Sophia Michaels
Beyoncé rang in her 42nd birthday with a surprise serenade from the legendary Diana Ross at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, on Sept. 4. Surrounded by thousands of fans on her “Renaissance” World Tour — including several celebrity friends — Beyoncé ran over to Ross and pulled her into a warm embrace on stage. After exchanging some birthday pleasantries with Beyoncé, Ross turned to lead the cheering crowd in a round of “Happy Birthday.”
“There would be no me without you.”
“Diana Ross singing Happy Birthday to Beyoncé on her birthday at her LA show [was] UNREAL!” Emile Ennis Jr. captioned a video of the heartwarming moment on Instagram. As Ross sang along with the audience, she held hands with Beyoncé, who jumped excitedly in place and pulled Ross into another hug when the song came to a close. “Thank you so much, you are so amazing,” Beyoncé told Ross before turning to face the crowd. “This is the legendary Diana Ross! There would be no me without you, and thank you so much for all of your sacrifice and your beauty and your grace. Thank you for opening doors for me. Thank you so much.”
Smiling, Ross replied, “You sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me, so I wanted to sing it to you.” In 2019, Beyoncé helped Ross celebrate her 75th birthday with an impromptu rendition of the song during a star-studded birthday celebration at the Hollywood Palladium. Notable guests included members of Ross’s family — Tracee Ellis Ross and Evan Ross — Stevie Wonder, Gabrielle Union, Khloé Kardashian, DJ Khaled, and more.
In past interviews, Beyoncé has cited Ross as one of her biggest musical inspirations, highlighting her talents as an all-around entertainer. “Give it up for the queen!” Beyoncé said into the mic before exiting the stage hand in hand with Ross on her birthday.
More than 50 dates deep into her “Renaissance” World Tour, Beyoncé has serenaded upward of two million fans, making memories that will last a lifetime. Now, to see the 32-time Grammy winner’s night rocked by a music legend brings the entire production full circle. Witness the unforgettable moment between Ross and Beyoncé ahead.
