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Mary Wells: The First Lady of the Motown Sound
Elegant, sultry, sophisticated, sexy, sassy, funky, soulful, there's some key elements that make an R&B diva. Luckily, Mary Wells fit all those credentials to a 't' during the turbulent 1960s. The first star to emerge out of Motown Records, she exuded a rare sensibility and charm to records such as "Two Lovers" and her signature tune "My Guy". An R&B legend before reaching the age of 21, Mary persevered as a survivor even through her trying times after leaving Motown Records in 1964 and it took throat problems and pneumonia to finally silence one of the most velveted voices in recorded pop.
Child prodigy
Mary Esther Wells was born as one of three to Jeneva Campbell on May 13, 1943 in Detroit, Michigan. Her father left at an early age and Wells struggled throughout her childhood with spinal meningitis, a disorder that left her partially blind, partially deaf and nearly paralyzed. She overcame the illness and recover her sight and hearing and, eventually, after several years, learned how to walk again. By ten, Mary had already become a seasoned singer and performer, first performing in her church's choir at three and performing in local nightclubs and talent showcases by her high school years. In 1960, the 17-year-old singer, influenced by Jackie Wilson, Ruth Brown and Sarah Vaughn, decided to get in the music business through her writing skills. Meeting up with Detroit record producer Berry Gordy in Detroit' Twenty Grand club through Robert Bateman, she presented Gordy with a song that she felt would be the right song for Gordy's protege, emerging R&B star Jackie Wilson, with whom Gordy had written several hits for. However, Gordy, who was seeking talent, rushed Wells to his recording label office and had Wells sing the song to him via acapella. Gordy was so impressed that instead of presenting the song to Wilson, he insisted Wells record it herself. After recording the track, known as "Bye Bye Baby", a record set of times (23) until Wells' strained vocal gave Gordy something he could release, he signed Wells to his new record company, Motown Records, and released the single in the fall of 1960. When it was issued, the song hit number eight on the national R&B charts and became Wells' first charted hit on the Billboard pop chart where it peaked at number forty-five.
Enter Smokey Robinson
After "Bye Bye Baby" became a hit in 1961, Motown issued the follow-up, "I Don't Want to Take a Chance". The song performed similar to "Bye Bye Baby" performing successfully reaching number nine R&B and number 33 pop. After a third single, the doo-wop ballad "Strange Love" failed to chart, Motown began to present more top tier talent in their label to give Wells her own sound rather than the gospel-reared stuff she grew up on. By then, Smokey Robinson, lead singer and founder of the successful group the Miracles, was struggling to score hits for his group. Though their "Shop Around" became their first big hit in the fall of 1960, they struggled to find a follow-up. On a whim, Robinson was open to present his material to other acts. Wells became Robinson's first choice to sing his songs and in 1962, Wells issued the Robinson-penned "The One Who Really Loves You", which brought a sleekness to Wells' singing voice paving the way for the more sophisticated songs Wells would do later in her career. The song made pay dirt for Motown as it reached the top ten on the pop singles chart. Wells' next single, "You Beat Me to the Punch", became her first Billboard #1 hit on the R&B chart and won Motown its first Grammy Award nomination. After 1963's "Two Lovers" stayed atop the R&B chart for four weeks and peaked at number seven pop, Wells had established herself as Motown's first singing star.
Motown's first glamorous diva
Around this time, Berry Gordy was determined to make Motown more than just another R&B label. He wanted the label to not only find success on the loyal R&B fan base but also find ground on mainstream pop circuits. He had formed charming and grooming school for his female and male acts with Maxine Powell teaching the artists how to act proper. Wells began to exert this teaching to her best ability on stage and in the way she addressed herself in interviews. With her stylish dresses, perfectly coifed hair and a smooth, buttery voice, Wells became the label's first glamorous diva. Motown female acts, especially the Supremes, were influenced by Wells, with Supremes member Mary Wilson recounting at one time that Wells arrived with her entourage and how they had began to strive for Wells' stature as she was the first star. Meanwhile in the studio, the hits continued: "Laughing Boy" reached number fifteen, "Your Old Standby" reached number 40, "What's So Easy for Two Is So Hard for One" peaked at number 29 and "You Lost the Sweetest Boy", her first collaboration with Holland-Dozier-Holland, reached number 22. But all the hits that came were nothing compared to what Wells would release in the spring of 1964.
Hailed as The Beatles' favorite female singer
In March of 1964, Wells, not yet 20, released her tenth single, "My Guy". One of Smokey Robinson's most achieved writings, it turned into a sexy and signature staple for Wells as she defended her choice of her male suitor over a more handsome, stronger courter. Released in the middle of Beatlemania, the song halted the Beatles' rise on the American charts, when in June of the year, the song reached number one on the Billboard pop chart. The first number-one under the Motown subsidiary of what had expanded to a corporation that had three major subsidiary imprints within the company, "My Guy" was also the first Motown single to successfully chart overseas: it peaked at number 5 in England. Around this time, her competitors, being the Beatles, publicly stated that of all the female pop singers out at the time that Wells was their absolute favorite and asked the singer to open for them at their UK tour. Wells happily accepted and became the first Motown star to tour the UK. Wells forged a friendship with the Fab Four that would continue until her death. Meanwhile, Motown had teamed up Wells as Marvin Gaye's first of a series of female duet partners during the sixties. The resulting album, Together produced the top 40 hits, "Once Upon a Time" and "What's the Matter with You Baby?" However, as Wells became an established pop star, problems were mounting in Motown. Now 21, Mary felt she was cheated out of royalties she felt were due her by Motown's staff. Angered and convinced by her now ex-husband Herman Griffin, a record exec Mary married at 17 and had divorced the previous year (1963), Wells soon made a case to leave the label that had made her a star. Despite the label's plea to keep her, Wells insisted on leaving, even after Motown threatened to sue her for going over a bill in Motown's charm school. Motown even went as far to warn other labels not to sign Wells because she was still under Motown's contract. However, when Wells' attorneys presented the case that Motown had signed her when she was underage, Motown was forced to let her go since the contract was deemed null and void. After Motown settled with her, 20th Century Fox Records picked the singer up from her contract ending one brilliant chapter in Mary's career.
