Robert Ellis Silberstein: Diana Ross’s Ex-Husband, Family and Music Career

Robert Ellis Silberstein is a music executive and former manager best known as Diana Ross’s first husband and the father of Tracee Ellis Ross and Chudney Ross. He was married to the Motown star from 1971 to 1977. During those years, he also helped raise Ross’s eldest daughter, Rhonda Ross Kendrick, as his own. His career stayed mostly behind the scenes, but his family ties placed him close to one of the most famous musical households of the 1970s.

In this article, we’ll look at his marriage, work in the music business, role as a father, and the bond he has maintained with his daughters. His public story is less about celebrity appearances and more about family, music management, and a place in Diana Ross’s life during a major period in her career.

A Music Executive in the 1970s

Silberstein worked in music management during the 1970s, a period when rock, soul, funk, and R&B were changing quickly. ESSENCE has described him as a music executive and music business manager.

His work was largely offstage. Managers help artists handle business choices, schedules, career plans, and other professional needs. That kind of job rarely gets the same attention as performing, but it can shape an artist’s career in important ways.

AllMusic notes that Rufus, the funk group that featured Chaka Khan, had once been managed by him.

That connection placed him inside the professional music world of the era. Rufus became one of the best-known funk groups of the 1970s, while Khan later built a major solo career.

His work with Rufus remains one of the clearest examples of his role in the business. It shows that his career was rooted in artist management rather than performance.

Marriage to Diana Ross

He married Diana Ross in 1971. She was already famous after her years with the Supremes and had started a major solo career.

People confirms that the couple married in 1971 and later had two daughters together. Tracee was born in 1972, followed by Chudney in 1975.

The marriage placed him inside a household connected to Motown history, film, television, and a fast-growing solo music career. Ross was recording hit songs, acting, touring, and becoming one of the most visible entertainers in the country.

At home, the family was growing at the same time.

The couple’s marriage lasted until 1977. Their divorce ended the marriage, but it did not erase the family ties that had formed during those years.

Rhonda Ross Kendrick and the Father Who Raised Her

One of the most important parts of his family story involves Rhonda Ross Kendrick.

Rhonda was born in 1971. Her biological father is Motown founder Berry Gordy. Silberstein married Diana Ross that same year and raised Rhonda as his daughter.

People identifies Rhonda as Ross’s eldest child and notes that her mother’s first husband raised her as his own. ESSENCE has also described the same family relationship.

That role went far beyond biology. He was the father figure in Rhonda’s early life and part of the household in which she grew up.

The family later became open about her biological connection to Gordy. Even so, the bond she had built with the man who helped raise her remained part of the family history.

This gives a fuller picture of the household during the 1970s. He was not only the husband of a major singer or the father of two daughters. He was also raising a third child in the same home.

Tracee Ellis Ross and a Close Father-Daughter Bond

The relationship between Tracee Ellis Ross and her father is one of the clearest parts of his public life today.

Tracee has often shared warm moments with him. ESSENCE has highlighted photos and social posts showing the two together and has described her as a clear “daddy’s girl.”

In one widely shared grocery-store video, she joked with him while he reached for food behind a counter and later tried to juggle lemons. She wrote that she loved him and that he made her laugh.

The moment was light, but it showed a close bond that has continued well into her adult life.

Tracee built a major career through television, film, beauty, and fashion. She became widely known through Girlfriends and later Black-ish. Yet her relationship with her father often appears in a much simpler way: family jokes, old photos, outings, and affectionate posts.

Those moments show a warm family relationship that has lasted across decades and through major changes in both of their lives.

Chudney Ross and a Different Career Path

Diana Ross and Silberstein welcomed Chudney Ross in 1975.

People’s profile of the Ross children describes Chudney as an educator, author, and entrepreneur. She created Books and Cookies, a children-focused literacy and learning business.

Like Tracee, she grew up in a family surrounded by entertainment. Her own career, however, moved in a different direction.

The sisters show how varied the household became over time. One moved into acting and television. The other focused on children, books, and education.

Their father’s public profile stayed quieter than either Diana’s or Tracee’s, but the family link remained visible across the years.

Life Inside a Famous Music Family

The 1970s were a huge period for Diana Ross.

She was building a solo career after the Supremes, recording major hits, and acting in films. Lady Sings the Blues arrived in 1972 and earned her an Academy Award nomination.

Family life was developing at the same time as one of the busiest parts of her career.

Silberstein lived inside that world while also working in music management. The family’s social circle included major names from entertainment.

Tracee later recalled growing up around artists such as Michael Jackson, Cher, Chaka Khan, and Marvin Gaye. People reported that she has old family photos of her parents playing tennis with famous friends.

Those memories help explain the world in which the children grew up. Their home was linked to music history, but it was still a family home.

Tracee has also spoken about the effort her mother made to create a normal childhood despite the fame around them.

The Marriage Ended, but Family Ties Continued

Diana Ross and Silberstein divorced in 1977.

The end of the marriage did not erase the relationships with the children. Later public appearances and family posts show that he remained part of their lives.

That is especially clear in Tracee’s relationship with him. The two have appeared together at events, in family photos, and in casual moments shared online.

His role as a father lasted far beyond the marriage itself. The daughters he helped raise remained the strongest connection between him and the Ross family.

Parenting, shared history, and family bonds continued long after the couple separated.

A Career That Stayed Behind the Scenes

Unlike Diana Ross, he was not a performer. Unlike Tracee, he did not build a television career.

His work was in management and the business side of music.

AllMusic’s reference to his work with Rufus gives a clear example of that career, while ESSENCE and People describe him as a music executive or music business manager.

Managers often work outside the spotlight. They help guide professional choices, organize opportunities, and support artists as careers grow.

That pattern fits his life well. Even when his family became famous across several generations, he remained much less visible.

Why His Story Still Gets Attention

Interest in Robert Ellis Silberstein comes from several parts of the same family story.

He was married to Diana Ross during an important part of her solo career. He worked in the music business. He helped raise Rhonda. He is the father of Tracee and Chudney. His life therefore sits at the meeting point of Motown history, music management, television, and one of entertainment’s most recognizable families.

Tracee’s public affection for him has also kept that family connection visible. Her posts and appearances give people a rare look at a man who otherwise stayed outside the spotlight.

He spent years close to major stars and important music without building a celebrity identity around himself.

His Lasting Place in the Ross Family

The Ross family remains close and highly visible at major events. Diana’s children often appear together, and the next generation has made the family even larger.

His place in that story comes through the daughters he helped raise and the relationships that continued after the divorce.

Tracee’s public comments and photos show an affectionate adult relationship with her father. Rhonda’s family history also reflects the importance of the man who raised her, even after her biological connection to Berry Gordy became known.

That gives him a lasting role in one of music’s best-known families.

A Quiet Figure in a Very Famous Family

Robert Ellis Silberstein is a music executive, former manager, father, and former husband who spent much of his life close to fame without making himself the center of it.

His marriage to Diana Ross lasted from 1971 to 1977. During those years, they welcomed Tracee and Chudney, and he also raised Rhonda as his own. His music-business work included managing Rufus, while his family role continued long after the marriage ended.

Today, the most visible part of his public story is the affection his daughters continue to show him. That family connection has lasted far longer than the celebrity marriage that first brought his name into wider view.

For more carefully researched celebrity biographies built around verified facts and clear context, explore more profiles on LakewoodScoop.co.uk.