Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

Mary Wilson

 
American Theater Guide: Mary Louise Wilson
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > American Theater Guide

Wilson, Mary Louise (b. 1936), character actress. The pinch‐faced, wiry player with a distinctive sharp voice has a talent for playing outspoken women. She was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and educated at Northwestern before making her Manhattan debut in 1959. Wilson was first noticed as the strident Communist Ada in Flora, the Red Menace (1965), followed by many memorable supporting performances, including the cynical writer Nancy Blake in The Women (1973), the stripper Tessie Tura in Gypsy (1974), the obnoxious actress Kitty in The Royal Family (1975), the wisecracking journalist Liz Imbrie in The Philadelphia Story (1980), fashion magazine czarina Diana Vreeland in Full Gallop (1995), and Berlin landlady Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret (1998).

Search unanswered questions...

Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics

Black Biography: Mary Wilson
Top
Home > Library > History, Politics & Society > Black Biographies

singer; writer

Personal Information

Born on March 6, 1944, in Greenville, MS; daughter of Sam (a butcher) and Johnnie Mae Wilson; married Pedro Ferrer c. 1974; divorced, c. 1983; children: Turkessa, Pedro Antonio Jr., Rafael (deceased), Willie.
Education: Northeastern High School, Detroit, Michigan; New York University, A.A., 2001.

Career

Singer. Member of the Supremes, 1959-77; solo, 1979-; author; Dream Girl: My Life as a Supreme, St. Martin's Press, 1986; Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together, Harper Collins,1990.

Life's Work

Growing up in the Brewster Projects of Detroit, Michigan, Mary Wilson had dreams. That she and her two friends, Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, would become one of legendary record label Motown's premier acts through the 1960s and 1970s, was beyond the wildest of them. As a member of the Supremes, Wilson experienced pop stardom as a member of the greatest "girl group" ever. When the group disbanded, Diana Ross left the Supremes, and Wilson, in the dust. Wilson wrote two successful memoirs, and continued to perform, but a bitter relationship with Ross would keep her from ever sharing a stage with her old friend again.

Wilson was born in rural Greenville, Mississippi in 1944. Her father, Sam Wilson, was a butcher, and her mother, Johnnie Mae Wilson, was uneducated and did not work. The two had only recently married. Little was known about Sam Wilson's background. A drifter, he may have been from New Orleans. He had spent time in jail, but no one knew why. In search of a better life, the Wilsons moved to St. Louis about a year after their daughter's birth. Known for its "loose women, hot music, and scarcity of legitimate employment," according to Mary Wilson in her biography, Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme, St. Louis was not a good fit for the family. Next, they moved to Chicago, where Sam Wilson worked regularly. It was not long before Johnnie Mae, Mary, and the newest Wilson, a baby boy named Roosevelt, were seeing less and less of both Sam and his paycheck. The man loved to gamble and appeared and disappeared unpredictably. Though he would have little involvement in their lives, Wilson felt that her father did love his children.

When she was three, Wilson moved to Detroit to live with her childless aunt I.V. (a corruption of Ivory) and uncle John L. Pippin--whom she soon came to call "Mom" and "Daddy," and would know as her only parents. Her mother returned to Mississippi with Roosevelt. Wilson would later look forward to visits from the woman she knew only as her favorite aunt, Johnnie Mae.

Surrounded By Music

Wilson's new family wanted for nothing. Her new parents both worked, and had all the trappings of middle-class suburban life--a vacuum cleaner, a freezer, a radio, two new cars, and one of the first television sets on their block. Wilson developed her love for music by listening to her uncle's record collection, which included records by Nat "King" Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, LaVern Baker, Brook Benton, and Joe Williams. She loved to sing and took as many singing classes as she could in school.

I.V. was a strict mother, and often ran short of patience for her new daughter. Her standards for cleanliness and housekeeping were high, and she was a believer of the old axiom, "Spare the rod, spoil the child." Wilson was often the victim of "the belt," and daydreamed her way through her childhood, spending hours fantasizing about her future as a movie star. When she was six, Wilson was told the truth about the identity of her mother. Johnnie Mae moved in with the Pippins, along with Roosevelt and a new daughter, Cathy. It was not long before Johnnie Mae wanted to reclaim Mary, much to the Pippins' dismay.

Johnnie Mae and her three children moved from one small apartment to another until they found themselves living on welfare. In 1956, they settled finally in the Brewster Projects, a government-owned apartment building on Detroit's east side. The family attended the New Bethel Baptist Church, led by Reverend C.L. Franklin. The Reverend's daughters--Carolyn, Erma, and Aretha--sang in the church and were local celebrities.

