Surely, there's no reason to feel sorry for the divine Ms. Ross. She's had a storied career: as lead singer of the Supremes, one of the most successful and influential girl groups in popular music; as an Oscar-nominated actress; as a solo superstar with a string of hits in pop, R&B and adult contemporary. And her old-school glamour is as much a signature as her well-publicized offstage diva attitude.

Look at just about any of the female singing trendsetters who came after her, especially Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Beyoncé, and you'll have no trouble picking out the obvious Diana details. These are all women who bank on glitter, pipes, showmanship and sex appeal to sell themselves as mass-exposure artists.

And yet every one of those women has one up on Ms. Ross, the trailblazer who helped put them on the musical map. They have sales clout: multimillion-selling albums that attract industry attention, garner Grammy Awards and establish superstar status in the public's perception.

For her solo work, Ms. Ross has a mere two platinum and four gold albums in a recording span of 37 years. With the Supremes, she collected a paltry three gold albums. She's never won a Grammy.

That's downright embarrassing, especially for such a well-known, successful multimedia star. Blame former Motown visionary Berry Gordy. During the label's '60s and '70s heyday, when such legends as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Commodores and Ms. Ross (with the Supremes and without) were releasing landmark albums, Mr. Gordy was notorious for refusing to pay for the certification of his company's releases. He ignored the Recording Industry Association of America, the organization that certifies records for platinum (1 million) and gold (500,000) in sales.

That means benchmark releases from Ms. Ross, such as 1972's No. 1 Lady Sings the Blues soundtrack, 1973's No. 5 smash Touch Me in the Morning, 1976's disco-tinged Diana Ross, and her famed duet disc with Mr. Gaye, 1973's Diana & Marvin, still haven't been certified.

It wasn't until 1979's The Boss, which included the hit disco title track, that Ms. Ross received her first gold-selling album award. When she moved over to RCA Records for 1981's platinum Why Do Fools Fall in Love, she enjoyed a bit more sales cachet. Silk Electric, buoyed by the sexy Michael Jackson-penned hit "Muscles," went gold, as did 1984's Swept Away, which included her tearful tribute to Mr. Gaye, "Missing You."

But when Ms. Ross returned to Motown, starting with 1989's Workin' Overtime, she was no longer a label priority. Flop after flop followed (1991's Force Behind the Power, 1995's Take Me Higher and 1999's Every Day Is a New Day) before she disappeared for a while.

Ms. Ross' star is but a tarnished remnant of its former self. Radio won't play her, labels won't promote her, and fans are all but unaware that she has anything new in stores. Every Day Is a New Day, featuring songs written or produced by hit-makers of the day such as Diane Warren, Chuckii Booker, Ric Wake and Daryl Simmons, sold a measly 87,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Blue, originally recorded in 1972 but released in 2006, moved only 61,000 copies.

Which brings us to I Love You, her recent collection of cover songs. It's her biggest record in more than two decades, having debuted on Billboard's pop albums chart at No. 32. But so far, it's sold only 67,000 copies.

Her guest spots on the monster ratings staple American Idol last month didn't help push I Love You one iota. While Ms. Ross got good notices for her constructive coaching techniques with the show's contestants, her performance of "More Today Than Yesterday" was a resounding thud.

Her live rendition of the tune was off. She seemed a bit nervous, and her voice had a shrill quality. Still, she engaged the audience, and she looked fabulous, all decked out in a sparkling red dress capped by a boa-like cape. She is an old pro, after all.

Now she's on tour, with a stop at Grand Prairie's Nokia Theatre on Thursday. Without a doubt, Ms. Ross can put on a show. Along with live musicians and multiple costume changes, she's all smiles and radiates warmth for the crowd. Heck, many of today's sexed-up R&B diva wannabes could take a few lessons from the master.

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