Mary Esther Wells (May 13, 1943 – July 26, 1992) was an American singer who… Read Full Bio ↴Mary Esther Wells (May 13, 1943 – July 26, 1992) was an American singer who defined the early sound of Motown Records in the early sixties. Along with The Miracles, The Temptations, The Supremes, and The Four Tops, Wells was said to have been part of the charge in black music onto radio stations and record shelves of mainstream America "bridging the color lines in music at the time."
With a string of hit singles mainly composed by Smokey Robinson including "Two Lovers" (1962), the Grammy-nominated "You Beat Me to the Punch" (1962) and her signature hit, "My Guy" (1964), she became recognized as "The Queen of Motown" until her departure from the company in 1964, at the height of her popularity. In other circles, she's referred to as the "The First Lady of Motown" and was one of Motown's first singing superstars.
Mary Esther Wells was born near Detroit's Wayne State University on May 13, 1943 to a domestic mother and an absentee father. One of three children, she caught spinal meningitis at the age of two and struggled with partial blindness, deafness in one ear and temporary paralysis. During her early years, Wells' family grew up in a poor residential Detroit district. By age 12, Wells was helping her mother with housecleaning work. She described the ordeal years later:
"Daywork they called it, and it was damn cold on hallway linoleum. Misery is Detroit linoleum in January--with a half-froze bucket of Spic-and-Span."
Wells used singing as her comfort from her pain and by age ten had graduated from church choirs to performing at local nightclubs in the Detroit area. Wells graduated from Detroit's Northwestern High School at the age of 17 and set on sights of becoming a scientist but already hearing about the success of Detroit musicians such as Jackie Wilson and The Miracles decided to try her hand at music as a singer-songwriter.
In 1960, 17-year-old Wells approached Tamla Records founder Berry Gordy at Detroit's Twenty Grand club with a song she had intended for Jackie Wilson to record, since Wells knew of Gordy's collaboration with Wilson. However, a tired Gordy insisted Wells sing the song in front of him. Impressed, Gordy had Wells enter Detroit's United Sound Studios to record the single, titled "Bye Bye Baby". After a reported twenty-two takes, Gordy signed Wells to the Motown subsidiary of his expanding record label and released the song as a single in late 1960 where it eventually peaked at number eight on the R&B chart in 1961, later crossing over to the top fifty on the pop singles chart where it peaked at number 45.
Wells' early Motown career insisted on a rougher R&B production that predated the smoother sound of her bigger hit recordings. Wells became the first Motown female artist to have a top forty pop single after the Mickey Stevenson-penned doo-wop single, "I Don't Want to Take a Chance", hit number thirty-three. In the fall of 1961, Motown issued her first album and released a third single, the blues-styled ballad "Strange Love". However when that record bombed, Gordy set Wells up with The Miracles' lead singer Smokey Robinson. Though she was hailed as "the first lady of Motown", Wells was technically Motown's third female signed act: Claudette Rogers of Motown's first star group The Miracles, has been referred to by Berry Gordy as "the first lady of Motown Records" due to her being signed as a member of the group, and in late 1959 Detroit blues-gospel singer Mable John signed to the then-fledging label a year prior to Wells' arrival. Nevertheless, Wells' early hits as being one of the label's few female solo acts did make her the label's first female star and its first fully successful solo artist.
Wells' teaming with Robinson began a succession of hit singles the duo would collaborate on in the following two years. Their first collaboration, 1962's "The One Who Really Loves You", was Wells' first smash hit, peaking at number-two on the R&B chart and number-eight on the Hot 100. The song featured a calypso-styled soul production that defined Wells' early hits. Known for releasing songs with a repetitive sound, Motown released the similar-sounding "You Beat Me to the Punch" a few months later. The song became her first R&B number-one single and peaked at number nine on the pop chart. The success of "You Beat Me to the Punch" helped to make Wells the first Motown star to be nominated for a Grammy Award as the song was nominated in the Best Rhythm & Blues Recording category.
Then in late 1962, Motown released "Two Lovers". The single became Wells' third consecutive single to hit the top ten of Billboard's Hot 100 where it peaked at number-seven and became her second number-one hit on the R&B chart. This help to make Wells the first female solo artist to release three consecutive top ten singles on the pop chart. Wells' second album, also titled The One Who Really Loves You, was released in 1962 and peaked at number-eight on the pop albums chart, making the teenage singer a breakthrough star and giving her clout at Motown. Wells' success at the label was recognized when she became a headliner during the first string of Motortown Revue concerts, starting in the fall of 1962. The singer showcased a rawer stage presence that contrasted with her softer R&B recordings.
Wells' success continued in 1963 when she hit the top twenty with the doo-wop ballad "Laughing Boy" and scored three top forty singles that year including "Your Old Standby", "You Lost the Sweetest Boy", and its B-side "What's So Easy for Two Is So Hard for One". "You Lost the Sweetest Boy" was one of the first hit singles composed by the successful Motown songwriting and producing trio Holland-Dozier-Holland, though Robinson remained Wells' primary producer.
During that year, Wells recorded a session of successful B-sides that became as well-known as her hits, including "Operator", "What Love Has Joined Together", "Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right" and "Old Love (Let's Try It Again)". Wells and Robinson also recorded a duet together titled "I Want You 'Round", which would be re-recorded by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston.
In 1964, Wells recorded and released "My Guy". The Smokey Robinson song became her trademark single, reaching number-one on the Cashbox R&B chart for seven weeks, becoming the number-one R&B single of the year. The song successfully crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100, where it eventually replaced Louis Armstrong's "Hello, Dolly!" to hit number-one on that chart where it stayed for two weeks. To build on the song's success, Motown released a duet album recorded with fellow Motown singing star Marvin Gaye, Together. The album peaked at number one on the R&B album chart and hit number forty-two on the pop album chart and yielded the double-sided hits "Once Upon a Time" and "What's the Matter With You Baby".
