Mary Wilson was the first child born to Sam and Johnnie Mae Wilson. The Wilson's later had a son (Roosevelt) and a daughter (Catherine "Cat"). As a baby, she moved first to St. Louis and then to Chicago before settling with her aunt and uncle, Ivory ("I.V.") and John L. Pippin, in Detroit. At the age of six, Mary was returned to the custody of Johnnie Mae, who had spent time in Mississippi. This Read more...

In 1958, Mary Wilson met Florence Ballard while both attended junior high school. They quickly became close friends with a mutual interest in music. When Milton Jenkins, manager of male vocal group The Primes, decided to form a female spin-off called The Primettes, he recruited Ballard, who recruited Wilson. Wilson then recruited a new friend of hers, Diana Ross, and Jenkins added Betty McGlown Read more...

From the very first recording sessions for Lu-Pine Records back in 1960, Mary Wilson was featured on lead vocals on albums and later singles too, right-up until the demise of the group.