Mary Wilson Biography & Awards

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Artist Info

Born

March 06, 1944 Greenville, MS

Member of

The Supremes, The Primettes

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