80's Flashback

Diana Ross, Live In Central Park, 1983. Once of the most famous moments in Diana Ross' career came when a sudden thunderstorm interrupted her free Central Park concert just as it was beginning. Ross shrugged off the downpour and continued singing, despite the request of promoters that she wait. As the storm intensified and the estimated crowd of 800,000 (perhaps the largest in NYC history) began to dash for the exits, Ross had to plead with them to leave safely and promised to return the next day for another free show. At the 7:00 mark of this clip, Barry Diller himself rushes onto the stage to tell Ross to end the show. Over 500,000 did return the next day in good weather, but NYC had to pay millions in settlements to over 100 people who were assaulted that night by groups of rampaging muggers. Souvenirs sales from the first concert were meant to pay for a proposed park playground in Ross' name, but the second unplanned show and the lawsuits destroyed any profits. Ross eventually paid for the playground out of her own pocket.