It was announced that Mary Wilson, one of the original Supremes, passed suddenly on February 8, 2021, at the age of 76.
Mary was portrayed in both Ain’t Too Proud and Motown: The Musical and as news broke of her passing, the cast, past and present, took to social media to show their condolences.
Rest In Heavenly Peace Mary Wilson! A true diva, the original Supreme from the beginning and even after Diana left, she stayed true & held it down for the legacy of the Supremes. Refused to be in anyone’s shadow and stood tall with grace & pride. #MaryWilson #thesupremes #Motown
— Allison Semmes (@AllisonSemmes) February 9, 2021
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So sad.
She was a wonderful spirit!!
As my friend just said “she was like your favorite Auntie” and it’s true. Every time I had the pleasure of being with her she was open, kind, and full of joy. And she was funny 😂
Such wonderful memories.
Rest in power#blackexcellence https://t.co/YKigaKa9mv— James Harkness (@ijamesharkness) February 9, 2021
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Last month, Mary posted a January recap on her YouTube channel announcing that she celebrated her 60th anniversary as a Supreme (Primette) on January 15th, since they originally signed on that date in 1961. She also discussed the passing of one of her best friends, Cicely Tyson.
RIP Mary Wilson. The supremes certainly changed the game for us all💗 pic.twitter.com/ld0Gi6HRuY
— Ariana DeBose (@ArianaDeBose) February 9, 2021
Ain’t Too Proud released a statement on their Instagram saying, “We’re heartbroken to hear of the loss of Mary Wilson, one of the founding members of the Supremes. Mary helped craft the iconic Motown sound, and she brought joy and light every time we got to see her at our show. She will be deeply missed.”
