ross's new album Not Over You Yet, was attended by a specially selected audience that included Graham Norton, Zandra Rhodes and Ian Wright.
The memorable night, which included a Q&A and an introduction to tracks from Diana Ross's new album Not Over You Yet, was attended by a specially selected audience that included Graham Norton, Zandra Rhodes and Ian Wright. Picture: YouTube/LWT

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The 76-year-old soul diva recently revealed that footage from her huge 75th birthday party star-studded birthday concert has been lost.

The 'Missing You' singer's exclusive birthday extravaganza took place at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles back in March 2019.

See more: Boy George drops big hint that Harry Styles could play him in biopic

The live concert was attended by a large collection of family members, including her daughter Tracee Ellis Ross.

A range of big celebrity guests also attended the star-studded bash, including Beyonce and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Diana had the concert filmed with the intention of releasing the footage for her loyal fans, but frustratingly lost the footage.

The 76-year-old soul diva recently revealed that footage from her huge 75th birthday party star-studded birthday concert has been lost.
The 76-year-old soul diva recently revealed that footage from her huge 75th birthday party star-studded birthday concert has been lost. Picture: Getty

Diana Ross and Michael Jackson - 'Upside Down'

The footage would have seen a variety of duets, including an impromptu rendition of 'Happy Birthday' from Stevie Wonder, former Motown boss Berry Gordy and rap star Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.

Speaking after her birthday in 2019, the singer said "You should have seen Stevie Wonder! Was he amazing? He was amazing! And Puffy, and my son, my daughters, everybody performed with me. It was a lovely night."

See more: Diana Ross fears rare concert film footage may be lost forever

"What happened is I lost the drive. I can’t find the drive! You know how you film it on a hard drive? I didn’t find it!

"But it’s not lost, it’s got to be found somewhere, and then you can see it. You’ll be able to see it. But it was a lovely night."