Wells, Mary (1943-1992)

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Wells, Mary (1943-1992)

Known as the "First Lady of Motown," singer and songwriter Mary Wells launched Motown into the black with a succession of hits. As a teenager, Wells was the first Motown artist to have a Top Ten and Number One single for the label. She was teamed with songwriter/producer Smokey Robinson, and their synergy produced the right combination of material and approach to show off Wells's talent to the fullest. During Wells's tenure with Motown, she had nine hit songs in the R&B category and six more in the pop category.

Mary Esther Wells was born on May 13, 1943 in Detroit and grew up singing gospel music at her uncle's Baptist church with aspirations to become a songwriter. While in high school, she penned the gospel-inspired "Bye Bye Baby" with singer Jackie Wilson in mind. Songwriter Berry Gordy had written several hits for Wilson and Wells sought out Gordy to listen to her new song. After hearing it, Gordy was convinced that the song wasn't for Wilson but instead for Wells herself. Gordy signed the seventeen-year-old Wells to his fledging Motown label. "Bye Bye Baby" climbed to number eight on the Billboard R&B chart. Following another hit single, "I Don't Want to Take a Chance," Motown placed Wells in the artistic care of Smokey Robinson. Robinson and Wells represented Motown's first successful teaming of a songwriter/producer with an artist. Robinson encouraged Wells to veer away from the blues-and gospel-inspired songs in favor of the sweet girlish pop style, a natural for her innocent, sincere, and convincing voice.

"You Beat Me to the Punch," released in September of 1962, quickly climbed to number one on Billboard's R&B chart and crossed over to number nine on the pop chart. Wells was destined to ride the R&B as well as pop charts, and after several more hits including "The One Who Really Loves You" and "Two Lovers," she recorded "My Guy." This, her greatest hit, shot to number one on the pop chart. It also was her last big pop hit. She also recorded the duet "What's the Matter with You Baby" with Marvin Gaye.

When Wells reached twenty-one, she was unsuccessful in renegotiating her contract with Motown and sued the company. Reportedly, Motown had manipulated her contract so that she received the full percentage of royalties from neither her performances nor her songwriting. Prodded by her husband, former Motown artist Herman Griffin, Wells left Motown and succeeded in getting her contract declared null and void. This proved to be a disastrous move for her career, since she never was able to regain the success she had enjoyed with Motown and songwriter/producer Robinson. Wells signed with 20th Century-Fox Records, which was a profitable arrangement, then with Atlantic/Atco, Jubilee, Reprise, and Epic.

Wells's professional career as well as her personal life seemed to slowly disintegrate. Her marriage to Griffin ended in divorce and she married Cecil Womack, a relationship that also ended in divorce. Wells then shocked many by marrying Cecil's brother Curtis. She continued to perform her old hits until she was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1991. With no medical insurance, evicted from her residence, and placed in a charity ward, Wells was destitute. The Rhythm and Blues Foundation came to her assistance by setting up a Mary Wells Fund. Several well-known artists contributed to the fund, including Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Mary Wilson, as well as Motown entrepreneur Berry Gordy. Wells had a choice to have a laryngectomy or radiation. She chose the latter, but the treatment was unsuccessful. Wells died on July 26, 1992.

—Willie Collins