Former bandmates include: Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Cindy Birdsong, Jean Terrell, Lynda Lawrence, Scherrie Payne and Susaye Greene.
MW in the 60's, 70's and 80's
MW in the 90's and beyond
A "supreme" life
Influences
su·preme:
Pronunciation [suh-preem, soo-preem]–adjective
1. highest in rank or authority; paramount; sovereign; chief.
2. of the highest quality, degree, character, importance, etc.
3. greatest, utmost, or extreme
4. last or final; ultimate.
5. Mary Wilson
Welcome to WWW.MYSPACE.COM/MARYWILSON! First, a little background on who exactly "we" are: With the advent of MySpace, I, The Boy of Brewster Place (check our "Top Friends" list), thought that the legendary Mary Wilson should have representation through this 'supreme' site. I saw so many other great artists have their own page, and thought there was no reason that Mary Wilson shouldn't have one as well. So, in the early part of 2007, myspace.com/marywilson was created. My original goal at Mary's MySpace was to bring you a retrospective through pictures and music of Mary's work: from the early days of the Primettes, through Mary's contribution to the greatest girl group of all-time, The Supremes, into her work as solo singer, and beyond. In the beginning, it was my hope that if Ms. Wilson ever came across this page, that she would see it not as an exploitation of her name, but as a fans way to show love and appreciation for all she has contributed throughout her five decades in the music business. Mary Wilson, to me (like so many others), has been an inspiration, and I have been so very *touched* by Mary's work. This has truly been a labor of love. Now don't get me wrong: I am not a computer wiz, and anyone can put a MySpace page together. But I wanted to make sure this page, Mary's page, was something special. And so, I spent hours putting it together. From finding hundreds of pictures of Mary from though out her career (many of which are rare and have never-been-seen before), to uploading music and designing a page that reflects class and elegance (exactly how I think of Mary Wilson), the site which started out as a simple labor of love has now turned into a site which boasts over 2000 'friends' (and counting!) and has received the most 'supreme' of comments and compliments! And then my wildest dreams came true: 'through the grapevine' I heard that Mary Wilson indeed had come across this page, and liked what she saw. She thought it was (for lack of a better term) 'supreme', and wanted to put her 'kiss of approval' on it, making it not only the FIRST Mary Wilson MySpace, but the "OFFICIAL" Mary Wilson MySpace. The dilemma, of course, is that although a long-time fan of hers, Mary and I don't know each other on a personal level, even though I have seen Mary perform numerous times, and have actually been a 'Supreme' for the evening (although she did wonder if I would have rather been a Four Top or a Beach Boy). :0) Ironically, Mary and I DO have a mutual friend in common, Dr. Ernesto Valdes (EVPHD on our "Top Friends" list). Dr. E (as I affectionately call him) has been a long-time fan and friend of Mary's. At the request of Mary, Dr. E was brought into Mary's MySpace, as not only a trusted friend on behalf of both of us, but as a spiritual guider and liason over the site. Believe me when I say, like Mary, Dr. E is a class act. There is no one I would rather work together with.......besides Mary herself, of course! :0) Ultimately, Mary has trust in Dr. E, Dr. E has trust in me, and all together, we make a great trio (not as great as 'another' trio we know, but pretty darn close). With Mary's talent, my dedication, and Dr. E's new role as adviser, we are now able to bring you the most up-to-date information on Mary's music and appearances, but most importantly, with Mary Wilson's blessing, "we" proudly bring you: "THE FIRST AND OFFICIAL MYSPACE OF MARY WILSON"!
