Mary Wilson, who founded The Supremes with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, died suddenly at the age of 76 Monday evening at her home in Las Vegas, according to publicist Jay Schwartz.
Wilson was born in Mississippi on March 6th, 1944.She actually grew up in Detroit. Her family moved to the Motor City at the end of World War II. Mary helped form The Primettes, which would eventually take the name The Supremes, after Motown felt the name The Primettes wouldn’t work very well.
The Supremes signed with Motown in 1961 and worked with Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson, but didn’t really take off until they were paired with Holland-Dozier-Holland in late 1963.“Where Did Our Love Go” hit #1 in the summer of 1964 and the rest is history.
The Supremes officially came to an end in 1977, but Wilson continued to tour on her own. She never professionally reconciled with Diana Ross.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]