Mary Wilson, a founding member of The Supremes, died on Monday at her home in Las Vegas at the age of 76, her publicist Jay Schwartz said.
Her cause of death was not revealed in the statement released by Schwartz.
Mary Wilson was an American singer and concert performer best known as a founding member of the Supremes, the most successful Motown act of the 1960s and the best-charting female group in U.S. history, as well as one of the all-time best selling girl groups in the world.
The talented Mary Wilson grew up in a housing project in Detroit. She was an original member of the singing group so fundamental to Motown’s popularity, known globally for a string of hits including “Stop! In the Name of Love” and “Back in My Arms Again.”
“The Supremes were always known as the ‘sweethearts of Motown,'” Berry Gordy, founder of the Motown record label, said in a statement.
He added: “Mary, along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, came to Motown in the early 1960s. After an unprecedented string of No. 1 hits, television and nightclub bookings, they opened doors for themselves, the other Motown acts, and many others. She was a trailblazer, a diva and will be deeply missed.”
Wilson, Ross and Ballard rose to fame as a trio, but the group started initially with four women. Barbara Martin left the group, which Wilson and the others joined as teens.
In the early years of their career, the Supremes claimed a dozen No. 1 singles, five of which were consecutive from 1964-1965. “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” “Stop! In the Name of Love” and “Back in My Arms Again,” all topped the charts.
They were inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 by Little Richard who called them “the greatest” and said, “there’s never been anything like them.”
After Diana Ross left the group for a successful career as a solo artist and actress, Mary Wilson continued with the Supremes and then embarked on a solo career of her own.
“I just woke up to this news,” tweeted Ross on Tuesday. “I am reminded that each day is a gift, I have so many wonderful memories of our time together.”
Mary Wilson was an American singer who had a net worth of $8 million. Wilson gained her net worth as a member of famous women group, The Supremes.
Florence Ballard was the strongest vocalist in the line-up according to the early shows the singing group featured in.