And now that you know who 'we' are, let's get to the real reason we are here: to celebrate the original Dreamgirl, the 'supreme' Mary Wilson! ***********************************************************************************************************
Mary Wilson is a legendary singer best known for her work with the Motown supergroup, THE SUPREMES. Mary was the only Supreme who remained with the group from the beginning in 1959 (when the group was known as The Primettes) to the very end when the group disbanded in 1977. As a member of the world's greatest girl group, Mary had the pleasure to work with some of the finest ladies in the business: Diana (affectionately called Diane) Ross, Florence Ballard, Cindy Birdsong, Jean Terrell, Lynda Lawrence, Scherrie Payne (sister of Freda), and Susaye Greene. With the Supremes, Mary Wilson had the distinct honor of charting TWELVE Billboard Number One singles, and scores Top 10 and Top 40 hits. No other girl group before or since has matched the success of the 'three maidens from the projects of Brewster'.
Mary Wilson was born to Sam and Johnnie Mae Wilson on March 6, 1944. 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. By the age of twelve, Mary and her family had settled at Detroit's Brewster-Douglass housing projects. 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, Diana 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. Between 1961 and 1963, The Supremes released eight singles, none of which charted in the Top 40 positions of the Billboard Hot 100. Jokingly referred to as the "no-hit Supremes" around Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. offices, the group attempted to compensate for their lack of hits by taking on any work available at the studio, including providing hand claps and singing backup for Motown artists such as Marvin Gaye and The Temptations. During these years, all three members took turns singing lead: Wilson favored soft ballads; Ballard the soulful, hard-driving songs; and Ross more mainstream pop songs. In the spring of 1964, The Supremes recorded the single "Where Did Our Love Go." The rest, they say, is history. "Where Did Our Love Go" was followed by four consecutive US number-one hits: "Baby Love" (which was also a number-one hit in the UK), "Come See About Me", "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Back in My Arms Again". By 1965, The Supremes were international stars. They toured the world, becoming almost as popular abroad as they were in the US. Almost immediately after their initial number-one hits, they recorded songs for motion picture soundtracks, appeared in the 1965 film Beach Ball, and endorsed dozens of products, at one point having their own brand of bread. By the end of 1966, their number-one hits included "I Hear a Symphony", "You Can't Hurry Love" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On". That year the group also released "The Supremes A' Go-Go", which became the first album by an all-female group to reach number one on the US Billboard 200. In early 1967, an official annoucment was made that The Supremes would now be billed as "Diana Ross and the Supremes". It was around this time that Florence "Flo" Ballard, left the group, and was replaced by Cindy Birdsong. In mid-1968, Motown initiated a number of high-profile collaborations for The Supremes with their old colleagues, The Temptations. What followed were the television specials "T.C.B." and "G.I.T on Broadway" as well as several duet albums. By 1969, the Motown began plans for a Diana Ross solo career, which prompted the release of "Someday We'll Be Together" a number one on the American pop charts, becoming not only the Supremes' 12th and final number-one hit, but also the final number-one hit of the 1960s. Diana Ross & The Supremes gave their final performance on January 14, 1970 at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong continued on as The Supremes, now with lead singer Jean Terrell.
The Terrell-led Supremes—known unofficially at first as "The New Supremes", and in later years informally called the "70's Supremes"—scored hits including "Up the Ladder to the Roof", "Stoned Love" and "Nathan Jones".
Cindy Birdsong left the group in April 1972; her replacement was Lynda Laurence. In late 1973, Jean Terrell left the group and was replaced by Scherrie Payne, sister of Freda Payne. Immediately afterward, Laurence left to start a family; her replacement: a returning Cindy Birdsong. In 1976, Birdsong left again and was replaced by Susaye Greene. During that year, The Supremes released "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking", their final Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and their third number-one single on the disco singles chart. On June 12, 1977, The Supremes performed their farewell concert at the Drury Lane Theater in London and disbanded.
With the disbanding of the Supremes, Mary launched a solo career, and has since released two studio albums: 1979's self titled release, "Mary Wilson" (which contained the disco hit "Red Hot"), and 1992's "Walk the Line". A "live" limited-edition CD entitled "Up Close" was recorded in San Francisco during Mary's successful run at the Empire Plush Room in early 2007, and is available exclusively during Mary Wilson engagements, and through Mary's official website: www.marywilson.com. A third studio release, an album of standards produced by Motown greats Holland-Dozier-Holland, is slated for release in the future.
