Mary Wells

Did you know that Mary Wells broke barriers for black artists as the original Queen of Motown?

Wells rose to fame in the early 1960s as the face of Motown, prior to the breakthrough of Diana Ross and The Supremes. Known for her unique singing style and clever phrasing, this icon was once the most successful solo artist on the label and earned the Motown its first top 40 hit by a female act on the Billboard Hot 100 when “I Don’t Want to Take a Chance” peaked at #33 in 1961.

In fact, Wells was so popular in the early 1960s that when her signature song, “My Guy”, topped the Hot 100 and peaked at #5 on the Official UK Singles Chart in 1964, she was asked to open for The Beatles during their British tour. Opportunities like that for black artists were incredibly rare at the time and Wells was the first Motown act to appear in concert oversees.

Well died on July 26th 1992, following a long battle with cancer. “My Guy” was honored with the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999. Watch her perform the tune below:

Bonus: Watch the cast of Sister Act cover “My Guy” in the classic film below:

Now you know!