Being a singer myself, I know how heartbreaking it is to lose your voice, especially when your life isn't working out. The voice is often the singer's only joy and comfort. Poor Mary couldn't even make a joyful noise toward the end. Well hopefully, God repaired her voice, and she sings for Him.
The sound on this clip is definitely bleeped up. Got left channel only, and all other clips, cds, etc are coming in loud & clear on both channels. Check it out, wally.
Wally, thanks for your reply. I'm still not getting sound on this video. I clicked on your name/link and Bridge Over Troubled Waters works just fine. All other videos have sound except the Mary Wells one.
@jpwjaz Once a video is uploaded, it is entirely out of my hands...so, it must be a You Tube glitch of some sort, since only a couple of other people have ever brought up this problem in the 3 year time period this video has been up (out of over 95,000 viewings that have been done in that same period). All I can add is that maybe you can try it again in a few days to see if the problem has been corrected.
@jpwjaz@jpwjaz Must be something with your computer/sound card...the sound is working just fine. Just tested it on 3 different computers & they are all o.k.
Mary Wells was gifted with one of the sweetest singing voices of all time. Her seemingly effortless delivery was only icing on the cake. The woman lives on in her music.
I am sure the family of Miss Mary Wells thanks all of her fans who has expressed there opinions on the way she was treated so unfairly at Motown. However, Mary Wells was the poster child of what would happen to you if you did not do as Gordy said. look at Flo Ballard, Paul Williams. Eddie Kendricks, Martha Reeves, etc. NUFF SAID!!!!!
@KNOWLEDGEISWHATSUP- Gordy had the right to shut any of his artist down, at any time he saw fit, by the contracts he had them sign. However it would have been the decent and the thing to do if Gordy has actually paid them what they had worked for. This Mr. Gordy by his own admission in his self written bio TO BE LOVED, did not do. While it is not Mr. Gordy's job to take care of people - it was his companies job to pay then what they had REALLY earned.
Berry Gordy gave $25,000, what a joke. A concert that raised $10,000 by the other stars, what a joke. I'm not surprised that Gordy gave so little. He didn't even help Florence Ballard when she was in crisis. His day is coming and he will reap just like everyone else. Stars, my azz.
@ombudlady: Well, since he has lived this long, I doubt if he will reap anything by now. Besides, it is not his job to take care of people, they need to get their finances in order. Yeah, he did rip people off which is a shame, but what can you do? I also hate that Unsung leaves things out of stories a lot of times. They mentioned Bruce Springsteen giving money but left our Diana Ross and Gordy. They do that on other stories too.
@knowledgeiswhatsup Ur right, I'm glad they do these Documentaries on the 4gotten but they r sometimes like the media & not fair about the research filling in the blanks. I know they can't tell the whole story because it's only a 60min show but at least give credit where it's do. I see sometimes they point the finger when I don't think it's that person fault making them look bad in the public eye & sometimes don't point the finger when it is that person fault. Selective Journalism, is not COOL.
@misumike25 Jody Watley hit em right back!--With her 7 or 8 Part "Unfiltered" to fill in the blanks that she felt Unsung folks left out on the Shalamar episode. I love me some UnSUNG though! It's like Behind the Music, but covers the Soulful Forgotten Ones.
@ombudlady: I hear you, but Florence Ballard should have just been cool and played the role and got the check. Yeah, she was the lead and wanted it back but what can you do. Paul Williams was in the same position and he did not handle it well either, but I guess he was able to do leads so... You know, Unsung also did not mention the fact that The Temptations sang back up for Mary Wells before they hit it big too.
@ombudlady, RIGHT IT WAS A JOKE BUT THAT WAS JUST FROM THE CONCERT ALONE BUT ANITA GAVE WELL OVER 100 GRAND TO HER BUT THE 10,000 WAS JUST FROM THE CONCERT! BUT I DO GET YOUR POINT!
What a tragic story of such a gifted artist. It appears that Berry Gordy was more interested in spending his money on Ms. Ross since he was sleeping with her. Mary made the company alone with Smokey and yet she was taken advantage of upon leaving. They knew what they had her to sign and that was bogus. She was 21yrs. old with no business savvy but she knew she wasn't being paid fairly. The money was spent to make Motown and not pay the stars. Shame on Motown.
@ombudlady In truth, Ms. Wells left the company because she did not believe it was big enough to handle her career. It was a bad decision in terms of her recording career. Ms. Wells was wonderfully talented, and she helped establish the Motown brand. But, her decision to leave did not harm the company at all. If you noticed from this story, her financial support in her later years came, in part, from Mr. Gordy and Ms. Ross, who admired her greatly. May she rest in peace.
@kenhamlett1 true berry gordy did lend financial support, however IMO it was more along the lines of assuaging a guilty conscience. this hasn't been the first time there has been talk of berry gordy cheating his artists out of a good deal of royalties; to this day there has NEVER been a proper accounting of royalties for ANY of the groups during motown's heyday, from mary wells down to the supremes.
I remember watching that clip in 1991 on Entertainment Tonight when I was 15. It was sad to see how her voice was ravaged by cancer. But watching this clip let me know that she was a courageous woman to the very end. Plus, it's good to have friends like Anita Baker and Dionne Warwick who cared for you when you needed it most :-) R.I.P Mary Wells.
Mary Wilson is so fake, how come she did not give Mary Wells any money. But Mary Wilson always seems to get herself all pushed up in ever damn thing. Mary Wilson has NO CLASS WHAT SO EVER!!! And Smokey Robinson is just as fake, bad, and phony. And for goodness sake what the heck is that cheap casket they put MARY WELLS in, someone should be ashamed of that alone.
@ramona2400: So when Smokey dies, who is going to give him money? Right, you would not expect anyone to. Smokey wrote the songs. Most Motown acts did not write the songs, they were just singers. Most of them did not know how to smell a hit - especially if they were too busy getting high! If a singer knew what a hit sounded like, they would make better moves. Now if Gordy did conspire to shut her down then that was dirty since it hampered her ability to feed herself.
