The Supremes' Mary Wilson was one of the ‘sweethearts of Motown’, according to Berry Gordy
Credit: Sherry Rayn Barnett /Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Mary Wilson, co-founder and long-standing member of Motown legends The Supremes, has passed away aged 76. The American singer’s publicist confirmed that she had died suddenly at her home in Las Vegas on Monday night, but did not confirm a cause of death.
In a statement, Motown founder Berry Gordy said he was “extremely shocked and saddened” at the news.
He continued: “The Supremes were always known as the ‘sweethearts of Motown’. Mary, along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, came to Motown in the early 1960s. 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.
“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.”
Wilson’s family has said that a funeral will be held for her privately, due to Covid restrictions, but there will be a public memorial later this year.
Glamour girls: The Supremes went on to conquer the charts in the 1960s
Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Born in Mississippi in 1944, Wilson met her future bandmate Florence Ballard while at elementary school in Detroit, and the duo first performed together in their school talent show. They went on to form vocal group The Primettes — a sister group to Milton Jenkins’ Primes — along with Diana Ross and Betty McGlown. Wilson was only 15 at the time.
The Primettes were signed to Motown Records by Gordy in 1961 and renamed The Supremes. The band went on to become one of the biggest-selling groups of all time, thanks to hits like You Can’t Hurry Love, Baby Love and Come See About Me. Wilson appeared on all 12 of their number one hits from 1964-69. In 1966, their album A’ Go-Go knocked the Beatles’ Revolver off the top spot, and became the first record by an all-woman group to conquer the US album charts. The Supremes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
Wilson was the stalwart presence in the group as it underwent multiple personnel changes. Before they hit the big time, McGlown was replaced by Barbara Martin, who then left as well, with The Supremes restyled as a trio. After a period of tension — with Gordy putting Ross centre stage, to Ballard’s fury, and changing the group’s name to Diana Ross & The Supremes — Ballard was removed and replaced with Cindy Birdsong. Ross later departed to pursue her solo career, but Wilson remained with the group until its dissolution in 1977.
Wilson went on to release two solo albums, and became a bestselling author in 1986 thanks to her tell-all memoir, Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme (the title inspired by the Broadway musical based on the band). It contrasted their glamorous Motown image with backstage drama, portraying Ross as a backstabbing diva who used her relationship with Gordy for professional gain.
Opening with an incident where Ross shoved Wilson aside onstage during the 1983 TV taping of Motown 25, Wilson said that Ross had “done many things to hurt, humiliate and upset me.” However, she also said that she was “proud” of Ross.
Wilson also became an inspirational speaker and champion of musicians’ rights, and created a touring exhibition of The Supremes’ famous gowns. In 2019, she appeared on Dancing with the Stars — the US version of Strictly Come Dancing.
She was working with Universal on the release of more solo material, such as her album Red Hot — which went unreleased in the 1970s. In a YouTube video uploaded two days before her death, she said that she hoped the recordings could be available in time for her birthday on March 6, and, additionally, promised fans “some other songs, some surprising new songs”. She was also preparing to join the 60th anniversary celebrations of The Supremes.
KISS’s Paul Stanley tweeted that he was on a Zoom call with Wilson last Wednesday “for about an hour & never could have imagined this. So full of life & great stories. Absolutely shocked. Rest In Supreme Peace Mary.”
Wilson is survived by her daughter Turkessa, son Pedro Anton Jr, and grandchildren. Both children are from her marriage to Dominican businessman and former Supremes manager Pedro Ferrer, whom she divorced in 1981. The couple tragically lost their 14-year-old son Rafael in 1994, when Wilson’s jeep flipped on the road between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
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