The Supremes’ Mary Wilson, RIP

Mary Wilson, who co-founded Motown legends The Supremes, has died at age 76. The Guardian reports that her publicist says she died suddenly in her home in Las Vegas on Monday (2/8). Cause of death has not yet been revealed.

Motown founder Berry Gordy issued 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 were always known as the ‘sweethearts of Motown.’ Mary, along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, came to Motown in the early Sixties. After an unprecedented string of number one hits, television and nightclub bookings, they 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.

Tributes have come in from Questlove, Boy George, KISS' Paul Stanley, and more, and you can read those and watch some classic Supremes videos below…