Joined the Primettes

The Brewster Projects were full of kids who emulated their musical heroes. Hopeful trios, quartets, and quintets used the street corners, rooftops and hallways as their stage in their quest to be as good as the Platters, the Drifters, the Coasters, and others. Since Elvis Presley and others had made it big in rock 'n' roll and R&B, many kids saw music as their ticket out of the ghetto. The popularity of nightclubs grew, and popular acts came through town. As Wilson wrote in Dreamgirl, "No matter where you went or what your age, music seemed to be everywhere in Detroit." Wilson was ecstatic when, at 14, she joined her first group, the Primettes, with her best friend Florence Ballard, and new friend Diana Ross--who both lived in the Brewster Projects--and a girl named Betty McGlown. They would be a sister group to the Primes, a local group that included Eddie Kendricks, a future member of the Temptations. The Primes were popular locally and had a manager who was willing to spring for the Primettes' outfits and other expenses.

The girls were obsessed with music and resolved to become the best girl group Detroit had ever produced. They rehearsed songs and dance moves relentlessly. They paid close attention to their wardrobes, and donned stylish on-stage "uniforms," as they called their dresses. Their commitment paid off. The Primettes became an established group and the girls were living double lives--high-school girls by day, popular singers at night and on weekends. The Primettes lost their manager and the girls knew nothing about the record business, except that a record contract was their next step. They auditioned for Berry Gordy, head of Detroit's Motown record label, by way of Smokey Robinson, an old neighbor of the Ross family. Though he liked the group, Gordy did not want the responsibility of four underage girls, so elected to wait to sign them to the label. Betty McGlown left the group to get married. At the time, Wilson, Ballard, and Ross did not think they could survive as a trio, and so added Barbara Martin.

They were thrilled when, in 1961, Gordy changed his mind and signed them to a record contract at Motown. They then decided on a more upscale name, the Supremes. The Supremes were the first girl group to join the Motown "family." They released two singles, "I Want a Guy," and "Buttered Popcorn."

The Supremes recorded a number of other singles on Motown that went virtually unnoticed. "Your Heart Belongs to Me" and "Let Me Go the Right Way" hardly broke into the Hot 100, and they were beginning to be known as the "no-hit" Supremes. Barbara Martin left the group in 1962, leaving the original three. Wilson, in her biography, quoted Ross as saying at the time, "If the three of us can't make it, then we won't make it." They would remain a trio. "We accidentally discovered that three separate, incomplete young girls combined to create one great woman," Wilson wrote in her biography. "That was the Supremes."

"No-Hit" Supremes Hit Number One

The Supremes hit the road, touring extensively. They traveled through the racially torn South, and experienced violence there. They found success at the toughest and most respected venue of the time--New York City's Apollo. They continued to release unsuccessful singles until 1964, when they recorded "Where Did Our Love Go," the Supremes' first number-one song. Though the girls had always shared the lead vocal title, depending on the song, Ross sang the lead part on "Where Did Our Love Go," and would continue to sing lead in the group. The girls worked even harder to refine their style, musical talents, and choreography. They were received well in England, and the Supremes became Motown's, and Berry Gordy's, number-one priority.

1965 was the Supremes' first big year. Nearly every week they appeared on one of the popular television shows of the time--they were featured on The Ed Sullivan Show, Hollywood Palace, Dean Martin Show, Red Skelton Show, The Tonight Show, and on countless specials. Supremes' look also began to evolve in 1965. The girls, who once wore little makeup and knee-length dresses on-stage, began wearing their signature wigs, heavy false eyelashes, and glamorous gowns. The money also began coming in--Wilson bought a spacious home for herself and one for her mother and siblings. A long way from the Brewster Projects, Wilson was always surrounded by "limos, champagne, thousand-dollar dresses, and a complete entourage at our beck and call," she wrote in Dreamgirl.

As the group's popularity soared, tensions within the Supremes also grew. Wilson saw Ross as aggressive and spotlight-hungry. But the group was soon welcome to play any club in the world, and were earning $20,000 per week--as much as legends Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. Though surrounded by finery, Wilson never saw any actual money. Motown's bookkeepers told her the money the Supremes were making was barely covering their debt to the label for supporting the group before they had produced a hit. Wilson claimed in Dreamgirl that she never saw an accounting of the Supremes' income.

Ross Outshone Wilson and Ballard

The 1960s continued with hits like "My World is Empty Without You," "Stop! In the Name of Love," and "You Can't Hurry Love." The girls, now women, were famous the world over and were working harder than ever, touring Mexico, the Far East, and Europe. "It was about ninety-five percent hard work and five percent glamour," she wrote in Dreamgirl, "but I still loved every minute on-stage." Wilson was also becoming more aware of Motown's efforts to "emphasize Diana's role and diminish Flo's and mine," she wrote in Dreamgirl. Where once there was a unified trio, Ross was now presented to the media as the leader of the Supremes. Wilson was crushed, and Ballard made no attempt to hide her own bitterness. Tensions rose between Wilson's two best friends. Wilson soon saw the end of the original trio when Ballard, who had first asked Wilson to join a singing group, was removed from the Supremes and replaced by Cindy Birdsong.