Mary Wells was probably the best Motown singer there ever was. Amazingly talented and an emotionally compelling performer. We will never forget your gift to us, Mary, and we will always be thankful for how you enriched our lives. May your gracious and lovely spirit rest in eternal peace.
when she talks with that voice, i just cant help but think of the happy time she once had. This breaks my heart... what is a singer without a voice. :(
@marisa32905 Just had a friend play it on his computer & he had no problem hearing the audio. Also, you are the first person in over 2 years to have mentioned any problems with the audio, so it clearly must be a glitch on your computer only.
@CharlesThomsonVideos Sorry, but when You Tube has had my video up for over 2 years without any problems or loss of audio, then obviously the problem is with You Tube or possibly the computer settings for those viewing it. There isn't anything I can do about it - sorry.
@CharlesThomsonVideos Charles & Marisa, it appears to be Flashplayer problem. I just had it happen on my other PC that had an outdated player; when I updated it, everything sounded fine. Meanhile, this clip plays perfectly on my other pc, my friends pc and streaming through my BlueRay player to my TV. Upgrade your Adobe Flashplayer and it should resolve your problem.
@marisa32905 Charles & Marisa, it appears to be Flashplayer problem. I just had it happen on my other PC that had an outdated player; when I updated it, everything sounded fine. Meanhile, this clip plays perfectly on my other pc, my friends pc and streaming through my BlueRay player to my TV. Upgrade your Adobe Flashplayer and it should resolve your problem.
@TruthFullWords Really? -- I know you can get nodes in your throat which are slightly dangerous. Other than that I don't know -- either way it's sad :(
@johnnetta21 you said that right a "pattern", well thought out plan to get rich and F everybody else. There were a few he couldn't F over, if he could have he would have. (Smokey, Stevie and very few others) Funk brothers caught hell like everybody else.
I loved Mary Wells and her music. But she left Motown voluntarily - she walked away from the Motown "machine" - she was not fired. If she had stayed for at least a few more years, she might have had a few more hit records - like Martha Reeves - and that would have made her a more viable and lucrative touring artist. She left for a big advance from another company, and did not invest that money wisely - that too was her own fault. And the smoking......lessons to be learned...RIP Mary.
@mhertz25 Before you posted this comment: did you ask yourself why Motown did not offer her that big advance so she would not go to another company? Obviously you have not read "Dreamgirl: My Life as A Supreme" by Mary Wilson, which points out the terms of a Motown contract that did not allow the artist to hardly make a dime as many costs were charged back to the artist. Mary sold millions for Motown, her records/CDs still sell today but did she then or her estate now see any of those royalties?
@mhertz25 Furthermore, Motown artists were kept in the dark about their INTERNATIONAL sales; find the image and article on the rarest Motown record of all time, a Tamla 78 rpm by The Marvelettes that was released in the Philippines; none of The Marvelettes ever even SAW this record, let alone got a royalty for it; multiply that by sales in Canada, England, Germany, France, etc.; so if Mary had stayed,she might have had more hit records but not paid for actual sales. Yeah, lessons to be learned..
its such a shame that, after "My Guy" hit Number One, her contract with Motown was up for renewal - she bounced from record company to record company with little or no success -
Mary, Flo, David, Paul & Eddie, & All The Other Artists From Motown Who Got The Sh^tty End Of The Stick, Who Has Passed On, May You All Rest In Eternal Peace, Berry Gordy & Diane Ross Day Is Coming!!!!!
@Mj4Eternity58 I cannot understand for the life of me that, whenever someone talks about Motown, they automatically assume youre talking about Diana Ross - in my opinion, SHE IS NOT MOTOWN, and from what I understand, she definitely wasn't a saint in the early days of the company- but you are correct, Karma is a Biotch, and what goes around, comes around!
@christheone8773 Your Absolutely Right, Diana Wasn't A Nice Individual Then, & There Are Reports That Suggests That She Isn't Now, She Allowed Fame To Get The Best Of Her!!!!!
I just find it so awful that a SuperStar like Mary Wells was broke, had no health insurance and was evicted out of her Los Angeles apartment. What a horrible situation. I blame most of it on Gordy who spent millions on grooming, charming, choreographing and all the important elements that make great performances. Seems like if he cared at all, he would have taught the stars how to manage their money well. After all he calls the Motown stars..family. Not cool to take advantage of family.
@ninahenderson100 Berry Gordy was real greedy. If you go through the Motown roster, many of them died broke and lived in poverty. He had them on little salaries while he pocketed millions.
@rudielor I appreciate Motown. It was great and unmatchable, and I applaud Mr. Gordy for his hard work, contribution, and success. However, I feel he could have shown the artists a little more appreciation and respect. It just breaks my heart to see artists like the Temps, the Tops, the Vandellas, and others who are now in their late 60s/early 70s on stage looking like they need crutches or wheelchairs. They should be retired now, but they still have to work hard because they were cheated.
@ninahenderson100 Agree.He put that together. Most that have passed, struggled financially while he gained tremendously. How can you sit back and watch that, comfortably.He knew all of their struggles and said "oh well". He threw in 25,000 at the end of her life. I don't respect that type of individual, but I do appreciate his contribution.
@rudielor Yes, he threw in $25K of guilt money. But if he had paid her for her true worth or at least returned a sensible percentage of all the money she made for him, she would have had enough money to cover basic medical insurance and maybe even keep her apartment. He should have given her more than that in my opinion. He gave most of Mary's hard earned money to promote his mistress, Diane Ross & The Supremes. I hear Mary was very shaken and depressed about that. Shame on Berry Gordy!
@rudielor Oh, Rudielor, bad news: I just found out online that Gladys Horton, lead vocalist for Please Mr. Postman, passed away Jan. 26, 2011. She died of stroke complications. So sad.
@rudielor I appreciate Motown. It was and still is great. I applaud Mr. Gordy for his hard work and contribution. However, I feel he could have shown the artists a little more appreciation and respect. After aIl, they made him rich. It breaks my heart to see artists like the Temps, Tops, Vandellas, and others who are now in their late 60s/early 70s on stage looking like they need crutches or wheelchairs. They should be retired now, but they still have to work hard because they were cheated.