Exit Motown
In the fall of 1964, free from Motown, Mary issued her self-titled debut for 20th Century Fox. The first single, "Ain't It the Truth" peaked at No. 45, which was not good compared to Wells' top ten success that she had enjoyed at Motown. The second single, "Use Your Head", fared much better peaking at No. 34. But it has been said that many labels who signed Wells after Motown didn't exactly know how to market and promote her. By 1965, she began to feel stifled by 20th Century especially after a promise for a film career folded. Suddenly the 22-year-old star fell ill by tuberculosis and struggled to get over the illness though she eventually released the Beatles tribute album, Love Songs to the Beatles. Afterwards, Wells signed a new contract with Atco Records and put out The Two Sides of Mary Wells featuring the hit, "Dear Lover" (number 6 R&B). Much like her 20th Century Fox deal, Wells' tenure with Atco would be short-lived and in 1968 she signed with Jubilee Records. After marrying musician Cecil Womack, formerly of the Valentinos and younger brother of R&B singer Bobby Womack, Wells began to assert control in the studio. With help from Cecil, the duo composed and produced an entire album Jubilee named Servin' Up Some Soul. The single, "The Doctor", became a charted hit peaking at number 65 pop and number 22 R&B in 1968. It would be Wells' final Hot 100 pop hit though Wells' R&B success would continue throughout the remainder of her career. After unsuccessfully able to release a follow-up, Wells quietly left Jubilee in 1970 settling for Reprise Records for singles released in 1971 and 1974. By now, Wells was a mother of three and struggled to continue her career with new responsibilities as a mother. Faced with a daunting choice, Wells reluctantly retired from performing to focus on motherhood and family life. However, that life was shattered when she and Cecil divorced in 1977. She later had a fourth child with Cecil's brother Curtis before settling into single life by the dawn of the 1980s.
"Gigolo" revives slagging career
In 1980, after she began to perform onstage again, Wells was spotted by CBS Urban president Larkin Arnold who felt Wells still had potential to have a hit again. Signing with Epic Records, the singer went to work on what would be her first released album in thirteen years. The media was anxious to hear the new Mary Wells and in late 1981, Epic released the funky dance single, "Gigolo", which featured a funkier street sound to Wells' vocal style and also included Wells rapping two verses. The song became an immediate dance hit reaching #2 on the Billboard disco chart and #13 on the national dance singles chart of Billboard. It eventually crossed over to the R&B side where it peaked at #69. Though it was Wells' final charted single, it did bring new attention to Mary's slagging career and brought Wells fully out of retirement after the release of the parent album, In and Out of Love, which released the Motown-esque "These Arms" as a follow-up single. Mary would continue to record in and out of labels until the late 1980s. In 1983, she reunited with Motown Records performing at the label's 25th anniversary festivities and in the mid-1980s she performed as an oldies act with fellow Motown acts such as Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas and Temptations members Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin.
Cancer stills voice, life of Wells
In 1989, Wells signed with Ian Levine's Motorcity Records and issued what became her final album, Keeping Love on My Mind. In 1990, during a stop in Canada, Wells discovered that she couldn't get a sound out of her mouth. When she arrived to her hospital in Los Angeles, doctors diagnosed her with larynx (throat) cancer. At 47 years old, Wells' 30-year odyssey suddenly ended due to her illness. Later that year, raising money to bring in possible aid to save Wells, several of her entertainment buddies including Diana Ross and Mary Wilson of the Supremes, and fans such as Bruce Springsteen and Anita Baker raised money from a charity concert in Wells' honor. In 1991, Wells talked to Congress in her silent voice about finding cure for cancer and won a six-figure settlement with Motown over royalty issues after her illness had wiped off all of her finances, leading to money raised in her well-being in the first place. However, despite a remission, the cancer returned to Wells in 1992 and had spread to her body. Contracting pneumonia, she laid in a hospital while doctors frantically performed surgery but by then, it was too late: on July 26, 1992, Mary Wells passed away from complications of her cancer at just 49 years old. Her funeral service was attended by notables such as Dionne Warwick, Little Richard and several of Mary's Motown label mates including Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson, who sung "My Guy" at her eulogy. Though Wells' death was tragic, her life wasn't. She smiled through all of her painful moments and carried through every bone in her body proving that she was indeed a soul survivor. The voice may be gone forever but her music will live on in those who love their sultry, sexy, sassy, elegant and funky divas.