In 1967, Motown changed the group's name to Diana Ross and the Supremes, without consulting Wilson. A number of their singles were recorded without Wilson, including "Love Child," a number-one hit. The news that Ross was leaving the Supremes reached Wilson the same way it reached everyone else--she read it in the newspapers. The Supremes' "farewell" song, "Someday We'll be Together," was recorded without her or Birdsong. Wilson was determined that the group continue without Ross, but she also sensed that the end of the 1960s was the end of an era.

Ross was replaced, and the Supremes recorded a number of hit records in the 1970s, including "Up the Ladder to the Roof," "Stoned Love," "River Deep, Mountain High," "Nathan Jones," and "Floy Joy." Members of the group came and went, but Wilson remained as the only original Supreme until the group disbanded in 1977.

A Supreme, Solo

The Supremes played their last official farewell concert in 1976 at London's Drury Lane Theater. Wilson said in her biography that, after a career built on being part of a group, it felt strange at first to pursue a solo career. She toured the world, finding success mostly outside the United States. In 1979, Wilson released her first solo record, Mary Wilson, on Motown. Later that year, Motown released her from her contract, ending a twenty-year relationship with the label.

After seeing the Broadway show Dreamgirls, a musical about a female singing group, Wilson decided the story of the most popular girl group in history needed to be told. She sat down to write her memoirs, and Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme was published in 1986. Her second book, Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together, was published in 1990.

Tragic Loss

Personal tragedy stuck in 1994 when Wilson's son, Rafael, was killed in a car crash. Wilson and fourteen-year-old Rafael had set out one early January morning to bring boxes of dishes and other household items to Wilson's daughter, Turkessa, who had just moved into a new apartment. When Wilson nodded off at the wheel, her Jeep Cherokee veered off the road. Wilson told People that her son yelled, "Mommy! Watch out!" Wilson served back onto the road, only to skid across lanes and crash into the median. "It will be with me all my life," Wilson told People. "I see every little bump. I see the median as we hit it. I remember him trying to help me get the car back on the road. He always said, 'Mommy, I will always take care of you.' He was trying to take care of me then." Rafael, who suffered severe internal injuries, had died by the time the helicopter had arrived to take Wilson to the hospital. Wilson, who sustained multiple injures, recovered quickly. She faced her grief with determination. "Obviously I'd like to have my son back," she told People. "But I can't. So I need to do everything I can to bring myself to a higher level. It will mean that I've done something better in his name."

Though reunion concerts for the Supremes had been discussed several times of the years, nothing seemed to be able close the gap between Wilson and Ross. In 2000, negotiations with Wilson failed and Ross went on an intended Supremes reunion tour with two women she had never shared a stage with."I am very hurt and disappointed," Wilson said in an interview with Jet. "It hurt me more than anything that it didn't happen. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I wouldn't be part of a reunion. I didn't even contemplate that. It was very devastating." Wilson stated that the reason she declined to join the tour was that she was not treated fairly or offered any creative input. While Ross was offered $15-20 million to join the tour, Wilson was offered only $3 million.

The tension between Wilson and Ross over "The Return to Love" tour was highly publicized. Ross commented on Wilson's refusal to join the tour during an interview with Barbara Walters on "20/20," saying, "I think if we had offered her the moon, she would not have been happy...She didn't have to pay for anything. Not a hotel room, not a car, not a gown, not a music arrangement, not a set, nothing. All she needed to do was show up." Wilson resented Ross's comments, telling Jet, "Why would I want to just show up?...I know more about the Supremes than she ever could because I am a Supreme and I've lived it. I know the people out there. I know the songs, I know the lead and the background. I know the gowns. I know everything...I should have been involved. I wrote the book."

Awards

Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Supremes, 1988.