OMG! I didn't know she died with a hole in her throat i knew she had cancer thats all omg im shocked this is so sad i just loved her voice and to not be able to talk or sing must have just killed her wow. She looks so beautiful here so young she doesnt look sick. God bless you Mary you are missed but your voice lives on XOX PEACE
I love her music and her attitude...I just look at the best things that have happened in my life and I tell Satan to get behind me, and ask God to get in front of me...
God Bless Rod Stewart and Bruce Springsteen for comming to her rescue, Anita Baker too, Phill Collins also helped her out, as well as the Rythem and Blues Foundation
Love Mary, wish she was still with us, Mary Esther Wells was the first queen of Motown, eat your heart out Diana Ross! Ewart Abner is such a flamer i cant stand him, he knows Mary should have gotten her money
@MotownMaster why attack Diana Ross in a video about Mary Well's legacy and early passing? After all, Diana was one of the FEW people that helped her financially when she needed it. In all these years, I've never heard Diana Ross say a single bad thing about Mary Wells - she has always paid her respect for her place in Motown history. Don't be a hater -
@myke1958 if you read what i typed all i said was Mary was the first queen of Motown not Diane, god you Diana Ross fags are so bitchy! get the fuck off her bra strap, cuz i gaurantee you diane dont give a shit about you, lol
She's on My Space as SugarWells, as are all of the Wells siblings and they've let the My Space account turn to total S**t. Can't believe they have so little respect for their own mother, it's nothing but a spam site now and they make no attempt to clean it up...too busy being divas in their own way. Search for "marywellsofficial" on My Space and you'll see their icons prominently under Friends, the first 3 icons you see and you can click on them.
Mary's son Meech Wells aka Cecil Womack Jr. Nephew of Boddy Womack is a huge producer in the Hip Hop community. So, that being said, Meech going to make darn sure the family is taken care off.
Rip Mary Wells, First lady with the golden voice of Motown.
When Berry Gordy signed Mary Wells to Motown and she cut her first record, "Bye Bye Baby", Gordy had her do numerous takes until her voice was raw and bluesy - and that's the way she sounds on this record too, she sounds almost hoarse-
Love and miss you Mary....you were the best...wish I could of helped you after giving me so many years of that wonderful voice. I hope to visit your reesting place one day when I find out where you are.
She is interred in Forrest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California, just outside of Hollywood. I've been & left her flowers. Do some Google searches and you'll find the exact location, do NOT ask the people who run the cemetary, they will ask you to leave...they do not want people coming to look at celebrity graves. It's a mausoleum & other people come to see family members and will report you if you are too disruptive. Too bad she wasn't interred in Hollywood Forever, they love people to come.
MARY WELLS will always be the FIRST LADY of MOTOWN - without her, that record company might have NEVER been known- She is a greatly admired lady, mostly because she was one of the first artists to ever go on tour with the Beatles!
@christheone8773 ...And the Marvelettes, I believe, after all of these years, finally received a gold record for Please Mr. Postman - Motown's first No. 1 pop hit - before Where Did Our Love Go. In Marvin Gaye's "Divided Soul" the Supremes were stated as having made Gordy super rich.
@nutothis1 YES, the Marvelettes never got the proper recognition they deserved - they are very much a part of Motown history as Diana Ross and the Supremes would be - they weren't even invited to perform at the "Motown 25" special, which I found to be very insulting- because Diana Ross had that special something that Gordy liked, that's why he made the Supremes a top priority-
@AithWONDER He really treated his artists crappy. He and Martha Reeves actually dated before he and Ms. Ross. I read it in Ms. Reeve's book. In the process of becoming famous, she would share her career goals with BG. I guess he was not really listening.
@ranmae57 BG does seem to be riding high, doesn't he? he had so much talent, but was sooo unfair. Remember Junior Walker, Shorty "Function at the Junction" Long? Even Marvin Gaye, in his book stated that these artists should have received greater recognition and attention
hes fine. he turned 70 this year. i went to art van last night they had the contoures the miricals and two original vandellas it was cool u from michigan wally
No, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, but I'm a huge Motown fan and actually run a Yahoo Motown group that is devoted to the female singers/groups who recorded for Motown.
I'll send you an invitation to our Yahoo group for the Motown ladies....you should receive it in about 15 minutes. If you're interested, come join us.
I met this legend in nov, 81 in fresno ca at the rainbow ballroom .i was 19 years old she signed her autograph on the servin up soul album for me i was on cloud 9!!
Mary is best known for My Guy but I have her greatest hits and she recorded a lot of great song. She is my fav female singer of the 60s and it's so sad what happens in life...
It really wasn't huge news at the time - I don't recall seeing it in the paper. I happened to see a preview of ET and it was mentioned, so I made it a point to tape the segment or else I would have missed it also.
@rudielor Berry Gordy didnt care about anything except money and making Diana Ross a star, he will burn in hell for fucking over Mary Wells and Florence Ballard
@melodymx86 He fucked over a lot of people. If you read about The Marvelettes you'll hear the same story being told over and over again. They had struggles that should not have happen. Greedy son of a bitch is always being looked up to. He destoyed more people than he helped.
@rudielor yeah my cousin has spoken to Kathrine Schaffner over the phone a few times, he told me Berry Gordy lost The Marvelettes name in a card game, they gave Motown its first number 1, Motown should have been bowing down and kissing their asses
Being a singer myself, I know how heartbreaking it is to lose your voice, especially when your life isn't working out. The voice is often the singer's only joy and comfort. Poor Mary couldn't even make a joyful noise toward the end. Well hopefully, God repaired her voice, and she sings for Him.
davidj1210 1 week ago
Ewart Abner is a total queen and needs his ass kicked!
melodymx86 2 weeks ago
Sad what happened to her, but such great music.
lepoetress 1 month ago
The sound on this clip is definitely bleeped up. Got left channel only, and all other clips, cds, etc are coming in loud & clear on both channels. Check it out, wally.
blues917 1 month ago
@blues917 Contact You Tube. This played excellent for 3 years and has been You Tube property since I uploaded it. I have no control over it.
wally1435 1 month ago
Wow! I never knew the story of her later years. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Rowoches 1 month ago 4
@Rowoches You are welcome.
wally1435 1 month ago
@Rowoches You are welcome.
wally1435 1 month ago
Wally, thanks for your reply. I'm still not getting sound on this video. I clicked on your name/link and Bridge Over Troubled Waters works just fine. All other videos have sound except the Mary Wells one.
jpwjaz 1 month ago
@jpwjaz Once a video is uploaded, it is entirely out of my hands...so, it must be a You Tube glitch of some sort, since only a couple of other people have ever brought up this problem in the 3 year time period this video has been up (out of over 95,000 viewings that have been done in that same period). All I can add is that maybe you can try it again in a few days to see if the problem has been corrected.
wally1435 1 month ago
What happened to the sound?
jpwjaz 1 month ago
@jpwjaz Must be something with your computer/sound card...the sound is working just fine. Just tested it on 3 different computers & they are all o.k.
wally1435 1 month ago
@jpwjaz @jpwjaz Must be something with your computer/sound card...the sound is working just fine. Just tested it on 3 different computers & they are all o.k.
wally1435 1 month ago
Two packs a day people, if you smoke please stop, it's not worth your life.
TheAdisah 2 months ago
Mary Wells was gifted with one of the sweetest singing voices of all time. Her seemingly effortless delivery was only icing on the cake. The woman lives on in her music.
blues917 3 months ago
I am sure the family of Miss Mary Wells thanks all of her fans who has expressed there opinions on the way she was treated so unfairly at Motown. However, Mary Wells was the poster child of what would happen to you if you did not do as Gordy said. look at Flo Ballard, Paul Williams. Eddie Kendricks, Martha Reeves, etc. NUFF SAID!!!!!
ramona2400 6 months ago
brand new computer but no sound on this.
64kumquat 6 months ago
New computer but no sound on this.
64kumquat 6 months ago
@KNOWLEDGEISWHATSUP- Gordy had the right to shut any of his artist down, at any time he saw fit, by the contracts he had them sign. However it would have been the decent and the thing to do if Gordy has actually paid them what they had worked for. This Mr. Gordy by his own admission in his self written bio TO BE LOVED, did not do. While it is not Mr. Gordy's job to take care of people - it was his companies job to pay then what they had REALLY earned.
ramona2400 6 months ago 2
Berry Gordy gave $25,000, what a joke. A concert that raised $10,000 by the other stars, what a joke. I'm not surprised that Gordy gave so little. He didn't even help Florence Ballard when she was in crisis. His day is coming and he will reap just like everyone else. Stars, my azz.
ombudlady 6 months ago 2
@ombudlady: Well, since he has lived this long, I doubt if he will reap anything by now. Besides, it is not his job to take care of people, they need to get their finances in order. Yeah, he did rip people off which is a shame, but what can you do? I also hate that Unsung leaves things out of stories a lot of times. They mentioned Bruce Springsteen giving money but left our Diana Ross and Gordy. They do that on other stories too.
knowledgeiswhatsup 6 months ago
@knowledgeiswhatsup Ur right, I'm glad they do these Documentaries on the 4gotten but they r sometimes like the media & not fair about the research filling in the blanks. I know they can't tell the whole story because it's only a 60min show but at least give credit where it's do. I see sometimes they point the finger when I don't think it's that person fault making them look bad in the public eye & sometimes don't point the finger when it is that person fault. Selective Journalism, is not COOL.
misumike25 6 months ago 2
@misumike25 Jody Watley hit em right back!--With her 7 or 8 Part "Unfiltered" to fill in the blanks that she felt Unsung folks left out on the Shalamar episode. I love me some UnSUNG though! It's like Behind the Music, but covers the Soulful Forgotten Ones.
MamaNuveau 6 months ago
@knowledgeiswhatsup, as long as he has breath and lives he will reap. We may not see it but, be assured we all reap what we sow.
ombudlady 6 months ago
@ombudlady: I hear you, but Florence Ballard should have just been cool and played the role and got the check. Yeah, she was the lead and wanted it back but what can you do. Paul Williams was in the same position and he did not handle it well either, but I guess he was able to do leads so... You know, Unsung also did not mention the fact that The Temptations sang back up for Mary Wells before they hit it big too.
knowledgeiswhatsup 6 months ago
@ombudlady, RIGHT IT WAS A JOKE BUT THAT WAS JUST FROM THE CONCERT ALONE BUT ANITA GAVE WELL OVER 100 GRAND TO HER BUT THE 10,000 WAS JUST FROM THE CONCERT! BUT I DO GET YOUR POINT!
optimistic719 2 months ago
What a tragic story of such a gifted artist. It appears that Berry Gordy was more interested in spending his money on Ms. Ross since he was sleeping with her. Mary made the company alone with Smokey and yet she was taken advantage of upon leaving. They knew what they had her to sign and that was bogus. She was 21yrs. old with no business savvy but she knew she wasn't being paid fairly. The money was spent to make Motown and not pay the stars. Shame on Motown.
ombudlady 6 months ago 5
@ombudlady In truth, Ms. Wells left the company because she did not believe it was big enough to handle her career. It was a bad decision in terms of her recording career. Ms. Wells was wonderfully talented, and she helped establish the Motown brand. But, her decision to leave did not harm the company at all. If you noticed from this story, her financial support in her later years came, in part, from Mr. Gordy and Ms. Ross, who admired her greatly. May she rest in peace.
kenhamlett1 3 weeks ago
@kenhamlett1 true berry gordy did lend financial support, however IMO it was more along the lines of assuaging a guilty conscience. this hasn't been the first time there has been talk of berry gordy cheating his artists out of a good deal of royalties; to this day there has NEVER been a proper accounting of royalties for ANY of the groups during motown's heyday, from mary wells down to the supremes.
darchylde612 2 weeks ago
just saw her story on unsung it was sad
simonsez0800 6 months ago 3
Mary Wells will be featured on tonight's episode of "Unsung"
solesirching73 6 months ago 2
I remember watching that clip in 1991 on Entertainment Tonight when I was 15. It was sad to see how her voice was ravaged by cancer. But watching this clip let me know that she was a courageous woman to the very end. Plus, it's good to have friends like Anita Baker and Dionne Warwick who cared for you when you needed it most :-) R.I.P Mary Wells.
BronxBoomer1976 6 months ago 2
Mary Wilson is so fake, how come she did not give Mary Wells any money. But Mary Wilson always seems to get herself all pushed up in ever damn thing. Mary Wilson has NO CLASS WHAT SO EVER!!! And Smokey Robinson is just as fake, bad, and phony. And for goodness sake what the heck is that cheap casket they put MARY WELLS in, someone should be ashamed of that alone.
ramona2400 6 months ago 2
@ramona2400: So when Smokey dies, who is going to give him money? Right, you would not expect anyone to. Smokey wrote the songs. Most Motown acts did not write the songs, they were just singers. Most of them did not know how to smell a hit - especially if they were too busy getting high! If a singer knew what a hit sounded like, they would make better moves. Now if Gordy did conspire to shut her down then that was dirty since it hampered her ability to feed herself.
knowledgeiswhatsup 6 months ago
@ramona2400 I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING ABOUT THE CASKET... ONLY TWO FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS.... PITIFUL
GreaterhOLYmEMBER 6 months ago
God rest her soul!!!
418sadeyes 7 months ago 3
Mary Wells was probably the best Motown singer there ever was. Amazingly talented and an emotionally compelling performer. We will never forget your gift to us, Mary, and we will always be thankful for how you enriched our lives. May your gracious and lovely spirit rest in eternal peace.
dac10012 7 months ago 3
This is so sad R.I.P Mary Wells
aliddellgirl 9 months ago
I remember seeing this as a kid when she died. I was like wow even then. That was just so sad.
MelodyMaker151 9 months ago
I love you Mary Wells
MrKandyman64 9 months ago 2
when she talks with that voice, i just cant help but think of the happy time she once had. This breaks my heart... what is a singer without a voice. :(
NthShout 11 months ago 2
Woww!
mssquirrely 11 months ago 2
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary Bless Mary Wells in Eternity and forever...Dan O'Niallain
oldiesbutgoodies67 11 months ago 2
no problems with sound. thanx for the info from @mhertz25. singing in a choir now
byurlve 11 months ago 2
I get no sound on this one. ?? I hear sound on all the other you tube videos. Can someone fix it?
marisa32905 1 year ago 6
@marisa32905 Just had a friend play it on his computer & he had no problem hearing the audio. Also, you are the first person in over 2 years to have mentioned any problems with the audio, so it clearly must be a glitch on your computer only.
wally1435 1 year ago 3
@wally1435 Audio doesn't work for me either :(
CharlesThomsonVideos 1 year ago
@CharlesThomsonVideos Sorry, but when You Tube has had my video up for over 2 years without any problems or loss of audio, then obviously the problem is with You Tube or possibly the computer settings for those viewing it. There isn't anything I can do about it - sorry.
wally1435 1 year ago
@CharlesThomsonVideos Charles & Marisa, it appears to be Flashplayer problem. I just had it happen on my other PC that had an outdated player; when I updated it, everything sounded fine. Meanhile, this clip plays perfectly on my other pc, my friends pc and streaming through my BlueRay player to my TV. Upgrade your Adobe Flashplayer and it should resolve your problem.
wally1435 1 year ago
@marisa32905 Charles & Marisa, it appears to be Flashplayer problem. I just had it happen on my other PC that had an outdated player; when I updated it, everything sounded fine. Meanhile, this clip plays perfectly on my other pc, my friends pc and streaming through my BlueRay player to my TV. Upgrade your Adobe Flashplayer and it should resolve your problem.
wally1435 1 year ago
@charlesthomsonvideos@marisa 32905 must be ur flashplayer outta date mines play just fine and the clip is very audible hope u get it to wurk soon!!
cheezeburger100 3 months ago
Please let this be a lesson for all you smokers out there, it can happen to you as well
quit that disgusting habit..
readynow12345 1 year ago
Mary was so young when she passed! How sad, cigarettes are awful awful things.
CrazedPeeling 1 year ago
@CrazedPeeling I heard you can also get throat cancer from singing.
TruthFullWords 1 year ago
@TruthFullWords Really? -- I know you can get nodes in your throat which are slightly dangerous. Other than that I don't know -- either way it's sad :(
CrazedPeeling 1 year ago
Mary was so young when she passed! How sad, cigarettes are awful awful things.
CrazedPeeling 1 year ago
yall notice a pattern of berry gordy from florence an her
johnnetta21 1 year ago
@johnnetta21 you said that right a "pattern", well thought out plan to get rich and F everybody else. There were a few he couldn't F over, if he could have he would have. (Smokey, Stevie and very few others) Funk brothers caught hell like everybody else.
rudielor 1 year ago
A Beautiful Woman and A Beautiful Voice. ...sic in memoria non omnis moriar... Thus in memory I shall not wholly die....
irishimp2 1 year ago
A Beautiful Woman and A Beautiful Voice. ...sic in momoria non omnis moriar... Thus in memory I shall not wholly die....
irishimp2 1 year ago
I loved Mary Wells and her music. But she left Motown voluntarily - she walked away from the Motown "machine" - she was not fired. If she had stayed for at least a few more years, she might have had a few more hit records - like Martha Reeves - and that would have made her a more viable and lucrative touring artist. She left for a big advance from another company, and did not invest that money wisely - that too was her own fault. And the smoking......lessons to be learned...RIP Mary.
mhertz25 1 year ago
@mhertz25 Before you posted this comment: did you ask yourself why Motown did not offer her that big advance so she would not go to another company? Obviously you have not read "Dreamgirl: My Life as A Supreme" by Mary Wilson, which points out the terms of a Motown contract that did not allow the artist to hardly make a dime as many costs were charged back to the artist. Mary sold millions for Motown, her records/CDs still sell today but did she then or her estate now see any of those royalties?
KojiRecords 1 year ago
@mhertz25 Furthermore, Motown artists were kept in the dark about their INTERNATIONAL sales; find the image and article on the rarest Motown record of all time, a Tamla 78 rpm by The Marvelettes that was released in the Philippines; none of The Marvelettes ever even SAW this record, let alone got a royalty for it; multiply that by sales in Canada, England, Germany, France, etc.; so if Mary had stayed,she might have had more hit records but not paid for actual sales. Yeah, lessons to be learned..
KojiRecords 1 year ago
Such a terrible shame. I also went through throat cancer and can definitely feel her pains. R.I.P. Mary.
skipper8257 1 year ago 2
It's a shame when singers die or just can no longer use their voice. Like Mary Wells, Nat King Cole, and Jose Jose.
drunkgorilla 1 year ago 3
Poor Baby!! I lost my husband to cancer from smoking, so I'm feeling the pain all over again!! RIP Sweetheart!! Phyllis....
sleepytimegalz 1 year ago
could somebody explain to me please why some of motown people not speaking out against berry gordy. GOD BLESS YOU MARY WELLS
APR84 1 year ago 2
@APR84 i think its because half of those arttist are dead
browngal1709 1 year ago
she's in the arms of Jesus.....sweet LADY
ac
allananc 1 year ago
I loved Mary and I hope her daughter is doing fine. I know that little girl misses her mommy.
Mahoganyflame1 1 year ago
its such a shame that, after "My Guy" hit Number One, her contract with Motown was up for renewal - she bounced from record company to record company with little or no success -
christheone8773 1 year ago
Mary, Flo, David, Paul & Eddie, & All The Other Artists From Motown Who Got The Sh^tty End Of The Stick, Who Has Passed On, May You All Rest In Eternal Peace, Berry Gordy & Diane Ross Day Is Coming!!!!!
Mj4Eternity58 1 year ago
@Mj4Eternity58 Without Mary Wells, there never would have been MOTOWN-
christheone8773 1 year ago
@christheone8773 I Couldn't Agree More, & That Gordy & His Associates Will Get Their Day Soon!!!!!
Mj4Eternity58 1 year ago
@Mj4Eternity58 I cannot understand for the life of me that, whenever someone talks about Motown, they automatically assume youre talking about Diana Ross - in my opinion, SHE IS NOT MOTOWN, and from what I understand, she definitely wasn't a saint in the early days of the company- but you are correct, Karma is a Biotch, and what goes around, comes around!
christheone8773 1 year ago
@christheone8773 Your Absolutely Right, Diana Wasn't A Nice Individual Then, & There Are Reports That Suggests That She Isn't Now, She Allowed Fame To Get The Best Of Her!!!!!
Mj4Eternity58 1 year ago
rip you beautiful lady.
alexalot23 1 year ago
My friend wally1435, thanks for upload this video, didn't know what happened to this great singer, RIP Mary Wells...
johnstone2010 1 year ago
@johnstone2010 You are welcome.
wally1435 1 year ago
I just find it so awful that a SuperStar like Mary Wells was broke, had no health insurance and was evicted out of her Los Angeles apartment. What a horrible situation. I blame most of it on Gordy who spent millions on grooming, charming, choreographing and all the important elements that make great performances. Seems like if he cared at all, he would have taught the stars how to manage their money well. After all he calls the Motown stars..family. Not cool to take advantage of family.
ninahenderson100 1 year ago 18
@ninahenderson100 Thanks for your feedback; it is appreciated.
wally1435 1 year ago 2
@ninahenderson100 Berry Gordy was real greedy. If you go through the Motown roster, many of them died broke and lived in poverty. He had them on little salaries while he pocketed millions.
rudielor 1 year ago
@rudielor I appreciate Motown. It was great and unmatchable, and I applaud Mr. Gordy for his hard work, contribution, and success. However, I feel he could have shown the artists a little more appreciation and respect. It just breaks my heart to see artists like the Temps, the Tops, the Vandellas, and others who are now in their late 60s/early 70s on stage looking like they need crutches or wheelchairs. They should be retired now, but they still have to work hard because they were cheated.
ninahenderson100 1 year ago
@ninahenderson100 Agree.He put that together. Most that have passed, struggled financially while he gained tremendously. How can you sit back and watch that, comfortably.He knew all of their struggles and said "oh well". He threw in 25,000 at the end of her life. I don't respect that type of individual, but I do appreciate his contribution.
rudielor 1 year ago
@rudielor Yes, he threw in $25K of guilt money. But if he had paid her for her true worth or at least returned a sensible percentage of all the money she made for him, she would have had enough money to cover basic medical insurance and maybe even keep her apartment. He should have given her more than that in my opinion. He gave most of Mary's hard earned money to promote his mistress, Diane Ross & The Supremes. I hear Mary was very shaken and depressed about that. Shame on Berry Gordy!
ninahenderson100 1 year ago
@rudielor Oh, Rudielor, bad news: I just found out online that Gladys Horton, lead vocalist for Please Mr. Postman, passed away Jan. 26, 2011. She died of stroke complications. So sad.
ninahenderson100 1 year ago
@rudielor I appreciate Motown. It was and still is great. I applaud Mr. Gordy for his hard work and contribution. However, I feel he could have shown the artists a little more appreciation and respect. After aIl, they made him rich. It breaks my heart to see artists like the Temps, Tops, Vandellas, and others who are now in their late 60s/early 70s on stage looking like they need crutches or wheelchairs. They should be retired now, but they still have to work hard because they were cheated.
ninahenderson100 1 year ago
she died the day before i was born: (
pinkmoonmist 1 year ago
Mary Wells was a true gem and her voice was God given, she will never be forgotten. This is just so sad...and what is up with her myspace?
