Mary Wilson, 'n stigterslid van “Die Supremes” is oorlede op die ouderdom van 76, het haar publisist aan CNN gesê.
Wilson “is vanaand skielik oorlede,” volgens 'n verklaring van haar jarelange vriend en publisist, Jay Schwartz.
Die Supremes (Links na regs, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, and Diana Ross) pose with their cameras as they arrive at London Airport.
The singer was at her home in Henderson, Nevada. She is survived by her daughter, seun, several grandchildren, a sister and brother.
Services will be private due to Covid restrictions and a celebration of Wilson’s life will take place later this year, lui die verklaring.
Breaking barriers
Wilson was a “trendsetter who broke down social, racial, and gender barriers,” Schwartz said in his statement.
She began her career in Detroit in 1959 as a singer in what was then called “The Primettes.” They went on to become “Die Supremes” — Motown’s most successful group of the 1960s, met 12 number one singles including “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” en “Stop! In the name of Love,” lui die verklaring.
Die Supremes (Susaye Greene, Mary Wilson and Scherrie Payne) during a live concert performance at the New Victoria Theatre in London, Engeland, Great Britain, in April 1974.
“Their influence not only carries on in contemporary R&B, soul and pop, they also helped pave the way for mainstream success by Black artists across all genres,” lui die verklaring.
In 2018, Billboard celebrated the 60th anniversary of Motown with a list of “The Hot 100’s Top Artists of All Time,” and listed The Supremes at number 16, volgens die verklaring.
Wilson’s legacy went beyond singing, Schwartz noted. She became a best-selling author, motivational speaker, businesswoman, and US Cultural Ambassador, hy het gesê.
“Wilson used her fame and flair to promote a diversity of humanitarian efforts including ending hunger, raising HIV/AIDS awareness and encouraging world peace,” lui die verklaring.
Wilson was also instrumental in passing the Music Modernization Act (MMA) in 2018, which aimed to modernize copyright-related issues for new music and audio recordings in the face of new technology like digital streaming which did not protect music recorded before February 15, 1972, lui die verklaring.