Works

Selected discography

  • Albums with the Supremes
  • Meet the Supremes, Motown, 1963.
  • A Bit of Liverpool, Motown, 1964.
  • Where Did Our Love Go, Motown, 1965.
  • Sing Country Western and Pop, Motown, 1965.
  • More Hits By the Supremes, Motown, 1965.
  • We Remember Sam Cooke, Motown, 1965.
  • At the Copa, Motown, 1965.
  • Merry Christmas, Motown, 1965.
  • I Hear a Symphony, Motown, 1966.
  • A Go-Go, Motown, 1966.
  • Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland, Motown, 1967.
  • Sing Rodgers & Heart, Motown, 1967.
  • 70's Greatest Hits & Rare Classics, 1991.
  • Supremes (2000 Box Set), 2000.
  • Albums with Diana Ross and the Supremes
  • Greatest Hits Volumes I and II, Motown, 1967.
  • Reflections, Motown, 1968.
  • Love Child, Motown, 1968.
  • Sing and Perform "Funny Girl," Motown, 1968.
  • Live at the Talk of the Town, Motown, 1968.
  • Join the Temptations, Motown, 1968.
  • TCB (with the Temptations), Motown, 1968.
  • Let the Sunshine In, Motown, 1969.
  • Together (with the Temptations), Motown, 1969.
  • Cream of the Crop, Motown, 1969.
  • On Broadway (with the Temptations), Motown, 1969.
  • Greatest Hits Volume 3, Motown, 1969.
  • Farewell, Motown, 1970.
  • Anthology, Motown, 1974.
  • Great Songs and Performances, Motown, 1985.
  • Motown Legends, Motown, 1985.
  • Sing Motown, Motown, 1986.
  • Solo
  • Mary Wilson, Motown, 1979.
  • guest appearances
  • Love Lessons, Rita Coolidge, 1992.
  • Hold up the Light, New Jersey Mass Choir, 1987.
  • Best of Diana Ross & the Supremes, Diana Ross & the Supremes, 1995.
  • Soul Talkin', Brenda Russell, 1993.
  • Billboard Top Dance Hits: 1976, Various Artists, 1976.
  • River of Song: A Musical Journey, Various Artists, 1998.
Selected writings
  • Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme, St. Martin's Press, 1986.
  • Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together, Harper Collins, 1990.

Further Reading

Books

  • Wilson, Mary, Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme, St. Martin's Press, 1986.
Periodicals
  • People, May 23, 1983, p. 107; March 28, 1994, p. 53.
  • Jet, May 15, 2000, p. 58.

— Brenna Sanchez

Artist: Mary Wilson
Top
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists
Mary Wilson

Similar Artists:

Florence Ballard, Martha & the Vandellas, Diana Ross

Formal Connection With:

The Supremes
  • Born: March 06, 1944, Greenville, MS
  • Active: '60s, '70s, '80s
  • Genres: Rhythm & Blues
  • Instrument: Vocals, Soprano (Vocal), Guitar
  • Representative Albums: "Red Hot," "Mary Wilson," "Walk the Line"
  • Representative Songs: "Oooh Child," "Don't Get Mad, Get Even," "Pick Up the Pieces"

Biography

A charter member of the Supremes, Mary Wilson has long contended that she could have been as popular a singer as Diana Ross, had Motown's Berry Gordy not determined for extra-musical reasons that only Ross was to get star treatment. Ross, Wilson, and Florence Ballard were the original Supremes. They began working together as teens in the Primes and Primettes. Wilson remained a Supreme from 1960 until 1976. She has had an erratic solo career, cutting one LP, Red Hot, for Motown in 1979 before departing permanently. She co-wrote Dreamgirl, My Life as a Supreme to document what she felt were the widespread abuses artists suffered during Motown's heyday. Wilson was featured on numerous talk shows and programs during 1987. She also recorded a single for Britain's Motorcity label that year, "Don't Get Mad, Get Even." She followed it with a cover of the Five Stairsteps' "Oooh Child" in 1989. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
Wikipedia: Mary Wilson (singer)
Top
Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
 This biography of a living person does not cite any references or sources. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately. (March 2008) Find sources: (Mary Wilson (singer) – news, books, scholar)
Mary Wilson

Background information
Born March 6, 1944 (1944-03-06) (age 65)
Greenville, Mississippi, U.S.
Origin Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres R&B, pop, disco, dance-pop
Occupations singer, author
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1959 - current
Labels Lu Pine, Motown, Motorcity, Nightmare, CEO
Associated acts The Supremes, Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Cindy Birdsong, Jean Terrell, Lynda Laurence, Scherrie Payne, Susaye Greene, Parnell Marcano, Iris Parker, Ray Pannell (guitar)
Website www.marywilson.com

Mary Wilson (born March 6, 1944) is an American singer who gained fame as a founding member of the Motown female singing group The Supremes during the 1960s and '70s. Wilson was the only singer to be a consistent member of the group in its eighteen-year hit-making tenure. Today Wilson remains a strong advocate for the group's legacy and regularly performs concerts of their music, but has gone on to become a jazz and blues singer, humanitarian, and successful political advocate for artist's rights. She has published two autobiographies, Dreamgirl: My Life As a Supreme and Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Mary Wilson was the first child born to Sam and Johnnie Mae Wilson in Greenville, Mississippi. The Wilsons later had a son (Roosevelt) and a daughter (Catherine "Cat"). As a baby, she moved first to St. Louis and then to Chicago before settling with her aunt and uncle, Ivory ("I.V.") and John L. Pippin, in Detroit. At the age of six, Mary was returned to the custody of Johnnie Mae, who had spent time in Mississippi. This was a confusing time for Mary, as she had been led to believe that Ivory and John L. were her parents. By the age of twelve, Mary and her family had settled at Detroit's Brewster-Douglass housing projects.

