MEM'RIES: 18 years ago this weekend, Oprah hosted her 'Legends' Ball, with a star-studded guest list

One of the biggest jokes ever. A bunch of pompous asses.

Those are very interesting omissions. I assume there's a full documentary that covered more of the event-- I'd love to see it. One of my favorite things is the clip of the spontaneous gospel performances at brunch and Patti Labelle shutting the place down. Would love to have been a fly on the wall during the meeting where they decided who goes into what category, there's quite a few questionable "younguns" on that list.

She just was copying Capote.

She's never had an original idea in her fat life.

I tried to sneak in, but my stilettos and long wig got caught in the hedges and burrs. :(

I tried to sneak in, but my stilettos and long wig got caught in the hedges and burrs. :(

R2 I don't think there were any documentaries done on this. I believe Oprah had total control of the event in every way possible. What she released a year later on her ABC special was all we got to see.

I never knew that Diana Ross and Diahann Carroll feuded with each other for nearly 35 years. I wonder if they ever did meet up for dinner afterwards.

Data loungers : WE SPEAK YOUR NAME

How did Oprah and Whoopi get along on the set of The Color Purple? That really was a slight not to invite Whoopi. Even if she didn’t think Whoopi was old enough to be a “legend” yet, Oprah could have invited her as one of those paying tribute.

Yes, not inviting Whoopi was a slight. Maybe Whoopi was a bitch to her on the Color Purple set and Oprah held a grudge. it is a shock because Whoopi is one of the few Black actresses to win an Oscar.

The Donna Summer omission is not a surprise. She did deserve it because Donna accomplished a lot in her career than just being the Queen of Disco. Also, Donna wasn't someone who really courted fame especially in her later years.

I didn't know Carroll was considered for the Billie Holiday role. I thought Diana was great but it would have been interesting to see Carroll's take on the role.

Wash Orpah on the Gayle cuntjuice diet yet?

I wanted to see Maya recite an Ode to a Frozen Giraffe 🦒

They thought that one was was angry at the other. (You thought I was mad at you? I thought you were mad at me!) This came from people telling them false things, which hurt them, but they never actually communicated with each other to confirm whether or not any of that was true.

I think Summer's only appearance on Oprah's show was in 1999, when she was promoting her 'Live and More Encore' CD / VH 1 special in May, 1999. I remember when the interview first started, they both said people couldn't believe they had never met each other before this interview. Oprah quipped that 'it surprises people because everyone thinks all black entertainers know each other'. When Summer died 11 years ago, I don't recall Oprah making any statement.

As for Carroll, it was said the writers of LSTB had Carroll in mind from the beginning (1970). When the project was finished, Gordy got his hands on it and convinced everyone that this would be a great project for Ross and to launch the movie division of Motown. Carroll was miffed, and blamed Ross for stealing the movie. Though they were quite friendly in the 60s, Carroll never talked to Ross again...until 2005.

Whitney Houston was also missing from the event - it was quickly said she was 'not well to attend or be honored' . We know what that means.

Only DL would commemorate this historic event! God, I love this stupid site.

R14 And it loves you back ~

Star-studded guest list and a bread-studded menu!

R9 R10 Whoopi was not invited because she did what Oprah could not do: Whoopi won a competitive Oscar and made history as the first black EGOT. Ever since Angelica Huston won for Prizzi's Honor and Whoopi later managed to win for Ghost, both have been persona non grata with O. Also, Whoopi's solo talk show was doing well. In short, Whoopi was competition where it mattered most, so Oprah froze her out.

R12 The only reason why Oprah came up with that half-assed excuse about the rumor mill driving a wedge between them is because it was the (other) elephant in the room. Oprah HATES to lose and would never admit that she froze Whoopi out because of her long-held desire to go from National Forensics Champion to Oscar-winning actress. That would never come to pass.

Like Joan Rivers, Oprah longed to be taken seriously as an actress. Getting wealthy from the talk show was her consolation prize. Same goes for bitter Ellen who loved the money the talk show gave her, but never got over her sitcom getting canceled and how the industry shunned her in the immediate years after.

Burnishing her image to become deified in the culture was Oprah's way of trying to become bigger than the professional thorn in her side: Hollywood and audiences would never fully embrace Oprah at the box office or at the Oscars. She had to become a billionaire philanthropist to receive any awards that weren't Daytime Emmys for her talk show. People kiss Oprah's ass, because she's rich, but they secretly resent her high-minded, holier than though attitude.

Donna Summer was a drug addict whore turned born-again, anti-gay Christian, so fuck her. Besides, Oprah's not big on dance music. Aretha snubbed Oprah, likely because Patti and Diana Ross was there. The Queen of Soul Food doesn't share her plate or the spotlight.

