Motown legend Mary Wilson, longest-reigning original Supreme, dies at 76
- Wilson, Diana Ross and Florence Ballard made up the first successful configuration of The Supremes
- The group’s first No. 1, million-selling song, ‘Where Did Our Love Go’, was released in 1964. It would be the first of five consecutive No. 1s
Motown legend Mary Wilson, the longest-reigning original Supreme, has died at 76 years old.
The American singer died on Monday night at her home in Las Vegas and the cause was not immediately clear, said publicist Jay Schwartz.
Wilson, Diana Ross and Florence Ballard made up the first successful configuration of The Supremes. Ballard was replaced by Cindy Birdsong in 1967, and Wilson stayed with the group until it was officially disbanded by Motown in 1977.
The group’s first No. 1, million-selling song, Where Did Our Love Go, was released June 17, 1964. Touring at the time, Wilson said there was a moment when she realised they had a hit song.
“I remember that instead of going home on the bus, we flew,” she told The Associated Press in 2014. “That was our first plane ride. We flew home. We had really hit big.”