Mary Wells
On this date in 1943, Mary Wells was born. She was a Black soul singer.
Born in Detroit, Mary Esther Wells began singing at age ten. In 1961, when she was about 18, she approached Berry Gordy (the founder of Motown Records) and convinced him to record her version of the song "Bye Bye Baby." That recording, released as a single that year, began a long and prosperous career with Motown. She became famous for her solo vocals, touring the world with the Motown Revue.
Smokey Robinson wrote and produced her biggest Motown hits, "Two Lovers," "You Beat Me to the Punch," and "The One Who Really Loves," You all made the Top Ten in the early '60s, and "My Guy" hit the number one spot in mid-1964. Wells also recorded with the Supremes, the Temptations, and Smokey Robinson. In 1964, she left Motown, signing several contracts with other labels, including Twentieth Century Fox Records, Atco, and Jubilee. Still, she never achieved the same success that she had in her hometown. Wells was married to Cecil Womack and, in the 1970s, stopped performing to raise her four children.
Wells resumed her career in 1978, doing nightclub acts, and was featured on Motown’s 25th-anniversary television show in 1983. In 1990, Wells, a smoker, was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the larynx. This unfortunate turning point in her life was a financial disaster for her. She sold her home in Los Angeles to cover her medical expenses and had to resort to support from the fledging Rhythm and Blues Foundation. Mary Wells died on July 26, 1992.
ACSAP Biographical Dictionary
R. R. Bowker Co., Copyright 1980
ISBN 0-8351-1283-1
