Mary Wilson of The Supremes Has Died

[Angela Channing]

The Supremes co-founder Mary Wilson has died aged 76. The singer, who started the legendary Motown group when she was just 15, died on Monday (8 February) night at her home in Las Vegas.

Supremes co-founder and singer Mary Wilson dies aged 76

The Motown trio were known for hits such as Baby Love and You Can't Hurry Love.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Mike]

Will miss her.She kept the dream alive.R.I.P. Ms.Wilson

 

[Seaviewer]

I believe it was Berry Gordy that decided that Diana Ross would be the only lead singer of the Supremes. There's really no reason they couldn't have been like the Beatles and swapped the lead vocals from time to time.
It's always saddened me that, while Ross went on to be one of the world's great divas, Wilson always had to be introduced as "Mary Wilson of The Supremes" because her name alone wouldn't have been recognised.

 

[DallasFanForever]

It seems like we just keep losing great entertainers at an alarming rate these days. RIP Ms. Wilson, as you will be sorely missed!

 

[Barbara Fan]

Missed this, RIP Mary Wilson, great voice and soul singer

 

[Karin Schill]

Aww, this is sad. I think this means that Diana Ross is the only one left of the original four girls.

Surely the Supremes must have been one of the first girl bands?

Either way I really like their music. It has a nice sound to it and all the girls had great voices.

 

[James from London]

I don't remember doing it, but I must have put this on my running playlist ages ago because it regularly comes on shuffle while I'm wheezing round the park. All this time, I assumed it was a Lizzo track from just before she got super-famous a few years ago, but I realised yesterday it's actually Mary Wilson from 1979!

An anthology of Wilson's rarer Supremes and solo stuff has just come out. There's a very nice write-up about it (and her) here:

‘She was the glue that held the Supremes together’: Mary Wilson remembered

Sidelined by Diana Ross, the Motown star suffered other setbacks besides – but as a new box set shows, her talent and tenacity deserves to be remembered

www.theguardian.com