Mary Wilson, an original member of the Supremes, dies at 76
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Saturday, October 12, 2024


Mary Wilson, an original member of the Supremes, dies at 76
This November 11, 2019 picture shows singer Mary Wilson, from The Supremes, arrive for the Ryan Gordy Foundation 60 Years of Motown Celebration at the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills. The death of singer Mary Wilson, co-founder of the trio Supremes, has just been announced by her publicist Jay Schwartz. She died Monday night, February 8, at her home in Las Vegas. She was 76 years old. Mark RALSTON / AFP.

by Derrick Bryson Taylor



NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Mary Wilson, a founding member of the Supremes, the trailblazing vocal group that had a dozen No. 1 singles on the pop charts in the 1960s and was a key to the success of Motown Records, died Monday at her home in Henderson, Nevada. She was 76.

The death was confirmed by her publicist, Jay Schwartz. No cause was given.

The Supremes' other original members were Diana Ross and Florence Ballard.

Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, said in a statement that the Supremes had opened doors for other Motown acts.

“I was always proud of Mary,” he said. “She was quite a star in her own right, and over the years continued to work hard to boost the legacy of the Supremes.”

She was the only original member still with the Supremes when the group broke up in 1977.

Wilson was born March 6, 1944, in Greenville, Mississippi, to Sam and Johnnie Mae Wilson. She grew up in Detroit.

The Supremes achieved success after they began working with the songwriting and producing team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland — and after Gordy made Ross the lead singer. (Before then, Wilson and Ballard had shared most of the lead vocals.)

Five consecutive No. 1 singles, all with Ross as the lead singer, followed in rapid succession in 1964 and 1965: “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” “Stop! In the Name of Love” and “Back in My Arms Again.”

By 1967, Ballard was replaced by Cindy Birdsong, and the group was renamed Diana Ross and the Supremes. Ross left the group for a solo career in 1970 and was replaced as lead singer by Jean Terrell, leaving Wilson as the last remaining original member.

The Supremes were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

The Supremes broke up in 1977. Wilson released the album “Mary Wilson” in 1979 and had begun working on a second album when she was dropped by Motown in 1980. She did not release another album until “Walk the Line” in 1992, but she maintained a busy career as a singer.

Ross said on Twitter on Tuesday that she had “wonderful” memories of her time with Wilson and that “the Supremes will live on in our hearts.”

Wilson is survived her daughter, Turkessa; her sons, Pedro Antonio Jr. and William; her sister, Kathryn; her brother, Roosevelt; 10 grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter. Her marriage to Pedro Ferrer ended in divorce.

In 2019 Wilson competed on “Dancing With the Stars.”


© 2021 The New York Times Company










Today's News

February 10, 2021

Emma Amos embodied intersectionality in her art

Director of SFMOMA steps down

Frick Madison to open March 18, 2021

Eli Wilner & Company announces 2021 fully-funded frame restoration grant opportunity for museums

The sinking of a bust surfaces a debate over Denmark's past

Mary Wilson, an original member of the Supremes, dies at 76

Hindman Auctions establishes new Detroit office & appoints Pam Iacobelli as Business Development Director

Soviet spy gadgets to go under hammer in Beverly Hills

Former Christie's and Sotheby's auctioneer launches mobile-first digital auction app

French far-right mayor reopens museums, defying Covid closure

'Cyrano' and 'Tin Drum' screenwriter Carriere dies at 89

Robert L. Herbert, 91, dies; Saw impressionism with a fresh eye

S. Clay Wilson, taboo-breaking underground cartoonist, dies at 79

Shapero Rare Books launch new Islamic department led by Roxana Kashani

New project launched to engage youth in arts and culture across the UK

Renowned director removed from top Moscow theatre

Anne Feeney, fierce and tireless protest singer, dies at 69

FSC names endowed chair to further strengthen ties between Polk Museum of Art, local arts community

Pérez Art Museum Miami raises over $1.4 million at Art + Soul

Thames & Hudson is to publish 'Napoleon's Plunder: The Theft of Veronese's Feast' by Cynthia Salzman

The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art opens a survey exhibition of the artist Kathy Goodell

Online exhibition features prints by four female artists

What's a dance theater without an audience?

Enrico David's first solo show at Gió Marconi opens in Milan

9 Qualities to Have as A Real Estate Agent

4 Ways Online Coaching is Better Than Traditional Coaching

3 Awesome Reasons to Go On a Fishing Charter

The endless spin: how casinos make you play over and over

What Makes Custom Soap Boxes So Special

The Best Movies 2020 - Reviewed by Polish TV company Users

Some principles of recovery




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful