How many of us look back nostalgically to certain periods of our lives, when imagine that we were a) more popular b) better looking c) more athletic or c) richer? Some of us look back at the past and see better days. Mary Wilson, who had a “Dreamgirls” career early in her life with the iconic group The Supremes, has wisely avoided the pitfalls of early fame, and has moved forward in her life with more important musical and personal projects. . Presently, she is into the jazz scene, putting out her own cd of new material, as well as doing a clever tribute to Lena Horne, which has been going over quite well.
The gracious Ms. Wilson reveals the roots of the inspiration that started her latest project, stating, “Lena Horne was our heroine in the black community. She was our girl! My mom was a huge fan; all of the adults at that time were fans, so I guess I got more or less involved because I heard it from my parents when they watched her on TV or listened to her records. It was mainly that way.”
How the present situation unfolded is simply one of those episodes where luck is defined as opportunity meeting with preparation. Wilson recalls, “I read her book, Stormy Weather, that was written by James Gavin. I fortunately was working in Palm Springs, and he was doing a book signing there. Somehow I got an invitation to it, and went to see him. I told him I had just gotten the book, and he started telling me about his project. Later on he got in touch with me, and asked me if I’d be interested in it. It was just one of those chance meetings that just came about.
The presentation of Ms. Horne’s musical story is done quite uniquely, as Mary points out. “What he would do is to read excerpts from the book, and then I would sing some of her songs. It got to be so nice that we now have a little tour going. Right now, in order to launch it, we’re doing a concert series. I think they’re going to have PBS tape it at one point, so it’s growing. It’s kind of getting started, and we’re not quite sure where it will go. But, since I’m doing jazz now , I’ve also done it there at the Rrazz Room (in San Francisco). I’m just so into jazz now, so I’m hoping that this Horne project will also end up as a recording. It’s been a stretch of 52 years being a Supreme, so just after awhile, I realized that jazz is something I’ve always loved and grown up with, so I just thought I’d try it out a bit. I have my own new cd that’s entitled Life’s Been Good To Me. You can check that out on www.marywilson.com. It’s all new music.
The change from concert hall performances, or TV appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show before tens of millions of people to intimate jazz clubs was not too formidable as one would imagine, as Wilson observed, “I go back and forth, because I’ve done two major tours, in Russia, the Ukraine, and in the UK. I was over in the UK for about 2 ½ months, earlier this year. We did theatre halls and things, which I do a lot. In Russia, we did opera houses and things of that nature, so it depends. The jazz has to be in small places.
Earlier on in my life there were many (jazz singers that inspired me). Nat King Cole was a favorite. We loved Billy Eckstine, and then later on Nancy Wilson became my favorite. In fact I just did something with her in DC for the Martin Luther King celebration. She and I spoke together; we had such a great time, and we have been friends since WAY back. I’ve been kind of in and around it all of my life.”
For Wilson, her days with The Supremes essentially avoided most of the pitfalls and dramas that can be easily associated with fame and stardom. As to how she was able to step around these various traps, she reflects on the most important stabilizing factor of anyone’s career, “We had a very good upbringing in Detroit. Our family was very close, and there were always family reunions and the churches, etc. But it did get crazy in the 70s, but to have been through that, it was a good thing to learn how to get out of it, because our upbringing was something that I could fall back on. Remember what your mother said; that kind of thing. It helped me to pull back and sometimes people say it’s how you get beyond and through things that make you stronger. I still go to church, not as much as I used to. It’s amazing; living here in Las Vegas, it’s kind of hard to fall into that routine. The neighborhood structure is much different than when I grew up, so it’s a bit harder. But, it’s something that I love doing. I’m still looking for the church that I want to join.”
Ms. Wilson does not cling to nor revel in the past like some over-the-hill diva or move star. “I only listen to the Supremes’ songs when I’m in the stores or elevators, or now, when Universal/Motown has just released this beautiful Ed Sullivan DVD collection of us and the Temptations for our 50th anniversary.,” she states. “Whenever something new like that comes out for the first time I’ll listen to it, then after that I usually don’t.”
After here “Supreme” career, Wilson decided to pursue a more stable domestic life, and is happy in the role of being a mom, something that she feels she was always trained to do. She explains, “My family really came late in life. I didn’t start my family until I was 30, so it was kind of late. Now, I have 3 children, plus my one adopted son, and I have eight grandchildren. So, I’ve been able to have a family as well as a career, which has been very fulfilling, because with just a career it can be quite lonely. My daughter takes care of me now, she and her children. I’m the teenager now; they boss me around!”
She is also quite glad that her children are non-plussed by her early stardom. “It’s a little odd. My children of course grew up in Hollywood with all of the other Hollywood children, and all of the singers’ children, and this and that. They’re kind of over it, as they said that it was a little too “way out” for them. They’re really normal people, and they’d never want to even be a part of it, as they’ve seen too much craziness.”
