Rebecca's Pride performance with legend Diana Ross
FEW artists ever find themselves listed alongside a figure like Diana Ross. This summer, Rotherham’s Rebecca Lucy Taylor will do just that, sharing a bill with a performer whose name and voice have shaped popular music for more than six decades.
The appearance comes at Brighton Pride’s 35th anniversary event, a festival known for celebrating artists with deep connections to LGBTQ+ audiences and culture.
For the Rotherham-born artist known as Self Esteem, the significance goes well beyond yet another festival booking.
Appearing on the same programme as Ross places Taylor in rare company and underlines just how far her own artistic reputation has travelled.
Ross, now 81, is widely regarded as one of the most influential performers of the modern era, with a catalogue of songs that have become part of popular culture and LGBTQ+ history.
Her appearance at Pride on the Park will see her become the event’s oldest ever headliner.
Taylor’s presence alongside her reflects a shared commitment to Pride values.
Ross’s anthem 'I’m Coming Out' has long been embraced as a celebration of identity and liberation, while Taylor’s work has earned devotion for its honesty, vulnerability and unapologetic self-expression.
Although Taylor has not publicly spoken about Ross as an influence, she has often discussed her admiration for major pop figures and the power of artists who create space for others to feel seen.
Being billed with Ross brings that lineage sharply into focus.
Brighton Pride organisers have highlighted both performers as artists whose work resonates strongly with LGBTQ+ audiences.
In Taylor’s case, her candid song-writing and fearless performances have helped her become one of the most distinctive voices in British pop.
The Brighton appearance is part of a year that continues to push Taylor into new territory.
While music remains central, 2026 will also see her deepen her presence on the theatrical stage in London’s West End.
From March, she will star in a major revival of David Hare’s 'Teeth ’n’ Smiles' at the Duke of York’s Theatre.
The production marks her West End play debut, expanding her acting career after acclaimed musical theatre work.
Taylor previously drew praise for her performance as Sally Bowles in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre, a role that confirmed her stage credentials and introduced her to new audiences beyond pop music.
Teeth ’n’ Smiles places her at the centre of a politically charged story about art, rebellion and disillusionment, themes that sit comfortably alongside the emotional candour she has built her music career upon.
Away from theatre, Taylor’s live schedule remains packed.
She is set to headline major outdoor shows at Wasing, York’s Museum Gardens, and Cardiff Castle, alongside festival appearances across the UK during the summer.
Those bookings follow the release of her latest album 'A Complicated Woman' and her first book of the same name, both of which reinforced her reputation as an artist willing to challenge expectations and push beyond neat categories.
For her Rotherham fans, the image of Taylor sharing billing with the great Diana Ross should carry particular weight.
It is a reminder that an artist who was born and grew up in Anston now occupies space on the same cultural platforms as global legends.