Nile Rodgers recounted at a recent event how his first hit for Diana Ross, "I'm Coming Out," was inspired by an unusual bathroom encounter at a gay club. He interviewed Ross for two days, emphasizing that her album would uniquely celebrate her identity. During a night out, he found himself surrounded by drag queens impersonating Ross, which sparked the idea. He convinced Ross that the song would resonate with her audience like an empowerment anthem, leading to its success as a defining moment in her solo career.
"When I wrote, 'I'm Coming Out,' Diana Ross was the first big star I ever worked with [and] we overcompensated," he said at Carolyn Dailey's 'The Creative Entrepreneur' book launch party.
"I get overly excited... I call my partner, and tell him to write this down: 'I'm coming out,'" he continued.
"This is amazing! Just think about it!" he said while recalling the bathroom full of Diana Ross impersonators.
"There is a significant part of your audience that is gonna relate to this, and this is going to be like James Brown saying, 'Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud.'"
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