No Eartha Kitt? shameful....

[quote]Aretha snubbed Oprah, likely because Patti and Diana Ross was there.

Aretha was notorious for not travelling, unless she was getting paid to do a concert. She didn't fly on airplanes, and didn't like spending days on the road travelling from Detroit unless there was money to be made. Hitting the road for days just to spend a weekend with other black women at Oprah's estate (and picking up a pair of ear-rings for it) was not motivational enough for Franklin. She'd rather stay home in Detroit.

What about the worthless menfolk? What about Steadman?

R20 They were cast off to the side. At least Brolin, Berkus and Obama were. (Didn't see any other men in the photos).

Ladies Tyler and Shemar were there.

[quote] She just was copying Capote. She's never had an original idea in her fat life.

And Capote “was just copying Cinderella?” Rich and powerful people throwing big parties to celebrate each other is not exactly a novel idea.

The only thing Datalounge hates more than black people is rich successful black people. All of whom you attack with the same white supremacist tropes, daily. Your favorite go to list of reasons why their success is not legitimate nor deserved.

All of this always reveals more about you, than it does about the black celebs that you attack.

R23 You quote R3 who only mentioned her size - fat. He never ever mentioned her race.

Why did you drag race into this ?

All of this always reveals more about you, than it does about the posters that you attack.

I always laugh at how Aretha, at 1:43 of this video, walks up to Oprah, and makes her mention her song "A Deeper Love" from her Greatest Hits album while Patti Labelle is starting to sing. When the camera shoots to Patti's face, you can see her look of surprise, as in "I can't believe this bitch just did that!"

Where was Harriet Tubman? I can’t believe she got snubbed.

[R2] I don't think there were any documentaries done on this

A total loss. This is up there near Stonewall in terms of events of importance to the gays!

Ugh..

Didn't know Barbra and Barbara were the white attendees. Did they recieve earrings, too?

Oprah will be forgotten when Gen Alpha born early 2010s to 2025 come of age.

This “young’uns” bullshit is outrageous. Alfre Woodard was an Oscar nominee, and Janet Jackson and Mary J Blige sold more albums than most of those legends listed.

But we all know they were really there to pay tribute to Oprah herself. She ran the whole show with herself as the star, the goddess, the rumbling obsidian mountain that looms over the village of terrified little people.

Aretha wouldn't have went even without the issue of flying. She would have to share the spotlight with Tina, Dionne, Gladys, Diana, Patti, etc. Aretha hated other women, and hated other divas who had huge fan bases and some who were more popular than she was. Like Tina Turner, who could sell out stadiums, unlike Aretha.

A Legends Ball without me???

That’s like saying you had dinner with the President……of the local VFW post.

Nice try, Oprah.

“Aretha wouldn’t have went”, R32? really?

Mammories! 🕰️

I saw the hour-long special about it on ABC, and it was a total cringe. That ridiculous "poem" written by Maya Angelou where all of the "young'uns had to say in refrain after every verse "We speak your name, we speak your name" made me embarrassed just watching it.

When I think of legendary balls something very different comes to my mind.

R29 I don't think they recieved any gifts. The earrings were only for the honorees - the legends and the 'young'uns'.

What food was served? Did the 'young uns' or even the "legends" get to take doggy bags home with them??

[quote] Aretha hated other women, and hated other divas who had huge fan bases and some who were more popular than she was. Like Tina Turner, who could sell out stadiums, unlike Aretha.

But she was cool with Diana Ross who sold more than her. So I doubt it was that.

Aretha only had beef with other women she felt that could challenge her vocally. She really didn’t think of Tina as a threat or even in the same lane as her. I doubt she cared about Tina’s touring numbers (only gay fans into stan wars care about such trivial nonsense).

Howard Stern did the greatest parody of this thing!

Franklin had a quiet friendship with Streisand, who Franklin probably considered a vocal rival. They knew each other since the early 60s, when they both were signed to Columbia (at the time, Franklin said they were spending more time promoting Streisand than promoting her - whom they signed on as a Gospel singer). When Franklin died, Streisand sent beautiful flowers to her funeral (as did Ross) and praised her as a contemporary and as a civil rights activist.

R29 Streisand came for the grilled shrimp

I wonder where they all slept at night? I don't think Oprah's house was big enough to host everybody over the weekend. I also wonder what was on the menus.

R44 Oprah's estate is huge. She had a special trolley system built to take guests up to the main house.

Both Ross and Franklin admired Streisand, probably because Streisand took control of her own career, but even more importantly, she was a success as both an actress and singer.