I mean you are so right @wally1435. Why would they allow her myspace to end up the way it has? So not cool, she deserves more than that.
Nina513 1 year ago
OMG! I didn't know she died with a hole in her throat i knew she had cancer thats all omg im shocked this is so sad i just loved her voice and to not be able to talk or sing must have just killed her wow. She looks so beautiful here so young she doesnt look sick. God bless you Mary you are missed but your voice lives on XOX PEACE
BOBBIE041957 1 year ago
I love her music and her attitude...I just look at the best things that have happened in my life and I tell Satan to get behind me, and ask God to get in front of me...
nubeea 1 year ago
This is just so tragic. What a wonderful woman! x
SPEEDBIRDBOAC 1 year ago
God Bless Rod Stewart and Bruce Springsteen for comming to her rescue, Anita Baker too, Phill Collins also helped her out, as well as the Rythem and Blues Foundation
MotownMaster 1 year ago 2
Love Mary, wish she was still with us, Mary Esther Wells was the first queen of Motown, eat your heart out Diana Ross! Ewart Abner is such a flamer i cant stand him, he knows Mary should have gotten her money
MotownMaster 1 year ago
@MotownMaster why attack Diana Ross in a video about Mary Well's legacy and early passing? After all, Diana was one of the FEW people that helped her financially when she needed it. In all these years, I've never heard Diana Ross say a single bad thing about Mary Wells - she has always paid her respect for her place in Motown history. Don't be a hater -
myke1958 1 year ago
@myke1958 if you read what i typed all i said was Mary was the first queen of Motown not Diane, god you Diana Ross fags are so bitchy! get the fuck off her bra strap, cuz i gaurantee you diane dont give a shit about you, lol
MotownMaster 1 year ago
RIP MARY YOU'RE NOT FORGOT!!!!!!!!
meterman432110 1 year ago
These artists always get tricked into signing away their royalties.
antij1 1 year ago 3
this is so sad, i love mary wells
babybluemusic425 1 year ago
a beautiful lady with a beautiful voice i hope her daughter is doing well. you are sadly missed mary wells.
reckonman 1 year ago 12
She's on My Space as SugarWells, as are all of the Wells siblings and they've let the My Space account turn to total S**t. Can't believe they have so little respect for their own mother, it's nothing but a spam site now and they make no attempt to clean it up...too busy being divas in their own way. Search for "marywellsofficial" on My Space and you'll see their icons prominently under Friends, the first 3 icons you see and you can click on them.
wally1435 1 year ago
@wally1435 She was always a DIVA.
nezzer69 1 year ago
@wally1435 That's pretty sad.
rudielor 1 year ago
@reckonman Her daughter is well taken care of.
Mary's son Meech Wells aka Cecil Womack Jr. Nephew of Boddy Womack is a huge producer in the Hip Hop community. So, that being said, Meech going to make darn sure the family is taken care off.
Rip Mary Wells, First lady with the golden voice of Motown.
mustafahajj 1 year ago
@mustafahajj yep he does alot of music wit snoop
MrMaru211b 9 months ago
When Berry Gordy signed Mary Wells to Motown and she cut her first record, "Bye Bye Baby", Gordy had her do numerous takes until her voice was raw and bluesy - and that's the way she sounds on this record too, she sounds almost hoarse-
christheone8773 1 year ago
I miss my aunt Mary Wells. I never got to meet her.
xluvteddyx33 1 year ago
sad...
peacemonger1967 1 year ago
Mary Wells you were an important part of my teenage years in New York City in the Sixties....I love you!!!
JEThomTrilogy 2 years ago
Love and miss you Mary....you were the best...wish I could of helped you after giving me so many years of that wonderful voice. I hope to visit your reesting place one day when I find out where you are.
samjtwinn 2 years ago
She is interred in Forrest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California, just outside of Hollywood. I've been & left her flowers. Do some Google searches and you'll find the exact location, do NOT ask the people who run the cemetary, they will ask you to leave...they do not want people coming to look at celebrity graves. It's a mausoleum & other people come to see family members and will report you if you are too disruptive. Too bad she wasn't interred in Hollywood Forever, they love people to come.
wally1435 2 years ago
@samjtwinn her remains were cremated, that's why the shabby casket!
ranmae57 1 year ago
MARY WELLS will always be the FIRST LADY of MOTOWN - without her, that record company might have NEVER been known- She is a greatly admired lady, mostly because she was one of the first artists to ever go on tour with the Beatles!
christheone8773 2 years ago
25,000,(for give me Lord but) Barry should be shot upon SIGHT!
AithWONDER 2 years ago
she might not have slept with barry!
ranmae57 2 years ago
I think that whoever calls Diana Ross the First Lady of Motown should be shot upon sight!!
christheone8773 2 years ago 3
@christheone8773 ...And the Marvelettes, I believe, after all of these years, finally received a gold record for Please Mr. Postman - Motown's first No. 1 pop hit - before Where Did Our Love Go. In Marvin Gaye's "Divided Soul" the Supremes were stated as having made Gordy super rich.
nutothis1 1 year ago
@nutothis1 YES, the Marvelettes never got the proper recognition they deserved - they are very much a part of Motown history as Diana Ross and the Supremes would be - they weren't even invited to perform at the "Motown 25" special, which I found to be very insulting- because Diana Ross had that special something that Gordy liked, that's why he made the Supremes a top priority-
christheone8773 1 year ago
@christheone8773 Agreed!!!!!
Mj4Eternity58 1 year ago
@AithWONDER He really treated his artists crappy. He and Martha Reeves actually dated before he and Ms. Ross. I read it in Ms. Reeve's book. In the process of becoming famous, she would share her career goals with BG. I guess he was not really listening.
nutothis1 1 year ago 2
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nutothis1 1 year ago
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nutothis1 1 year ago
@AithWONDER I Couldn't Have Said It Better;)
Mj4Eternity58 1 year ago
She was like a Mom 2 me. Her children, Harry, Cecil Jr., Stacy, & Suga, love y'all 4 the Love U show Mary. A LEGEND...A BEAUTIFUL LADY.
dublebah 2 years ago
Barry Gordey is a mean, nasty man whose day is upon us...this is the year we'll see him meet his judgement him and Joe Jackson..
urbanvibecanada 2 years ago
@urbanvibecanada AMEN!!!!!
