Mary Wilson
Mary Wilson, co-founder of the iconic Motown girl group The Supremes, has died at the age of 76. The group, which included Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, had a run of massive hit songs between 1964 and 1965, including “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me” and “Stop! In the Name of Love.”
The core member of the group, Wilson sang on all 12 of the Supremes’ #1 hit singles throughout the 1960s and stayed with them throughout multiple lineup changes until they disbanded in 1977. Wilson kept releasing solo music, published four books and was even on Dancing With The Stars just in 2019.
Motown Records founder Berry Gordy released a statement saying, “I was extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of a major member of the Motown family, Mary Wilson of the Supremes.” He added, “The Supremes were always known as the ‘sweethearts of Motown.’ Mary, along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, came to Motown in the early Sixties. After an unprecedented string of number one hits, television and nightclub bookings, they opened doors for themselves, the other Motown acts, and many, many others.”
He added, “I was always proud of Mary. She was quite a star in her own right and over the years continued to work hard to boost the legacy of the Supremes. Mary Wilson was extremely special to me. She was a trailblazer, a diva, and will be deeply missed.”
Bruce Resinkoff, President/CEO of UMe, said in a statement, “The world has lost one of its greatest legends, Mary Wilson, original and founding member of the Supremes. Her voice captivated the world, and her infectious laughter and spirit delighted her fans.”