Mary is also a best-selling author. Her 1986 autobiography *Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme* remains one of the best-selling rock-and-roll autobiographies of all time. The title of the book is a reference to "Dreamgirls", a 1981 Broadway musical loosely based on the lives and careers of the Supremes. "Dreamgirl" covers the Diana Ross-led years of the group. In 1990 Mary penned a follow-up entitled *Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together* which covers Wilson's life after 1970. Both books and a new afterword were included into a combined volume titled *Dreamgirl & Supreme Faith: My Life as a Supreme* in 2000.
As an actress, Mary has starred in the musical, “Beehive,” which toured Canada and the United States for over a year. In addition, she played roles in the Disney movie, “Tiger Town,” the TV sitcom “227,” and the documentary “Brown Sugar,” and “Girl Groups: The Story of a Sound,” among others. More recently, she had a starring role in the Lifetime original movie, “Jackie’s Back.” Mary has also co-hosted the PBS documentary concert special, “American Soundtrack: Rhythm, Love & Soul,” with Aretha Franklin and Lou Rawls. She can also be seen in the Miramax Films documentary, “Only The Strong Survive.”
In addition to recording, writing, acting, Mary has been a very active humanitarian, touring and lecturing across the U.S., speaking to various groups nationwide. Her lecture circuit, “Dare to Dream”, focuses on reaching goals and triumph over adversity. Mary's charity work includes the Susan G. Komen Foundation, 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, the Figure Skaters of Harlem, and the Humpty Dumpty Institute.
As a former Supreme, Mary represented and accepted numerous awards on behalf of her group, including the Lifetime Achievement Award for The Supremes at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. The Supremes received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994, and were also inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. Most recently, as an original Supreme, Mary proposed 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. Many states have already passed this important bill, and many more are slated to sign.
Mary continues to tour, bringing her high energy show to cities across the United States, and across the globe. Her latest "Up Close" show showcases a mix of standard and current ballads and has been getting rave reviews. A 'live' CD entitled "Up Close, Live in San Francisco" (which includes the Supremes' hit single "My World is Empty Without You") is currently available exclusively through her engagements and online through her official website.
In addition, as a Motown and industry icon, Mary has kept the Supremes legacy alive by sharing her "Mary Wilson Gown Collection" with museums around the globe, and has participated in the many Motown 'family' reunions, including Motown 25, Motown 40, and Motown 45 (in which she joined Cindy Birdsong and Kelly Rowland, of Destiny's Child, in a performace medley of Supremes' greatest hits). Lastly, Mary someday hopes that a reunion of her former singing partners, Diana and Cindy, will come to fruitation. Previous attempts in 1983 (Motown 25) and 2000 (Return To Love) were not successful. But as Mary often states: "Dreams don't die. People just stop dreaming." In fact, this reunion issue has been discussed recently with Ms. Wilson, and she backs the idea 100%. Her blessings have been given to the online petition "Supremes Reunion: Someday We'll Be Together" @ Online petition - Supremes Reunion -
Hi Mary, Thanks for the card, it was good to hear from you and when you get back be sure and stop in at Saks! Too bad your not in town now my son is playing at Ceasars Palace. Love and take care, Kathy Maybe I'll get out to Palm Springs!
Hi mama Mary I just came thru to your beautiful page to see a very beautiful lady with a wonderful voice. When you get the chance come by and leave a message on my profile. I will talk to you later my lady supreme and take care lena...lol
Miss Mary, I wanted to congratulate you on your show in New York City. I hear that you are really showin' out there! (Not that you haven't been showing out consistently since before "Pretty Baby." But I do really want to congratulate you. Keep on keepin' on!
OY DALING......... HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!!
