The Supremes' Mary Wilson Dies at 76, Berry Gordy Pays Tribute

Mary Wilson, one of the co-founders of The Supremes, has sadly passed away at the age of 76.

Wilson died on Monday night (February 8) at her home in Las Vegas, though her cause of death is not known at this time.

Mary was just 15-years-old when she launched The Supremes with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard. The group had 12 number one hits during a five year span in the 1960s. For those that don’t know, Ballard passed away in 1976 at the young age of 32.

Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records, released a statement to Variety in which he paid tribute to Wilson.

“I was extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of a major member of the Motown family, Mary Wilson of the Supreme,” Berry said. “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.”

We’re sending our thoughts and condolences to Mary‘s loved ones during this difficult time.