The Supremes (1959–1977)

Main article: The Supremes

In 1958, Mary Wilson met Florence Ballard while both attended junior high school. They quickly became close friends with a mutual interest in music. When Milton Jenkins, manager of male vocal group The Primes, decided to form a female spin-off called The Primettes, he recruited Ballard, who recruited Wilson. Wilson then recruited a new friend of hers, Diane Ross, and Jenkins added Betty McGlown to complete the lineup.

By 1961, The Primettes had signed to Motown Records, replaced McGlown with Barbara Martin, and changed their name to The Supremes. The Supremes went two years without a Top 40 hit, finally scoring with "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through his Eyes" in 1963 which began a long streak of Holland-Dozier-Holland-penned Top 10 hits, including ten US #1 hits, beginning with "Where Did Our Love Go".

In 1967, after three years of phenomenal success, Motown chief Berry Gordy changed the name of the group to Diana Ross & the Supremes and replaced Florence Ballard with Cindy Birdsong. Although hits were less frequent during this time period, Diana Ross and the Supremes enjoyed their two biggest-selling hits in 1968 and 1969, respectively.

When Diana Ross left the group in 1970 for a solo career, singer Jean Terrell was brought in as her replacement, and the group was re-christened "The Supremes". The "New Supremes" -- Wilson, Terrell, and Birdsong—continued their hit-making process from 1970 through 1972 with hits like "Up the Ladder to the Roof", "Stoned Love", "River Deep - Mountain High" (with The Four Tops), "Nathan Jones", and "Floy Joy". Wilson began sharing leads with Terrell on several of the singles, including "Touch", "Floy Joy", and "Automatically Sunshine".

Cindy Birdsong left the group in April 1972 to start a family and was replaced by singer Lynda Laurence, formerly of Stevie Wonder's Wonderlove group. This collaboration did not last long. After the Stevie Wonder-produced "Bad Weather" failed to ignite much interest in 1973, both Terrell and Laurence departed from the group. Wilson enlisted Scherrie Payne, Freda Payne's younger sister, and welcomed back Cindy Birdsong to carry on the group. It took nearly two years for Motown to produce new recording contracts for the Supremes, during which time the group concentrated on live performances, and Wilson married Dominican businessman Pedro Ferrer.

Wilson took charge of the Supremes, assisting her husband in managing and sharing lead vocal duties with Payne in the group. This lineup continued on until 1976, when Birdsong was replaced by Susaye Greene, also a former Wonderlove member. With Greene, the Supremes recorded two disco-flavored albums with some success, including the release of their final top forty hit "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking" which also ranked number 1 on the dance charts. By the start of 1977, Wilson had finally decided to leave The Supremes and start her solo singing career. Her "farewell" performance with the group in its last line-up occurred on Sunday June 12 of that year at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London, England.

Lead vocals with the Supremes

Wilson recorded an appreciable number of lead/co-lead vocals for the group,including the #1 dance chart hit "He's My Man" and the top 40 pop hits "Floy Joy" and "Automatically Sunshine".

