Co-Founder of the Supremes, Mary Wilson, has Died

In sad news, Mary Wilson, the co-founder of the Supremes, has passed away. According to the NY Times, she “died on Monday at her home in Henderson, Nev. She was 76. Ms. Wilson’s death was confirmed by her publicist, Jay Schwartz. No cause of death was given.”

Mary Wilson was instrumental in the success of the Supremes. The NY Times mentioned that “Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, said in a statement that the Supremes had opened doors for other Motown acts. “I was always proud of Mary,” Mr. Gordy said. “She was quite a star in her own right, and over the years continued to work hard to boost the legacy of the Supremes.”

I learned something new about the Supremes brought up by the NY Times from Dolores Barclay,an author and adjunct professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Is that they “They were extraordinarily popular with white audiences, Black audiences, and everyone else.” Also, the Supremes were “appearing in white venues was breaking down racial barriers,” she said. “But it’s a different type of disruption. It’s nonconfrontational. It’s having a platform and saying, ‘Yes, we’re here, we’re great, and we’re a part of American music.’

Like many young girls growing up, I remember my using hairbrush microphone singing loudly to “Stop! In the Name of Love.” Celebrities around the world took to social media to express their personal notes about Wilson. I was in my bed crying with Sheryl Lee Ralph on Instagram.