Mary Wilson was born on the 6th March 1944, in Greenville, Mississippi USA. She is an American singer/author, best known as one of the founding members of The Supremes, who were one of the most successful girl groups at the time – Diana Ross and Florence Ballard were the band’s co-founders. They reached their peak in the 60’s and 70’s, and after Wilson left to pursue her solo career in 1977, the group disbanded.
Have you ever wondered how rich Mary Wilson is, as of mid-2016? According to authoritative sources, it is estimated that Mary Wilson’s net worth is as high as $8 million. The majority of her earnings have come from her musical career, although her net worth has also benefited from her other talents, such as writing and acting, releasing two books and appearing in several films, including “Golden Shoes” (2016), and “Please Don’t Eat the Pansies” (2016), among others.
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Mary Wilson Net Worth $8 Million
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Mary Wilson was born to Sam and Johnnie Mae Wilson, and is oldest of three children. She lived with her parents before moving to St. Louis, Chicago, and later Detroit where she first met Florence Ballard at an elementary school. That moment is crucial in her life and career, as they became good friends. Ballard introduced her to Diana Ross and Betty McGlown, and soon after, Wilson was accepted as a member of The Primettes. Mary Wilson graduated from Detroit’s Northeastern High School in 1962, but never went to college, despite her mother’s attempts to persuade her, as she opted for a musical career instead.
The Primettes changed their name to The Supremes when they signedfor Motown Records in 1961, which was a leading label in R&B and soul music, and that explains how Wilson made most of her money. McGlown left the group to get married, and The Supremes became a trio. The group’s first major hit was “When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes” in 1963, and “Where Did Our Love Go” was a number-one on the pop chart the following year.
The Supremes were internationally known by 1964, but in 1967, Berry Gordy, the president of Motown, decided to change the group’s name to Diana Ross & The Supremes – Florence Ballard couldn’t stand it, so left the band that year, and Cindy Birdsong took her place. Diana Ross also left to start a solo career in early 1970, and although the band made seven top 40 singles without her, their star began to fade in the mid-70’s. The performance at London’s Drury Lane Theatre was Wilson’s last as a member of The Supremes, and soon after she left in 1977, the group was disbanded.
Wilson’s debut solo album “Mary Wilson” (1979) was disco orientated, and wasn’t very good. The single “Red Hot” didn’t even reach the top 50 on the pop charts that year, and Motown dropped her after that so that she couldn’t record a second album with them.
Wilson turned her focus to writing memoirs, and the first one “Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme” came out in 1986, and this best-selling book additionally improved her net worth. In 1990, she released the second memoir named “Supreme Faith: Someday We’ll Be Together”, another best seller.
Her second studio album, “Walk the Line” was released in 1992 for CEO Records, but the label declared bankruptcy soon after. Wilson’s third and last album “I Am Changing” came out in 2000, and she produced it with her management.
Mary Wilson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, together with former group members Diana Ross and Florence Ballard. The Supremes were recognized with star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.
In her personal life, Mary Wilson was married to Pedro Ferrer from 1974 to 1981. They produced three children: Turkessa, Pedro Antonio Jr., and Rafael while Mary adopted her cousin Willie. Her 14-year-old son Rafael died in a car accident in January 1994 – Mary was also in the carbut suffered only moderate injuries.
