Video: Diana Ross performs ‘Upside Down’ in LA – 1981

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This episode of I Wish I Was There takes place on February 5th when 1981 Diana Ross performed a concert at The Los Angeles Western Forum which was taped by CBS for a special titled simply Diana. She played a lot of great songs that night but this clip stands out. It opens with Diana talking to the crowd about then 22 year-old Michael Jackson. In true diva fashion she both expresses her love for him and takes some credit for his “blockbuster” success. She mentions how she’s decided to allow people to “move through me”, introduced the young Jackson 5 a decade earlier and how successful he’s been since their movie The Wiz came out.
My favorite part of this video is when the beat drops for Upside Down (which had went #1 in the US a few months prior) and the crowd absolutely loses it. Diana delivers an effortless performance of her hit, and is joined by Michael to close it out. Watch below:

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