 It was a vision of musical stardom as a Detroit teen that
inspired Mary Wilson to co-found one of the most successful female singing
groups in recording history – The Supremes. Since then, Mary Wilson has gone on
to be a part of dozens of hit records, has written a best-selling autobiography,
performed on stage and screen, lectured and toured the world, and continues to
be looked up to as a singer who set the standard for females in the recording
industry.
While growing up in Detroit’s Brewster Projects, a young Mary Wilson had long
fantasized about being a performer, her love for singing having blossomed when
she befriended Florence Ballard, Betty McGlown and Diana Ross at age 13. Fueled
by their mutual love of music and their ambition for stardom, the quartet formed
a singing group, The Primettes. When Betty left the group to get married, the
girls recruited Barbara Martin. Together they auditioned for then fledgling
Motown label and were eventually signed. Barbara dropped out of the group, and
the remaining trio of Mary, Flo and Diana became known as The Supremes.
At first, success eluded the girls, who recorded several albums before getting
their first hit. In fact, they were dubbed the “No-Hit Supremes” until Motown
founder Berry Gordy put them in touch with his top writing and producing team,
Holland-Dozier-Holland. Four decades and 40 albums later, what once started as a
dream has exceeded beyond Mary Wilson’s wildest imagination. With an
unprecedented 12 number-one hits, including “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby
Love,” “Come See About Me” and “Stop, In The Name Of Love,” The Supremes set the
precedent for super group success.
Mary Wilson worked hard to keep the dream alive even after Florence and Diana
left the group. In 1970, Mary Wilson paired with Jean Terrell and Cindy Birdsong
to form The New Supremes, racking up three top 10 hits [“Up The Ladder To The
Roof”, “Stoned Love”, and “River Deep, Mountain High” (with the Four Tops)]. In
1977, Mary Wilson knew it was time for her to pursue her own dream and went
solo, and Motown released Mary’s first solo album, “Mary Wilson” which yielded
the dance hit, “Red Hot,” in 1979. Wilson followed with her first album in
thirteen years, “Walk the Line,” in 1992, which produced the single “One Night
With You.” To this day Wilson continues to tour under the moniker of Mary Wilson
of The Original Supremes, and has performed for handfuls of celebrities and
politicians, including The Clintons at The White House.
Today, fans of Mary Wilson can hear her smoky voice in the latest Supremes
collection, Diana Ross & The Supremes: The No.1s, re-mastered original
recordings of their chart-topping hits. With 24 tracks spanning 18 years of The
Supremes sound, the album includes hits from the many reincarnations of the
group including the original Supremes, Diana Ross & The Supremes and The
Supremes post-Ross. The album spans from 1964’s “Where Did Our Love Go” to
1982’s “Endless Love” and everything in between, including “Baby Love,” “Stop!
In The Name of Love,” and “You Can’t Hurry Love.”
Throughout the late 70s and 80s, Mary Wilson hit the lecture circuit to tell her
amazing story. She still lectures to this day, her “Dare To Dream” circuit
including such organizations at American Cancer Society, St. Jude’s Children’s
Hospital, UNICEF and many more. Wilson eventually put her story to print,
becoming a best-selling author with her autobiography, Dreamgirl…My Life As A
Supreme. Dreamgirl went on to sell over 250,000 copies in hardback, becoming one
of the most successful rock and roll autobiographies of all time.
The overwhelming success of that first book prompted Mary Wilson to pen its
sequel, Supreme Faith…Someday We’ll Be Together. Currently, The Complete Works
by Mary Wilson combines the first two books with additional chapters added.
Throughout her career, Mary has enjoyed spreading her creative wings in other
areas, although music remains her primary focus. Mary is the only original
Supreme to undertake the challenge of legitimate theatre, making her stage debut
in 1988 with “Beehive,” a musical tribute to the female groups of the 60s. Most
recently, Wilson starred in a national tour of “Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated
Ladies,” the celebrated tribute to the music of the legendary jazz great. Her
other theatre credits include “Leader of the Pack,” about the life of the
songwriter Elle Greenwich, and numerous off-Broadway shows including “Mother’s
Hubbard,” “Idealla’s Soul Shack,” “The Vagina Monologues” at the Detroit Opera
House and “Grandma Sylvia’s Funeral,” where respected columnist Liz Smith
proclaimed: “Mary Wilson, the sexiest and most attractive of the three original
Supremes, a true survivor, makes her off-Broadway debut!” Wilson’s film credits
include Disney’s TIGERTOWN, the documentaries BROWN SUGAR and THE GIRL GROUPS,
and Lifetime Networks’ made for television movie, JACKIE’S BACK.
In addition to a stint as a guest judge on the FOX hit “American Juniors” and
performing for ABC’s “Motown 45 th Anniversary Special” last year, Mary Wilson
was last seen in Miramax’s ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE, a documentary that catches
up with the soul music stars of the 60s and 70s. Of Wilson in ONLY THE STRONG
SURVIVE, the Los Angeles Times said “Mary Wilson remains strikingly attractive
and a vibrant singer of much style and authority; Wilson may have been a backup
singer with the Supremes but is in truth a lead singer with a star quality never
fully recognized.”
Throughout her career, Mary Wilson has had the privilege and pleasure of
performing all over the world. Many of her performances with The Supremes were
requested by royalty, such as for Britain’s Queen Mother as well as for the King
of Sweden. In 2000, Wilson had the prestigious honor of performing at the White
House for the Millennium Celebration as well as two inaugural dinners held in
President Bush’s honor. Venturing further into the political world in 2003,
Wilson was appointed as one of nine new Cultural Ambassadors for the State
Department’s new initiative program, Cultural Connect, whose goal is to improve
cross-cultural understanding internationally. So far the program – which is
endorsed personally by former Secretary of State Colin Powell – has taken Wilson
to Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Asia and South America. Other Culture Connect
Ambassadors include NBA superstar Tracy McGrady and “Everybody Loves Raymond’s”
Doris Roberts.
A tireless humanitarian, Mary Wilson was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award
by the National Foundation of Woman and asked to join the Delegation of Woman
Legislators. Wilson also participated in a Trade and Civil Life Conference in
Bahrain with many of the kingdom’s highest officials, hosted by the Prince and
Prime Minister of Bahrain. The Free Trade Bill between the US and Bahrain
remains a project that Wilson is very proud to have been a part of. Wilson has
also visited the African nations of Mozambique and Batswana, where she spoke
with thousands of children on the dangers of HIV and AIDS.
In 1988, The Supremes were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, receiving
the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, which Mary Wilson personally
accepted. Seven years later, the Hall launched an exhibit of the “Supremes”
gowns for the museum’s opening in Cleveland, Ohio. Mary Wilson had been
personally archiving the gowns for years before the exhibit. The gowns,
including the Butterfly dresses worn on their 1968 television special, are
currently on tour now. The entire collection will be on display in Albany, New
York at the New York State Museum through 2005.
With a successful solo career – and new CD out later this year – an equally
successful literary career and her tireless humanitarian efforts, Mary Wilson’s
future couldn’t look brighter. She is living proof that dreams really do come
true!
Contact Grabow for more information or to book Mary Wilson for your next
corporate or private event.
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