The Famous Faces of Clan Ross

Early members of the clan occupied a high place in society and managed to build some noble family links. The first recorded Chief of Clan Ross was Fearchar Mac an t-Sagairt, which means ‘son of the priest’ in English. The traditional story goes that he was part of the ancient family who provided the hereditary abbots of Applecross. He built a strong reputation as a brave warrior and passionate supporter of the Scottish monarchy.

In 1214, King Alexander II led an army to squash a rival claimant to the throne’s rebellion and was aided on his mission by Mac an t-Sagairt. The King was so impressed by his conduct in battle that he knighted the Chief and granted his son lands in Skye and Lewis in thanks, helping to grow the already distinguished Ross name.

Tales of his daring quickly became legendary and were even commemorated in The Chronicle of Melrose, which reported that "Mac an t-Sagairt attacked and mightily overthrew the king's enemies; and he cut off their heads and presented them as gifts to the new king ... And because of this, the lord king appointed him a new knight."

Other notable Rosses have displayed a similar flair for influencing important figures and helping to shape the country and lands around them. One great example is Colonel George Ross, who was a Founding Father of the United States! He was part of a group of late 18th century American revolutionary leaders who worked to solidify independence from Great Britain and set up a framework of government for the nation.

George Ross was born in May of 1730 in Newcastle, Delaware, into a very large family. His father was Rev. George Aeneas, the 5th Laird Balblair Ross, a clergyman who had emigrated to America from Scotland. Their paternal line goes directly back to our first famous face from today, Fearchar Mac an t-Sagairt, the very first Earl of Ross!

As an adult, George studied law, attaining the Bar in Philadelphia at the age of 20 and quickly establishing his own practice. He was initially on the Crown side of politics, serving as Crown Prosecutor for twelve years before being elected to the provincial legislature in 1768.

While on the provincial legislature, he served on the Committee of Safety, where his sympathies began to change; he came to understand first hand the rising conflict between the colonial assemblies and the Parliament, and consequently became a strong supporter of the colonial legislatures in their many disputes with Parliament in Great Britain.

Soon after, he was appointed to the Continental Congress, where he became a signer of the Declaration of Independence, cementing his place in history forever. He continued to dedicate himself to politics for the rest of his life, until he died at the age of 49 in 1779.

This impressive work ethic seems to have endured across the generations, and helped other more contemporary Rosses gain great success in a variety of fields. One who we’re sure you will have heard of is the iconic Diana Ross, who rose to fame as the lead singer of The Supremes, who became Motown’s most successful act in the 1960s and one of the world’s bestselling girl groups of all time!

In total, Ross has sold more than 100 million albums both as a member of The Supremes, and as a solo artist.

Diana Ross was born in Detroit on the 26th of March 1944. Her early years were incredibly musically rich, and she built friendships with many fellow musicians who would also go on to see astronomical success. She went to school with Smokey Robinson, and also joined a music group named the Primettes with girls from her neighborhood. The Primettes were a sister group to the male group the Primes, who would later gain fame as The Temptations.

Smokey Robinson brought the Primettes to Motown Records and introduced them to its founder, who was suitably impressed. After they finished high school, the group signed a contract with Motown and adopted the name the Supremes. Their achievements were unprecedented, as they saw hit after hit with songs such as “Baby Love” (1964), “Stop in the Name of Love” (1965), and “Can’t Hurry Love” (1966). They recorded 10 number one hit singles between August 1964 and May 1967!

In 1970, however, Ross left the group to pursue a solo career. Diana Ross, her debut solo album, included the song “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” which would go on to become the first of many solo hit singles.

Over the span of her long-lasting career, Diana Ross has sung for the Queen of England, performed at the Super Bowl, been honoured with two stars on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, and continues to receive countless awards and accolades to this day. On November 16, 2016, Ross was announced as one of the 21 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honour, and in 2023, Supremes co-founders Ross and the late Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard received the Grammys’ Lifetime Achievement Award, making Ross the first woman to win the award twice.

You may also recognise her daughter, Tracee Ellis Ross, who has had a big impact on American television. She was born on the 29th of October 1972 in Los Angeles, California, and was quickly introduced to the world of arts and creativity as a young child. In the 80s, Tracee was photographed alongside her mother by the famous Andy Warhol. She worked as a model in her teens, before attending Brown University, where she began to hone her acting skills, appearing in plays, and graduating in 1994 with a theatre degree.

She started achieving roles in indie films, small TV shows, and music videos quickly, but her big break came when she was given the lead role in the hit series Girlfriends, starring as the show’s protagonist Joan Carol Clayton, a successful but troubled young lawyer. The show followed the lives and friendship of 4 young African American women as they supported each other through an entertaining mix of ups and downs. In 2007, Ross won an NAACP Image Award in the category, Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her role on the series. She won a second Image Award for the role in 2009.

However, while Girlfriends certainly boosted Tracee’s career, it was arguably her next big role that solidified her fame as an actress.

From 2014 to 2022, Ross starred as Dr. Rainbow Johnson in the ABC comedy series, Black-ish. Her work on it has earned her six NAACP Image Awards and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy. She has also received nominations for two Critics' Choice Television Awards and five Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. The show follows an upper-class black family in America and revolves around their lives, as they juggle personal and socio-political issues. It was so popular that in 2019, Tracee was hired to co-create a prequel spin-off titled Mixed-ish.

Image Sources:

Diana Ross- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diana_Ross_performing_at_Caesars_Windsor,_2023-09-08_02.jpg

The Supremes- https://denstoredanske.lex.dk/The_Supremes

Tracee Ellis Ross- https://www.flickr.com/photos/disneyabc/14664472365

Tracee Ellis Ross in Black-ish- https://www.hollywoodreporter....