Mary Wells

Mary Wells grew up in a poor Detroit, Michigan neighbourhood without a father. Her mother worked tirelessly in domestic work to support Mary and her two siblings. When Wells was two, she suffered from spinal meningitis. She managed to survive the often fatal disease, but lost her sight, her hearing and was temporary paralyzed. Eventually her hearing and eyesight returned, but it took her some time to learn to walk again.

From an early age Wells had a love of music and singing and was a member of the Northwestern High School choir. She also sang at local clubs and competed in various talent contests. In 1959, she met Tamla Records chief Berry Gordy's assistant, Robert Bateman, telling him about a song she had written for artist Jackie Wilson. Bateman arranged an audition for Wells and her song with Gordy, and she sang the song for the record producer. Instead of buying the song for Wilson, Gordy offered Wells a contract as an artist. The song Wells had sung, 'Bye Bye Baby', became her first single after some polishing and was released on the Tamla label. The song ended up a Top Ten R&B hit in 1960 and crossed over to pop radio where it peaked at number 45.

With Mary Wells' debut success, Gordy, who was at the time expanding Tamla Records into the Motown Record Corporation, immediately brought her back to the studio. Their work produced the follow-up hit, 'I Don't Want to Take a Chance', which equaled her first single's success. Her third single, 'Strange Love', met indifferent reception at radio and failed to chart. In 1962, Gordy decided to bring Wells and Motown's star songwriter Smokey Robinson together.

In early 1962, 'The One Who Really Loves You' swept across the nation. The ballad broke into the Top Ten at both R&B and pop radio, eventually peaking at number two in R&B and eight on Billboard's Pop chart. Gordy immediately followed with the release of 'You Beat Me to the Punch', a light-hearted tune that reached number one in R&B and replicated its predecessor's success in pop. The string of hits continued with 'Two Lovers', a tune that brought Wells her second R&B number one and her third pop Top Ten in a row. When the album The One Who Really Loves You was released, it broke the Top Ten in the album chart and became the best-selling Motown album to that point.

The year 1963 brought another string of hits and a premature greatest hits compilation. 'Laughing Boy' and 'What's Easy for Two Is So Hard for One' both broke the R&B Top Ten and the Top 30 in pop. 'Your Old Standby' surpassed its A-side. 'What Love Has Joined Together', peaked at number eight in R&B and broke the pop Top 40. Wells rounded out the year with another R&B Top Ten, 'You Lost the Sweetest Boy' (with the Supremes and the Temptations singing backup), which also ended up peaking at number 22 on the pop chart.

A new song for 1964 became Wells' signature song and her most successful as well. 'My Guy', which featured the yearning voice of Wells and Robinson's infectious lyrics and arrangement, became Wells' greatest hit. Though the song started off slowly, it broke up the Beatles' run at the top of the pop charts during the summer of 1964. The song became one of Motown's classics, and even today is used in many films and commercials.

With a smash hit riding the airwaves of summer, Gordy decided to team the two stars of his label, Wells and Marvin Gaye, who had gradually built up momentum on the charts. Together, the result of their work became a hit album and featured two simultaneous top 20 hits, 'Once Upon a Time' and 'What's the Matter with You Baby'.

It was at this time that the Beatles openly called Wells their favourite American singer and invited her to tour with them throughout the United Kingdom. Wells accepted their invitation and was inspired to record Love Songs to the Beatles, an album featuring several songs penned by the British stars.

After a successful year, Wells reflected on her career and especially the financial reward (or lack thereof) she had received from her success. With encouragement from her husband, Herman Griffin and a lucrative contract with 20th Century Fox Records which promised a film career, Mary Wells sued Motown. She argued not only for larger royalties, but to dissolve the original contract she'd signed at age 17. Wells won the lawsuit and was rewarded a fair settlement. Gordy tried to prevent other labels from signing the successful singer to no avail, as she signed with Fox.

Wells immediately began recording new material for her new self-titled album. Despite her first three singles at the label being relative successes, the album brought in disappointing sales. The label began having second thoughts and pulled promotion for the album. They also failed to fulfill the film agreements, and the contract was dissolved in mid 1965 with Wells walking away with a small settlement.

Next, Wells signed with Atco Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. With the dedicated promotion of Atco Records, Well's first single with the label, 'Dear Lover', hit number six in R&B radio and just missed breaking the Top 50 in pop. All of the following singles failed. The Two Sides of Mary Wells album with the label was even less successful than her previous. A two-year contract with Jubilee Records brought two minor hits, 'The Doctor' and 'Dig the Way I Feel', but ended the same as her previous contracts.

By 1970, Wells had divorced Griffin and married Cecil Womack, brother of recording artist Bobby Womack. Together they had six children and she decided to retire from performing in 1970. She returned twice to record singles for Reprise Records, but neither found success. Wells divorced Womack in 1977 and experienced a slight career rebirth in 1981, when she recorded In and Out of Love, a disco-infused album for Epic Records. The single 'Gigolo' became a major dance hit, peaking at number two on the Billboard disco charts and crossing over to peak at 69 on the R&B chart. She remarried in the late '80s to concert promoter Kenneth Johnson. With newfound fame, Wells continued touring and re-recorded some of her hits and some new material for an Allegiance Records album, I'm a Lady.

In 1990 Wells, a longtime smoker, was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx. She immediately began treatment and was forced to sell her house and possessions and eventually could not afford health insurance. The treatments ravaged her voice, which forced Wells to quit touring. With no way to continue treatment, Wells' friends Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Martha Reeves financially supported her, with the help of many artists who looked up to Wells, including Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, and Bonnie Raitt.

Mary Wells was honoured by Stevie Wonder, Little Richard and others on an episode of the Joan Rivers Show in 1990. The following year, she testified for Congress to encourage government funding for cancer research. In the summer of 1992, Wells was hospitalised for pneumonia at the Kenneth Norris Jr Cancer Hospital in Los Angeles, CA.

Still suffering the effects of her cancer, her weakened immune system could not take the extra strain. Wells died on July 26, 1992 at age 49.