Hidden Figures: Mary Wilson #BlackHERstoryMonth 10/28 (Patreon)

Hidden Figures: Mary Wilson #BlackHERstoryMonth 10/28

If you enjoy my work, please consider supporting! CashApp: $SerenSensei Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seren_sensei Mary Wilson (March 6, 1944 – February 8, 2021) was an American singer. She gained worldwide recognition as a founding member of The Supremes, the most successful Motown act of the 1960s and the best-charting female group in U.S. chart history, as well as one of the best-selling girl groups of all-time. The group released twelve number-one hit singles which set the record at the time. Wilson remained with the group following the departures of other original members, and later became a New York Times best-selling author for her memoirs. Until her very recent death, she enjoyed a successful career as a performer in Las Vegas, as well as an acclaimed run on television show ‘Dancing With The Stars.’ Wilson was inducted along with Ross and Ballard (as members of the Supremes) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Mary Wilson was born in Greenville, Mississippi and moved with her family to St. Louis, Chicago, and finally Detroit as part of the Great Migration. She first met singer Florence Ballard at an elementary school in Detroit; the two became fast friends, and at age 13 they decided to form a singing group. In 1959, when Wilson was 15, Ballard asked her to audition for a music manager, and Wilson and Ballard were accepted into the group known as The Primettes, along with a young woman named Diana Ross. The Primettes were invited to audition for Motown Records and signed to them in 1961, changing their name to The Supremes. The Supremes scored their first hit in 1963 with the song, "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes", which peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. At the end of that year, Gordy rearranged the group so Diana Ross sang lead over previous lead singer Florence Ballard. After the switch, The Supremes reached No. 1 on the pop charts for the first time with the hit, "Where Did Our Love Go", becoming the first of 12 No. 1 singles that included ‘Baby Love,’ ‘Stop! In The Name Of Love,’ and ‘Come See About Me.’ By 1964, the group had become international superstars, and between August 1964 and May 1967, Ross, Wilson, and Ballard sang on ten number-one hit singles, an unprecedented hot streak and especially for Black American artists. At their peak in the mid-1960s, the Supremes rivaled the Beatles in worldwide popularity, and it is said that their success made it possible for future Black American R&B and soul musicians to find mainstream crossover success. Throughout the years there were a series of lineup changes wherein Wilson remained the 'original' Supreme, gradually becoming lead singer until the group disbanded. She released a string of successful singles and albums from the 1980s up until the late 2010s, with new music announced for 2021 prior to her passing. She also released two best-selling memoirs on her time in the Supremes, as well as a book and traveling museum exhibition on the fashion of the group. Wilson was a high-profile activist for the "Truth in Music" legislation, which aimed to stop impostor groups from performing under the names of the 1950s and 1960s rock-and-roll bands and was passed in 27 states. She died in her sleep on February 8, 2021, in Henderson, Nevada at the age of 76. #HiddenFigures #MaryWilson ****************** Merchandise! MAKE SURE U GETTA SHIRT!! https://www.teepublic.com/user/sssseren https://www.shophouseof950.com/embroidery-tees/theblackamericans https://www.shophouseof950.com/embroidery-tees/dacs?rq=d.a.c.s Follow me on social media! Instagram: @sensei_aishitemasu Personal Tumblr: http://sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com Tumblr for my work: https://sssseren.tumblr.com GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/tc5wh7q ****************** Did you know I wrote a book? ☺️ 'So, About That... A Year of Contemporary Essays on Race and Pop Culture' Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/About-That-Contemporary-Essays-Culture-ebook/dp/B013V0CHK6 Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013V0CHK6 Digital download (e-book): https://gumroad.com/l/IkUa ****************** Links: Mary Wilson, Co-Founder of the Supremes, Dies at 76: https://variety.com/2021/music/news/mary-wilson-dead-supremes-singer-original-member-1234903764/ Mary Wilson obituary: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/feb/09/mary-wilson-obituary Supremes Co-Founder Mary Wilson Dead at 76: https://pitchfork.com/news/supremes-co-founder-mary-wilson-dead-at-76/ Mary Wilson, Original Member of the Supremes, Is Dead at 76: https://www.vulture.com/2021/02/mary-wilson-original-member-of-the-supremes-dead-at-76.html Lamont Dozier Remembers Mary Wilson: ‘She Was the Glue That Kept the Supremes Together’: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lamont-dozier-mary-wilson-1125057/ Mary Wilson, longest-reigning original Supreme, dies at 76: https://apnews.com/article/mary-wilson-dead-7551fd0d4834919fad7b699a97e95ab9