Spotlight on Mary Wilson
Motor City Music Gallery, Detroit Historical Society

Life as a Supreme

Mary Wilson (1944-2021) was raised in Detroit, Michigan. Best known as an original and longest-serving member of The Supremes, Wilson fell in love with the stage while performing at her elementary school talent show. At age 15, Wilson teamed up with best friends Florence Ballard and Diane Ross to form the Primettes, an all-girl group opposite the all-male Primes. The Primettes auditioned for Motown Records in 1960, but were told to come back after graduating from high school. Refusing to give up on their dream, the Primettes camped outside the Motown until they were finally signed in 1961. Asked to come up with a new name as a condition of their record deal, the group decided to pick a name out of a brown paper bag—and just like that, the Supremes were born. The “no hit Supremes”, as Wilson called them, failed to achieve a hit record until everything changed in 1964 with “Where Did Our Love Go.” The Supremes’ first No. 1 hit was followed by an unprecedented four more No. 1 hits in a row: “Baby Love” (1964), “Come See About Me” (1964), “Stop! In The Name of Love” (1965), and “Back in My Arms Again” (1965). In less than a year, The Supremes became the number one girl group in the world. More than just talented singers and timeless fashion icons, The Supremes were “role models for a generation,” demonstrating to the world what Black women were capable of during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The Supremes went on to achieve 16 No. 1 hits, even as the group configuration changed. Wilson was the only member to remain in the group for all 16 years, managing the group throughout the 70s before pursuing her solo career in 1977.

Solo Career

Wilson continued to find success through her solo career. Following the Supremes’ last performance in 1976, Wilson began touring around the world and released her solo album Mary Wilson in 1979, accompanied by the single “Red Hot.” During this time, Wilson was involved in several legal disputes with Motown, many of which centered on the ownership and use of the Supremes name. As a result of her experience, Wilson began advocating heavily for artists’ rights, advising young musicians to gain more knowledge about the industry and to have control over their own finances. Wilson continued to advocate for artists’ rights throughout her life through the Truth in Rock act (now the Truth in Music Advertising act), which protects the livelihood of original artists in music groups. In 1986, Wilson published Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme, establishing herself as a bestselling author in addition to her accomplishments as a singer and performer. Wilson survived severe abuse at the hands of her husband, Pedro Ferrer, which she detailed in her 1990 book, Supreme Faith: Someday We’ll Be Together in an effort to support other survivors of domestic violence. Wilson raised her adopted son Willie, as well as her three children, Turkessa, Rafael, and Pedro. In 1994, Wilson lost her son when she and 16-year-old Rafael were involved in a fatal car accident. Following the accident, Wilson found strength in her faith and through her surviving children. In 1995, Wilson moved to New York City, where she enrolled in New York University to continue her education in business. In 2019, Wilson published her final book Supreme Glamour with co-author Mark Bego. Wilson passed away in her sleep on February 8, 2021 at the age of 76.