Mary Wilson, singer with The Supremes, dies aged 76
Mary Wilson, who co-founded The Supremes, has died at the age of 76.
The singer's death was announced by her publicist Jay Schwartz. Wilson died in Las Vegas but the cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
The Supremes' success in the 1960s rivalled the Beatles in America, where they landed a string of Number 1s including Where Did Our Love Go, Baby Love, and Stop! In The Name Of Love.
In the UK, the group landed 30 Top 40 hits on the Official Singles Chart, including the chart-topping Baby Love.
View The Supremes' Official UK Chart history in full
Together with Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Barbara Martin founded The Supremes in 1959 when Wilson was 15 years old. Martin left the group before they became successful, and The Supremes continued as a trio. Wilson stayed with the group until it was officially disbanded by Motown in 1977.
The Supremes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
The founder of Motown Records, Berry Gordy, said in a statement: "I was extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of a major member of the Motown family, Mary Wilson of the Supremes.
"The Supremes 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."
Diana Ross has also paid tribute to her former bandmate, posting on Twitter: "My condolences to you Mary's family, I am reminded that each day is a gift, I have so many wonderful memories of our time together. "The Supremes" will live on, in our hearts".
A funeral for Wilson will be held privately due to Covid-19 restrictions, her family said.
Outside of singing, Wilson became a New York Times bestselling author in 1986 with her autobiography, Dreamgirl: My Life As a Supreme. In 2019 she took part in Dancing With The Stars, the US version of Strictly Come Dancing.
Just two days before her death, Wilson uploaded a video on YouTube revealing that she was working on new solo material.
Article image: Earl Gibson III/Shutterstock
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JoeNak
I'm so shocked by this. Mary was so lively and vocal these past few years, doing many interviews and publishing a book. The Supremes are one of the very best vocal groups of all time, and Mary Wilson was great.
🧡 oliviasnoodles 🍜
rip mary 💔 such a sad day for supremes fans.
thierry henon
A very sad day!! THE SUPREMES were a talented "band" with so many classic songs!! RIP Mary..You will be missed...