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Mary Wilson
| Biography |
Ever since she was a young girl living in Greenville, Mississippi, Mary Wilson dreamed of becoming a singing star. Born March 6, 1944, she is best known as a charter member of the Supremes. During high school, she and singers Florence Ballard and Diana Ross formed a vocal group that became known as the Primettes. In 1961 the group signed a recording contract with the Motown Record Company and changed its name to the Supremes.
Between 1964 and 1967, the Supremes dominated commercial radio airplay with a series of successful songs. The Supremes had thirty-three Top 40 hits of which an unbelievable twelve of the group's songs became number one hit records on the Billboard magazine music charts. Some of these songs were "Where Did Our Love Go?" "Baby Love," "Stop! In The Name Of Love," and "You Can't Hurry Love."
By 1970 Florence Ballard had left the Supremes (due to illness), and Diana Ross had embarked upon a (soon to be very successful) solo career. Flo and Diana were replaced and Mary kept singing. She became the only member that performed with the group from the beginning to the end.
Mary set out on her own musical path when, in 1977, the Supremes officially disbanded. Her first solo album, Mary Wilson, resulted in the dance classic, Red Hot. Mary also did a little acting in Canada with the play "Beehive," a musical about a girl singing group.She made her off-Broadway debut in "Grandma Sylvia's Funeral" and wrote an autobiography in 1986 which led her to become a New York Times best-selling author. When her independent label folded, Mary began telling her story all over the world in lectures called Dare to Dream. After a tragic car accident involving her daughter in 1994, Mary decided to move to New York to revive her education.
Mary Wilson has since been recording new albums, and for the last two summers has toured with the Four Tops and the Temptations. She has written two books, Supreme Faith: Someday We'll be Together and Dream Girl: My Life as a Supreme.. In Supreme Faith, Mary tells of her abusive relationship with her husband Pedro and her tense friendship with Diana Ross. An updated edition of Dreamgirl & Supreme Faith: My Life As a Supreme is available as of January 2000. The updated autobiography features original chapters from her two previous books and new chapters.
Mary Wilson has survived against impossible odds and achieved a great deal. She now considers herself a free woman and a successful working mother who does what she loves best--singing and performing |
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