Legendary ‘Supreme’ Mary Wilson dies at 76
Mary Wilson, founding and original member of “The Supremes,” died suddenly Monday evening at her home in Henderson, NV, according to a statement from her longtime friend and publicist, Jay Schwartz. She was She was 76.
A singer, best-selling author, motivational speaker, businesswoman, former U.S. Cultural Ambassador, mother and grandmother, the legendary “Supreme” made huge strides on her inevitable journey to greatness.
As an entertainer, she changed the face of pop music to become a trendsetter who broke down social, racial, and gender barriers, which all started with the wild success of their first number one song.
[WATCH: Wilson was excited to make this announcement on Youtube just a few days before her death.]
Formed in Detroit as The Primettes in 1959, The Supremes were Motown’s most successful act of the 1960s, scoring 12 No. 1 singles. They also continue to reign as America’s most successful vocal group to date. Their influence not only carries on in contemporary R&B, soul and pop, they also helped pave the way for mainstream success by Black artists across all genres.
Wilson achieved an unprecedented 12 #1 hits, with five of them being consecutive from 1964-1965. Those songs are “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” “Stop! In the Name of Love” and “Back in My Arms Again,” according to Billboard Magazine. In 2018, Billboard celebrated the 60th anniversary of Motown with a list of “The Hot 100’s Top Artists of All Time,” where The Supremes ranked at #16 and still remain the #1 female recording group of all time.
January 21, 2021 marked the 60th anniversary of the day The Supremes signed with Motown in 1961.
The world renowned performer was an advocate for social and economic challenges in the United States and abroad. Wilson used her fame and flair to promote a diversity of humanitarian efforts, including ending hunger, raising HIV/AIDS awareness and encouraging world peace. Wilson was working on getting a U.S. postage stamp of her fellow band mate and original Supreme Florence Ballard who passed away in 1976.
2019 marked an exciting time for Wilson. On top of releasing her new book, she stretched her dancing muscles when she joined the cast of the 28th season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” With no sign of slowing down, Wilson published her fourth book “Supreme Glamour.” This highly anticipated coffee-table book showcased the gowns The Supremes were known for over the decades and delved into more history of the group. She was honored at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills celebrating her work in music and her influence on young African Americans and entertainment. Her conversation with Janice Littlejohn left the audience laughing with her unmatched humor and standing with thunderous applause to honor her. Showing the same love she has shown to all her fans, Wilson gladly met and personally thanked every attendee that night for their support throughout her career.
Wilson’s influence reached beyond music. In 2018, her longtime fight in the passage of the Music Modernization Act (MMA) came to fruition when the United States legislation signed the act into law on October 11, 2018. The act aims to modernize copyright-related issues for new music and audio recordings due to new forms of technology like digital streaming which did not protect music recorded before February 15, 1972. Her tireless advocacy for this legislation included trips to Washington D.C. to meet with members of Congress personally to advocate for legacy artists gaining fair compensation when their songs are played on digital radio stations.
Her last solo recording, “Time to Move On” reached #23 on the Billboard Dance charts, which marked her first time on the charts with a solo recording, since The Supremes. She was working on new projects for 2021 including an album she recently teased on her YouTube channel. Her primary love of preserving the legacy of The Supremes and introducing her music to new generations.
Wilson is survived by her daughter Turkessa and grandchildren (Mia, Marcanthony and Marina); her son, Pedro Antonio Jr. and grandchildren (Isaiah, Ilah, Alexander and Alexandria); her sister Kathryn; her brother, Roosevelt; her adopted son/cousin William and grandchildren (Erica, Vanessa and Angela), and great granddaughter, Lori. Services will be private due to COVID restrictions. A celebration of Wilson’s life will take place later this year. The family asks in lieu of flowers, that friends and fans support UNCF.org and the Humpty Dumpty Institute .
More celebrity deaths:
Former Heavyweight Champion Leon Spinks dies at 67
Broadcast icon Larry King dies at 87
[Watch Video] Farewell to the Queen: Actress Cicely Tyson dead at 96
RIP Deebo: Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister dead at 62
Baseball legend Hank Aaron dead at 86
Author Eric Jerome Dickey dead at 59, fans celebrate his legacy