The only time the Wilson had to deal with her past popularity was when she started her third career, that of a writer, the implications of which no one at the time could have foretold. “I got inspired to write my book from school. My English teacher, Mr. Boone, was threatening not to let me graduate if I didn’t do well in his English class. So, I wrote a paper, and he gave me an “Excellent AA+++” and said that I should become a writer. It was therefore at that time that I decided to keep a journal when I was 17, and I kept it all throughout my career. So, I was always writing and reading. And when I found out that I was doing something so spectacular, that once I started I couldn’t stop. I was totally into it, and that I had something special to write about. Eventually I knew that there would be a right time to publish it. It was amazing, because when I decided to have it published, no one wanted to read about it, because by about that time Diana had left the group. I went to all of the major publishing houses until I found one guy at St. Martins Press who got it. He said, “Oh, yes, I’d love to publish it.” Other than that, people just weren’t interested. It was in the early 80s. They thought that the Supremes were passe’; no one wanted to hear about it! I thank God for that one guy.”
While the book got so popular that it inspired the show and movie Dreamgirls, it didn’t hit the same nerve with her associates. Mary relates that she got “Not very good reviews from the people that I knew, because no one wants you to write about their lives. But, I just felt that The Supremes story, the rags-to-riches Cinderella story was just beautiful. I loved it, so I felt that I had to write the whole thing; I couldn’t hold certain things else, or someone else would come along and write everything, and then I’d be asked, “Well, why didn’t YOU write about that?” I couldn’t not write about my reaction to not being on songs like “Love Child” and “Someday…” Even when I looked at the new DVD and see how I was really feeling, that I really wasn’t happy, but what could I do? The business was what it was, so I had either to go along, or not be there. And I certainly wasn’t going to walk out; I loved it too much!”
Wilson has mixed feelings about the highly popular musical, as she observes without any sense of jealousy, “I think that it’s a lovely piece of work, but it’s sold on the premise that it’s about The Supremes and about Motown, which it isn’t, but they used our images to create a story. So, it’s a bittersweet thing, that people use your image and things that you’ve done by either compensating you by either saying that it’s you, or paying you. The paying is not so hurtful, but if I wanted to do create a project on The Supremes, I should be able to do a Supremes movie. But I can’t do that now, because, “a Supremes movie has already been done!” So, I’m kind of trapped, but I still enjoy watching it, because it’s a lovely story. It’s just not the Supremes.”
Even more wisely, Ms. Wilson has used her fame to benefit others not so fortunate. Her role as an ambassador of good will is not something new in her life. “Even way back,” she points out, “The Supremes would do certain things like visiting schools, so I kind of got the habit from that. But, I went on after The Supremes, as I said, I enjoy being a mom, and I enjoy teaching, and I love children. So, it became something that I receive great enjoyment from. I love helping these other people.
“I’ve been the spokesperson for the Humpty Dumpty institute. People that have been affected by civil wars, where there are still land mines still unexploded laying about. I’m part of that, and we go to different places; we’ve been to Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Laos. We help the people to help clear these sights, because some of these bombs are on farm lands and road ways where children take on their way to school. So, many times people will take up these things, and they explode, so I’m involved in educating them. I’ve been able to go to certain place. I’ve actually deploded a lot of bombs. That was in Sri Lanka. That’s just one of those things that’s good to be a part of; something productive.”
The other group that I’m involved with is The National Foundation of Woman legislatures. It’s nothing but female legislatures who get together once a year. They kind of go over all of the issues that their constituents have, ranging from health care, to this year they had a lot about vets returning from the service, even going back to Vietnam. I was actually able to get information from one of the seminars to help my brother Roosevelt, who was in the Vietnam war. So you get a lot of information that is helpful to people, and they take it back to where they live, and hopefully implement people in their cities. I’m an honorary legislator. I entertain them every year, but I’m also part of everything they do. I do about 20 minutes and they all join me on stage when I do “Stop! In The Name Of Love.” It’s so much fun, and gives them a chance to unwind from the business. “
Looking back on her accomplishments, as well as looking forward to future projects, Mary Wilson is able to take on new roles and projects because her singing, writing or performing is not where she finds her identity. “I am a mom,” she observes, counter to the culture of women who selfishly try to “find themselves. “ I’ve always been “a mom.” I was the eldest of my siblings, so I was always taking care of my brother and sister. I was always the cook, always the one that cleaned up, always the “elder child.” I loved being a mom, and still am. I try to do it with my grandchildren, but it’s harder. It’s a different generation. I’m a teacher and parent at heart. All of my children’s friends call me “Mother Mary.” It comes with who I am. The best things I’ve ever done were when I had my children. They are my Gold Records.”
Enjoy the nostalgia of her records with the Supremes, but search out her recent offerings to see where this Love Child can take you musically.