Whitney Houston also revealed in an interview with Barbara Walters that it wasn't Ross whose career she wanted to emulate, it was Streisand's.

NEVER EVER EVER could stand Franklin's voice...All I have ever heard is loud caterwalling....but hey, that's just me!

I saw a bit of this when it aired back then. The funniest part was the clip showing Oprah putting her event planner, Colin Cowie, in his place. I shit you not - she was shown taking a sip of champagne while staring straight ahead, then placing the flute at Cowie's abdomen as he was standing next to her. Continuing to stare straight ahead as he took the flute from her hand, Oprah, said so much without speaking one word. Cowie backed away meekly as Oprah....continued to stare straight ahead. Subtle yet highly effective cunt move. Perhaps you had to see it.

[quote]Franklin had a quiet friendship with Streisand, who Franklin probably considered a vocal rival

Since when? In her book, Franklin gave one sentence to Barbra, where she attributed Streisand's success to simply having good management. That's shade.

Meanwhile, she went to Diana's Kennedy Center Honors, attended her concerts in Detroit, and often praised her in interviews.

R44 Oprah put everyone up in neighborhood homes which were vacant that weekend. She actually created the AirBnB.

[quote] Diahann Carroll said Oprah pulled her aside with singer Diana Ross and asked them to join her in the kitchen. There, the two legends patched up their friendship which had broken nearly 35 years earlier, when Carroll accused Ross of stealing the movie 'Lady Sings The Blues' from her. (Ross always said she had nothing to do with it - it was Berry Gordy's idea). "It's been a long, long time" said Carroll to reporters, "but we made amends. We exchanged phone numbers and plan on meeting for dinner soon. A lot of time has past." Ross told the press she was happy to reconnect with Carroll after 'so many years wasted'.

Never heard that story before. I don't think there was bad blood between Carroll and Ross. I do know that Patti Labelle and Diana Ross reconciled at the Legends Ball after bad feelings towards each other for decades. I do recall Ross saying she hadn't seen Carroll in a long time and got her phone number, but they were neither friends nor foes.

[quote] As for Carroll, it was said the writers of LSTB had Carroll in mind from the beginning (1970). When the project was finished, Gordy got his hands on it and convinced everyone that this would be a great project for Ross and to launch the movie division of Motown. Carroll was miffed, and blamed Ross for stealing the movie. Though they were quite friendly in the 60s, Carroll never talked to Ross again...until 2005.

???? Carroll was mentioned for LSTB but long before Berry Gordy got his hands on it, and only because she was THE Black actress of the moment. I doubt Carroll would have ever taken a role that showed her going through heroin withdrawal -- she was "Julia" at the time. And Carroll was 10 years older than Ross. Where did this story come from?

Oprah has NEVER spoken of who was invited and who was not. She has only ever said that she personally called Whitney Houston TWICE to invite her. However, Whitney was in a bad way at the time.

Oprah's psychology is fascinating. This is kind of a cool idea to honor black female legends, but as others said, it looks like a tribute to herself.

She came from a genuinely poor and rough background. To see her embrace gurus of the week, wacko events like this, and just immediately lose touch (that event planner Champagne story) is interesting.

Kitty Kelley's book is great for tidbits like: -ironclad NDAs for employees, before they got really popular -Smart moves when it came to owning studios and investing in radio stations -Idolizing thin wealthy white women who would have nothing to do w her in another setting -Decent working environment, if a little high pressure -Fixated on fiction that rehashes child abuse -Constantly trying new religious/guru beliefs -"Adopting" kids/mentoring and then cutting them off out of nowhere -No clue her downer film about slavery, Beloved, would not be as successful as a Chucky sequel!

The Chucky movie story "Bride of Chucky, which opened opposite the Jonathan Demme–directed film. “I didn’t know that you had that weekend, and that is it,” she tells Morgan. “It premiered on a Friday night and I remember hearing on Saturday morning that we got beat by something called Chucky. I didn’t even know what Chucky was.” Still, at least the experience was instructive, in that it helped her to empathize with what mere mortals must go through at times: “It was the only time in my life that I was ever depressed"

R55 The NERVE of this fucking cow.

She's lucky she had that awful Chucky sequel to take the heat off of her film, which would've bombed no matter what.

And she can't blame 1990s box office returns for her fat ass. She doesn't have a Hollywood problem. She has a Twinkie problem.

Remember when she didn’t know how to pump gas with Gale or that people didn’t change their sheets once a day?

r57, the only time I ever saw Oprah in person was @1984 when she was pumping gas into her luxury car.

I remember that road trip she and Gayle took. A nice red Impala and some candid footage of the two of them.

But there was always at least one SUV following behind them with security and personal assistants.