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by GoPride.com News Staff

Los Angeles, Calif — The legendary New York concert special Diana Ross—Live In Central Park will be released for the first time on DVD on May 15, 2012, via Shout! [sic] Factory, the diversified entertainment company announced last week. Originally broadcast in 1983, the concert has never before been made available for home entertainment. 

Diana Ross—Live In Central Park will contain the entire concert special as it was broadcast, and the bonus features include the complete rain-shortened concert as well as a new commentary by director Steve Binder (The T.A.M.I. Show, Elvis: The '68 Comeback Special). Additionally, American Public Television will be making a broadcast version of the main program available to their Premium Service client stations beginning March 1.

On July 21, 1983, Diana Ross—then already a famed musical icon for over 20 years—arrived in radiant glory and took to the makeshift Central Park stage to perform a free concert, recalls Shout Factory promotional literature: "From her first number, Diana had the audience's love. She wanted to give them her all and she was well on her way, but nature had something else in mind. What started as a hair-whipping wind and bothersome drizzle soon became a threatening torrential downpour. Diana—soaked through and through but never leaving the open-air stage—braved the rain as long as she could, but ultimately put an end to the show at the halfway mark. Not one to disappoint, Diana promised to return the next day… and she did!"

Over the two day event, it was estimated that over a million fans attended the two concerts. Initially broadcast live around the world, with Diana's proceeds going toward a new Central Park playground built in her name, this renowned concert was never again shown on television and remained largely unseen for 30 years. 
Of the DVD's release, Diana Ross says, "Now, almost 30 years later, I can still say Central Park was one of the peak experiences of my career, an historical event-—rain and shine!"

Source: Press Release

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