Mj4Eternity58 1 year ago
I get so angry when I see young girls smoking, today. They should watch this video...heartbreaking. Mary was one of the best!
RandyBful1 2 years ago 15
@RandyBful1.....I agree I get angry 2 . I remember when Mary was really fighting for her life
during this time...Motown even did a tv tribute 2 her I got it somewhere on video. It grieved my
spirit when she died....I was so sad for her daughter Sugar.
enayb 10 months ago
oh, gosh...that made me cry. Sure, life sucks, but the way Berry Gordy treated his artists sucks even harder. I think he is a very sadistic person.
MiamiPush2theLimit 2 years ago 13
he'll get his one day, and ten fold
ranmae57 2 years ago
@ranmae57 BG does seem to be riding high, doesn't he? he had so much talent, but was sooo unfair. Remember Junior Walker, Shorty "Function at the Junction" Long? Even Marvin Gaye, in his book stated that these artists should have received greater recognition and attention
nutothis1 1 year ago
@MiamiPush2theLimit Im seeing this as well, Berry Gordy and Diana must be so alike.
Afterall diana p[aid him a HUGE TRIBUTE. Mary Well's was a pretty lady, so very sad.
AZUREE100 1 year ago
@MiamiPush2theLimit he didn't treat diana ross like that!
ranmae57 1 year ago
I know Mary sings in Heaven. Bless you!
Jessecraft1954 2 years ago 4
Thanks for commenting.
wally1435 2 years ago
i love motown music i hate that they took all the royalty money from most of them damn jimmy ruffin lives in royal oak in a dam apartmen what shame
MrVicktim64 2 years ago 2
Thanks for commenting. I hope Jimmy is doing well otherwise; he's one of my favorites also.
wally1435 2 years ago
hes fine. he turned 70 this year. i went to art van last night they had the contoures the miricals and two original vandellas it was cool u from michigan wally
MrVicktim64 2 years ago
No, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, but I'm a huge Motown fan and actually run a Yahoo Motown group that is devoted to the female singers/groups who recorded for Motown.
wally1435 2 years ago
im not good with computer wally emails vicktim64@yahoo
MrVicktim64 2 years ago
I'll send you an invitation to our Yahoo group for the Motown ladies....you should receive it in about 15 minutes. If you're interested, come join us.
Walter
wally1435 2 years ago
25k...that's all Gordy gave?....Anita raised almost half of that
babyboi1002 2 years ago 2
I also think Gordy could have given a bit more, considering the money she raked in for him while she was with Motown.
wally1435 2 years ago
I met this legend in nov, 81 in fresno ca at the rainbow ballroom .i was 19 years old she signed her autograph on the servin up soul album for me i was on cloud 9!!
SoulGuy25 2 years ago
I'll bet you were; I also met her once and she was very sweet & endearing.
wally1435 2 years ago
@SoulGuy25 A book is being written about Mary Wells by Peter Benjamin the guy who wrote the book on Flo Ballard.
MUSICENCYLOPEDIA 1 year ago
Mary is best known for My Guy but I have her greatest hits and she recorded a lot of great song. She is my fav female singer of the 60s and it's so sad what happens in life...
11xzxzxz 2 years ago
It seems like yesterday but I was in 8th grade that song and the way she said the last line oh so sexy and talented RIP The best
bcpmd1 2 years ago
Thanks for commenting.
wally1435 2 years ago
I must have been under a rock, I don't remember this at all, I don't remember her passing away. RIP Mary!
dabodyrobinson 2 years ago
It really wasn't huge news at the time - I don't recall seeing it in the paper. I happened to see a preview of ET and it was mentioned, so I made it a point to tape the segment or else I would have missed it also.
wally1435 2 years ago
thanks for this,
dabodyrobinson 2 years ago
You are welcome.
wally1435 2 years ago
that must has been really hard for her to not have a vocie anymore...my god...rip!
BackToTheShit 2 years ago 3
Barry Gordy $25,000, that's bullshit pennies, she looked pretty even in her sickness. R.I. P Mary
rudielor 2 years ago 3
@rudielor Berry Gordy didnt care about anything except money and making Diana Ross a star, he will burn in hell for fucking over Mary Wells and Florence Ballard
melodymx86 1 year ago
@melodymx86 He fucked over a lot of people. If you read about The Marvelettes you'll hear the same story being told over and over again. They had struggles that should not have happen. Greedy son of a bitch is always being looked up to. He destoyed more people than he helped.
rudielor 1 year ago
@rudielor yeah my cousin has spoken to Kathrine Schaffner over the phone a few times, he told me Berry Gordy lost The Marvelettes name in a card game, they gave Motown its first number 1, Motown should have been bowing down and kissing their asses
melodymx86 1 year ago
So Sad
tayishere202 2 years ago 3
Thanks for commenting. By all accounts, Diana always had a good relationship with Mary & learned from her.
wally1435 2 years ago
Great to see Diana Ross help out her fellow Motown diva.
andydiana 2 years ago 3
thanks for commenting.
wally1435 2 years ago
To be a singer...then to lose your voice...I can't imagine...
awarren92 2 years ago 4
Yes, pretty devastating.
wally1435 2 years ago
classy lady - rest in peace your music will always live in our hearts
hunkhk 2 years ago 4
it was 17 years ago yesterday, miss you Mary
MotownMaster 2 years ago 2
Poor Mary, she was taken from us far too soon. Thanks for all the wonderful music. RIP
fannycraddock99 2 years ago 4
MARY WELLS ...thanks for friends like Gordy..BAKER..and ROBINSON...love them using their gifts for the sake of good!!
AbDayMari 2 years ago