  • as The Primettes
    • "Pretty Baby" - b-side to "Tears of Sorrow"
  • as The Supremes
    • "(He's) Seventeen" - from the groups debut album Meet the Supremes - Mary has a brief solo on the song, saying "Two" during the spoken interlude that's just before the last verse
    • "Baby Don't Go" - also from the groups debut album Meet the Supremes
    • "A Breathtaking Guy" – from the 1964 album, Where Did Our Love Go – all group members have a lead line on the song’s chorus
    • "Long Gone Lover" - also from Where Did Our Love Go – has the lead on the intro (and repeats her part in the break), with Florence Ballard on lead on the outro and Diana Ross leading the rest of the song
    • "Baby Love" - from Where Did Our Love Go - Diana leads but Flo & Mary each has brief solos (ad-libs) on the released (second) version of the song. Mary sings "Yeah, Yeah" just before the last verse.
    • "How Do You Do It" - from the 1964 album, A Bit of Liverpool - all three members of the group sing the song's lead vocal in unison.
    • "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - also from A Bit of Liverpool. - Mary sings "the harmony co-lead vocal" with Diana Ross.
    • "It Makes No Difference Now" - from the group's 1965 album The Supremes Sing Country, Western & Pop - this was the first released track to feature all group members on lead vocals on a song verse
    • "Sunset" - also from The Supremes Sing Country, Western & Pop, as a duet with Diana Ross
    • "Come And Get These Memories" - a remake of the Martha and The Vandellas hit, featured on the group's 1966 hit album Supremes A' Go-Go, alternate mix included on "Lost & Found - Let the Music Play: Supreme Rarities 1960–1969".
    • "Falling In Love With Love" - from the group's tribute album The Supremes Sing Rodgers & Hart, a duet with Diana Ross; also featured on the live album Farewell (Diana Ross & The Supremes album)
  • as Diana Ross and The Supremes
  • as The Supremes (1970s)
    • "Bridge Over Troubled Water" - from New Ways but Love Stays. Shared Vocal with Jean Terrell.
    • "Touch" - from the album with the same name. A soulful duet with established lead singer Jean Terrell, this marked the first time that Mary had taken a lead on a single.
    • Nathan Jones" - also from Touch. All three members of the group (Jean, Mary, and Cindy Birdsong) sing the song's lead vocal in unison.
    • "A Heart Like Mine" - from the Smokey Robinson produced album Floy Joy
    • "Floy Joy" - another duet with Jean Terrell from the album with the same name.
    • "Automatically Sunshine" - second single from the Floy Joy album and third duet single with Jean Terrell.
    • "I Keep It Hid" - album track from the critically acclaimed album The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb.
    • "He's My Man" - from the 1975 album The Supremes, co-lead vocals with Scherrie Payne
    • "Early Morning Love" - from the 1975 album The Supremes
    • "Where Is It I Belong?" - from the 1975 album The Supremes
    • "This Is Why I Believe In You" - from the 1975 album The Supremes, co-lead vocals with Scherrie Payne
    • "You Turn Me Around" - from the 1975 album The Supremes
    • "Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You" - from the 1976 album High Energy
    • "Till The Boat Sails Away" - from the 1976 album High Energy
    • "I Don't Want To Lose You" - from the 1976 album High Energy
    • "You're What's Missing In My Life" - from the 1976 album High Energy, duet with Scherrie Payne
    • "We Should be Closer Together" - from the group's final album Mary, Scherrie & Susaye
    • "You Are The Heart Of Me" - from the group's final album Mary, Scherrie & Susaye
  • Tracks released after the group disbanded
    • "After All" - Recorded in 1961 and later included on the 2000 Supremes' Box Set. This is the only released song to feature Barbara Martin. It also features Florence and Diana.
    • " The Tears" - recorded in 1961 during the sessions for Meet the Supremes - also released on Never-Before-Released-Masters From Today's Brightest Stars-The 1960s
    • "Not Fade Away" - a group lead with harmonies throughout, recorded in 1964 during sessions for A Bit of Liverpool, released on The Supremes Lost & Found
    • "Our Day Will Come" - Recorded in 1965 for the unreleased There's A Place For Us album. It was released on "The Never-Before-Released Masters" in 1987.
    • "Fancy Passes" - Also recorded in 1965 for the unreleased There's A Place For Us album. Diana leads but Flo & Mary each are featured on some spoken lines (and a few brief solos) in this original number. Released on "The Never-Before-Released Masters" in 1987.
    • "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett" - Recorded in 1967 for the unreleased Diana Ross & The Supremes Sing Disney Classics album. The song was released on The Never-Before-Released Masters CD in 1987.
    • "Got to Get You Into My Life" - released on Joined Together: The Complete Studio Duets - Shared lead vocal with Diana Ross, with The Temptations singing background.
    • "Amen"- out-take from 1968's Diana Ross & The Supremes Join the Temptations -released on Joined Together: The Complete Studio Duets - all group members share leads with Temptations members Eddie Kendricks, Dennis Edwards, and Paul Williams.
    • "Still Water (Love)" - taken from recording sessions for the proposed album Promises Kept. released on the compilation, This Is The Story: The Jean Terrell Years 1970 - 1973.
    • "Can We Love Again" - out-take from the 1975 album 'The Supremes', released on the The 70s Anthology.
  • Unreleased tracks
    • "Boogie Man" - out-take from the 1975 album The Supremes.

The solo years

In 1979, Wilson became involved in a protracted legal battle with Motown over their management of the Supremes. After an out-of-court settlement, Motown released an album entiltled Mary Wilson but the project sold poorly and didn't reach the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. The following year Motown released Wilson from her contract. Concentrating on work in Europe, Wilson found greater success. In 1984, after a successful reunion of The Temptations, she was approached by Motown to reform the Supremes with Scherrie Payne and Cindy Birdsong. After careful consideration and advice from Berry Gordy Jr., Wilson declined.

In 1986, Wilson released her first heavily publicized autobiography, "Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme" concentrating on the sixties era of the original Supremes line up. The book was a huge success and remains one of the best selling books ever released by singer. In 1990 she released a follow up best seller book "Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together" which followed the group and her life through the seventies. In 2000, an updated version was released which combined both prior autobiographies.[1]

By the mid-80's Wilson began to concentrate on musical theater, starring in various productions for a 20 year period, including "Beehive", "Dancing in the Streets", "Leader of the Pack", "Mother Hubbard, Mother Hubbard", "Grandma Sylvia's Funeral", "Sister Idella's Soul Shack" "Sophisticated Ladies" "The Vagina Monologues" and "Supreme Soul".

Her concert work also increased in the US although she had more legal troubles with Motown over ownership of the name "Supremes" which she used to identify herself for tour work. Wilson racked up a long list of television appearances during this period on talk shows and sitcom guest spots. In 1988 the "former Supreme" appeared in Dionne Warwick's "That's What Friends Are for AIDS Concert" which aired nationwide. She performed "A Song For You", in a medly with "How Lucky Can You Get?".

