Diana Ross is mourning the loss of fellow member Mary Wilson after it was reported she passed away suddenly in her Nevada home.
On Tuesday morning (Feb. 9), Diana Ross shared a heartfelt message in honor of her late group member. “I just woke up to this news, my condolences to you Mary’s family. I am reminded that each day is a gift,” she penned in a tweet. “I have so many wonderful memories of our time together. ‘The Supremes’ will live on in our hearts.”
Ross sang alongside Wilson, Betty McGlown and Florence Ballard as members of a group called the Primettes. The group later replaced McGlown with Barbara Martin, changed their name to The Supremes and signed with Motown. When Martin made her departure from the group in 1962, Ross, Ballard and Wilson moved forward as a trio and made hit records like “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me” and “Stop! In the Name of Love.”
Motown Records Founder Barry Gordy reacted to the news of Wilson’s death in a touching message. “I was extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of a major member of the Motown family, Mary Wilson of The Supreme[s]…,” he said in a statement. “I was always proud of Mary. She was quite a star in her own right and over the years continued to work hard to boost the legacy of The Supremes. Mary Wilson was extremely special to me. She was a trailblazer, a diva and will be deeply missed.”
Wilson was very much active in the music industry up until the day she passed. Days ago, she announced her plans to release her solo project Red Hot — which she recorded in the 1970s — on March 6, which would have been her 77th birthday.