Founding member of The Supremes, Mary Wilson, has passed away at the age of 76.
The singer, who appeared in all line-ups of the classic Motown girl group, was confirmed to have died by her publicist Jay Schwartz, however the cause of death has not yet been confirmed, reported CBS.
Wilson was an original member of the group – alongside Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Barbara Martin – which formed in Detroit as The Primettes in 1959.
Following Martin’s departure, they found success, and The Supremes continued as a trio, with hits including Baby Love, Stop! In the Name of Love and You Keep Me Hangin’ On.
The group disbanded following Wilson’s 1977 departure.
Following news of Wilson’s passing, Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records, said in a statement: “I was extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of a major member of the Motown family, Mary Wilson of The Supremes.
“The Supremes 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.”
Just two days before her death, Wilson uploaded a video on YouTube announcing that she was working on releasing new solo material.