She recorded a few singles in the 1980s for Nightmare Records and England-based Motorcity Records which had signed several other former Motwon Acts, including the FLOS. None of the Motorcity Records releases did well in the US and the label eventually folded. Wilson, however, became a regular performer sharing billing with top comedians such as Jay Leno and Joan Rivers playing engagements at resorts and casinos. In 1992 Wilson released a heavily publicized CD Walk the Line for CEO Records. The label filed for Bankruptcy protection the day after releasing this work. The relatively few copies made available quickly sold out. Wilson claimed she had no knowledge of the label's financial problems and was deceived into signing with them for the release. Despite this setback Wilson continued a successful international concert career. In 1995 Wilson released "U", which ranked on several European charts.

Later years

In September 1999, Diana Ross arranged a Supremes reunion tour scheduled to begin in the summer of 2000. Both Ross and Wilson publicly acknowledged that Wilson was not contacted about the tour until late December 1999. Offered 2 million dollars and no artistic control, Wilson counter-offered to join the tour for 5 million dollars, eventually settling for a figure of 4 million. Reports as to why vary between the two singers, but Ross decided to do the tour with two singers who had joined The Supremes after Ross had left the group, Lynda Laurence and Scherrie Payne. Intense media scrutiny of the disagreement between Wilson and Ross and the tour itself ensued, and many fans of the original Supremes felt that the tour could not rightly be described as a "reunion". The tour was cancelled after fulfilling less than half of its scheduled dates.

In 2001, Wilson starred in the National Tour of the 1986 Best Musical Tony Award winner "Leader of The Pack - The Ellie Greenwich Story"

In 2002, Wilson was featured in a documentary film on American soul music, "Only The Strong Survive", and was appointed by Secretary of State Colin Powell as a Culture Connect Ambassador for the U.S. State Department, appearing at international events arranged by that agency. Motown's 45th Anniversary show in 2005 featured Wilson and Birdsong with Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child subbing for Ross, who chose not to appear. In July 2006, Wilson under went angioplasty surgery after complaining of chest pains; she recovered quickly and resumed her engagements.

The 2007 release of the film "Dreamgirls", a work loosely based on the real life Supremes, found Wilson sharing several appearances with the film's stars. In December 2007, Wilson released a "Live" CD of her popular jazz and standards act "Up Close". Wilson has also recently released a DVD "Mary Wilson Live at the Sands" which features many of the Supremes hits and much of her newer material. The DVD was distributed by Universal Music, the now parent company of Motown Records. In April 2008, the popular Australian singing group Human Nature released a CD with Wilson guest starring in a rendition of "River Deep, Mountain High" with the group, a cover of the 1970 hit by the post-Ross Supremes and the Four Tops.

Wilson announced she will release a new CD in 2009 of original material written specifically for her by the Holland Bros. of Holland-Dozier-Holland, the famed song writers who penned the Supremes long list of hits. It is has been announced by the Las Vegas Sun Newspaper that she has signed with H-D-H records to release this work, expected to be be available by November 2009.

Other work

In recent years, Wilson has made headlines for proposing a bill to ban impostor groups to perform under the name of 1950s and 1960s rock groups, including Motown groups such as The Marvelettes and The Supremes. The bill has now passed in 27 states.

Wilson has also been touring and lecturing across the U.S., speaking to various groups nationwide. Her lecture series, “Dare to Dream”, focuses on reaching goals and triumph over adversity. Wilson's charity work includes the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, the American Cancer Society, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, the Easter Seals Foundation, UNICEF, The NAACP, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the All-Star Network, and Figure Skaters of Harlem, a youth organization devoted to helping children towards entering the Olympics. Most recently, Wilson became the Mine Action spokesperson for the Humpty Dumpty Institute [2], a NYC-based non-profit organization forging innovative public-private partnerships designed to help solve specific international problems.

In April, 2008, Wilson made a special appearance on 20/20 to participate in a social experiment involving pedestrians reacting to a young woman (Ambre Anderson) singing 'Stop! In The Name of Love' with intentional amateurishness. Wilson approached the woman and gave her constructive criticism towards her style in contrast to the pedestrians whose reactions were positive yet dishonest. On March 5 2009, she made a special appearance on the Paul O'Grady Show which ended in a special performance with her,Paul O'Grady and Graham Norton.

Mary has also been involved with a touring exhibition of the Supremes' former stage wear, which has been on exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, USA and on May 12, 2008 commenced its European tour, starting at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Over 50 sets of gowns are shown in rotation, starting with early informal wear from the early 1960s, and including famous gowns worn on television specials and nightclub appearances by the group in the 1960s and 1970s. [3] The Story of The Supremes from the Mary Wilson Collection can be seen at the Shipley Art Gallery in Gateshead from 24 October 2009 - 24 January 2010. This is the only venue offering the exhibition for free admission and this is the furthest north the exhibition is currently scheduled to travel. www.twmuseums.org.uk/shipley

Personal life

During the mid-1960s, Wilson dated Four Tops member Abdul "Duke" Fakir. Mary has also been romantically linked to Tom Jones, Steve McQueen and Flip Wilson.

