February 9, 2021, 1:31 AM
Mary Wilson, original and longest-running member of legendary Motown girl group the Supremes, died Monday night at her home in Las Vegas, according to her longtime publicist, Jay Schwartz. No cause of death was revealed at press time, with Schwartz only stating that the singer, author, activist, and former U.S. Cultural Ambassador “passed away suddenly.” Wilson was 76 years old.
Mary Wilson, founding member of the Supremes, in 2014. (Photo: Casey Curry/Invision/AP)
“I was extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of a major member of the Motown family, Mary Wilson of the Supremes,” Motown Records founder Berry Gordy said in a statement. “The Supremes were always known as the ‘sweethearts of Motown.’ 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, many others. I was always proud of Mary. She was quite a star in her own right and over the years continued to work hard to boost the legacy of the Supremes. Mary Wilson was extremely special to me. She was a trailblazer, a diva and will be deeply missed.”