Singer Mary Wilson, a founding member of the legendary group the Supremes, has died at the age of 76.
She passed away suddenly at her home in Las Vegas on Monday night, her publicist Jay Schwartz was quoted as saying by Variety. The cause of death has not been revealed.
“I was extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of a major member of the Motown family, Mary Wilson of the Supreme,” said record executive Berry Gordy in a statement Monday night. “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.”
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Wilson’s funeral will be private, with a public memorial to be held later this year.