During the late 1960s, Wilson adopted her cousin's son, Willie, and raised him as her own son. On May 11, 1974, Wilson married Pedro Ferrer and they subsequently had three children: Turkessa (born 1975), Pedro (born 1977) and Raphael (born 1979). In 1981, Wilson divorced Ferrer, whom she describes in Supreme Faith as being habitually abusive. On January 29, 1994, tragedy struck Wilson when she fell asleep at the wheel of her Jeep Cherokee, which hit the central barrier of a highway in California. As a result of the accident, Wilson suffered serious injuries, and her son Raphael died.

As of 2009, Wilson, who now resides in Las Vegas, is single and has three living children (sons Willie and Pedro Jr. along with daughter Turkessa) and eight grandchildren.

Solo discography

Albums

Motown releases
CEO release
Mary Wilson

Album guest appearances

  • with Neil Sedaka Come See About Me one song - "Come See About Me"
  • with Paul Jabara De La Noche Sisters one song - "This Girl's Back"
  • Sing For The Cure one song - "Come to Me Mother"
  • with The Four Tops From the Heart (2006) one song "River Deep - Mountain High"
  • with Human Nature Get Ready (2007) two songs "River Deep - Mountain High" and "It Takes Two"

Singles

Motown release
  • 1979: "Red Hot" / "Midnight Dancer"
  • 1980: "Pick Up The Pieces" / "You're The Light That Guides My Way" (UK only)
CEO releases
  • 1992: "One Night With You"
  • 1992: "Walk the Line"
Other releases
  • 1987:"Don't Get Mad, Get Even" - Nightmare Records
  • 1989:"Oooh Child"-Nightmare Records
  • 1995: "U" -Contract Recording Company
  • 1996: "Turn Around" - Da Bridge Records
  • 2000: "It's Time To Move On"
Unreleased
  • 1980: Gus Dudgeon produced master tracks for Motown - "Love Talk", "Save Me", "You Danced My Heart Around The Stars", "Green River"
  • 1986: "My Lovelife is a Disaster" (unreleased demo)
  • "Sleeping In Separate Rooms" (Atlantic c.1987)
  • "Stronger in a Broken Part" (Atlantic c.1987)
  • "The One I Love" (Atlantic c.1987)
  • "Can We Talk About It"
  • "Show Me"
  • "Love Child" (out-take from Walk the Line album)

Autobiographies

  • Wilson, Mary with Patricia Romanowski and Ahrgus Juilliard (1986). Dreamgirl: My Life As a Supreme. New York: St. Martin's Press.
  • Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1990). Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-016290-2
  • Wilson, Mary (2000). Dreamgirl & Supreme Faith: My Life as a Supreme. New York: Cooper Square Press. ISBN 0-8154-1000-X.

DVD Appearances

  • Mary Wilson: Mary Wilson Live At The Sands
  • Tiger Town (movie) - National Anthem singer
  • Jackie's Back (movie) - Vesta Crotchley
  • The Supremes: Reflections: The Definitive DVD Collection - singer
  • The Four Tops: - performs 'River Deep Mountain High'
  • Dionne Warwick - interview only
  • Only The Strong Survive - performs 'Love Child' and 'Someday, We'll Be Together'
  • Brenda Russell: "Walkin' in New York" - cameo in music video
  • PROFILES featuring Mary Wilson (2007)
  • RHYTHM LOVE AND SOUL (2003)

References

  1. ^ Wilson, Mary (2000). Dreamgirl & Supreme Faith, Updated Edition: My Life as a Supreme. New York: Cooper Square Press. ISBN 081541000X.
  2. ^ http://www.thehdi.org
  3. ^ http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/theatre_performance/exhibition_supremes/index.html

External links

v • d • e
The Supremes
Diana Ross · Florence Ballard · Mary Wilson · Cindy Birdsong · Jean Terrell · Susaye Greene · Lynda Laurence · Barbara Martin · Scherrie Payne
Betty McGlown
Studio albums
Duet albums
Live albums
Other albums

A Bit of Liverpool (1964) · The Supremes Sing Country, Western and Pop (1965) · We Remember Sam Cooke (1965) · The Supremes Sing Rodgers & Hart (1967) · Diana Ross & the Supremes Sing and Perform "Funny Girl" (1968)
Singles
(US/UK Top Ten singles)
Related topics

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

Copyrights:

American Theater Guide. The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. Copyright © 2004 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Black Biography. Contemporary Black Biography. Copyright © 2006 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Artist. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mary Wilson (singer)".  Read more