"My Guy" was one of the first Motown songs to break over the other side of the Atlantic, where it eventually peaked at number five on the UK chart, making Wells an international star that year. Around this time, despite competition, The Beatles publicly stated that Wells was their favorite American singer and soon she was given an invitation to open for the group during their tour of the United Kingdom, thus making her the first Motown star to perform in the UK. Wells was only one of three female singers to open for The Beatles, the other singers were Brenda Holloway and Jackie DeShannon. Wells made friends with all four Beatles and later released a tribute album, Love Songs to the Beatles in mid-decade.
When describing Wells' landmark success in 1964, former Motown sales chief Barney Ales:
"In 1964, Mary Wells was our big, big artist, I don't think there's any audience with an age of 30 through 50 that doesn't know the words to My Guy."
Ironically during her most successful year, Wells was having problems with Motown over her original recording contract, which she had signed at the age of seventeen. She was also reportedly angry that the money made from "My Guy" was being used to promote The Supremes, who were at last finding success with "Where Did Our Love Go". Though Gordy reportedly tried to renegotiate with Wells, the singer still asked to be let go of her contract with Motown.
A pending lawsuit would keep Wells away from the studio for several months, as she and Gordy went back and forth over the contract details, Wells fighting to gain larger royalties from earnings she had made during her tenure with Motown. Finally, she invoked a clause that allowed her to leave the label, telling the court that her original contract was invalid since she signed while she was still a minor. Wells won her lawsuit and was awarded a settlement, leaving Motown officially in early 1965, whereupon she accepted a lucrative ($500,000) contract with 20th Century Fox Records.
A weary Wells worked on material with her new record label while dealing with other issues, including being bed-ridden for weeks suffering from tuberculosis. Wells' eponymous first 20th Century Fox release featured the modest hits "Ain't It The Truth", the B-side "Stop Taking Me for Granted", the lone top 40 hit, "Use Your Head" and "Never, Never Leave Me". However, the album flopped as did the Beatles tribute album she released not too long afterwards. Rumors have hinted Motown may have threatened to sue radio stations for playing Wells' post-Motown music during this time. After a tenuous and stressful period in which Wells and the label battled over creative differences and withdrawal after Wells' records failed to chart successfully, the singer asked to be let go in 1965 and left with a small settlement.
Wells' film career never truly panned out only having one bit part in the 1967 film, "Catalina Caper". In 1966, Wells signed with the Atlantic Records subsidiary Atco. Working with producer Carl Davis, Wells scored her final top ten R&B hit with "Dear Lover", which also became a modestly successful pop hit, peaking at number fifty-one. However, much like her tenure with 20th Century Fox, the singer struggled to come up with a follow-up hit and in 1968 she left the label for Jubilee Records, where she scored her final pop hit, "The Doctor", a song she co-wrote with then-husband Cecil Womack, of the famed Womack family. Two years later Wells left the label for a short deal with Warner Music subsidiary Reprise Records and released two Bobby Womack-produced singles before deciding to retire from music altogether in 1974 to raise her family.
In 1977, Wells divorced Cecil Womack and returned to performing on the road in 1979. Performing in venues, she was spotted by CBS Urban president Larkin Arnold in 1981 and offered a contract with the CBS subsidiary, Epic Records. Wells accepted the contract and ended her seven-year retirement with the release of In and Out of Love, in October 1981. The album sparked a luke-warm career rebirth but yielded Wells' biggest hit in years, the funky disco single, "Gigolo".
The song became a smash at dance clubs across the country, which took the song's 12-minute-long mix to number thirteen on Billboard's Hot Dance/Club Singles chart, and number-two on the Hot Disco Songs chart. An edited three-minute version for radio was released to R&B stations in January, 1982, which helped the song achieve a modest showing at number 69. It turned out to be Wells' final chart single.
After the parent album failed to chart and/or release concurrent follow-ups, the Motown-styled "These Arms" was released, but it was quickly withdrawn after the album tanked and Wells' Epic contract fizzled out. The album's major failure was due to a light promotion but she had completed it in 1979 and it was withheld for two years; most likely due to financial and business logistics, with contributions in part by Wells' own personal problems. She still had one more album in her CBS contract and in 1982, she released an album of cover songs, Easy Touch, which featured a more adult contemporary flavor.
Leaving CBS in 1983, she continued recording for smaller labels, gaining new success as a touring performer. In 1989, she was celebrated with a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation during its inaugural year.
In the same year, 1990, Wells recorded an album for Ian Levine's Motorcity Records, Wells' voice began to cut off, causing the singer to visit a local hospital. Doctors diagnosed Wells with laryngeal cancer. Treatments for the disease ravaged her voice, forcing her to quit her music career. Since she had no health insurance, her illness wiped out her finances, forcing her to sell her home. Struggling to continue treatment, her old Motown friends -- including Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, members of The Temptations and Martha Reeves -- personally made donations to support her, along with the help of admirers such as Dionne Warwick, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin and Bonnie Raitt. The same year, a benefit concert was held by fellow fan and Detroit R&B singer Anita Baker. Wells was also given a tribute by friends such as Stevie Wonder and Little Richard on The Joan Rivers Show.
The following year, Mary Wells brought a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Motown for royalties she felt she had not received upon leaving Motown Records in 1964. It was also for loss of royalties for not promoting her songs like they should have. Motown eventually settled the lawsuit by giving her a six-figure sum. That same year, she testified before the United States Congress to encourage government funding for cancer research:
"I'm here today to urge you to keep the faith. I can't cheer you on with all my voice, but I can encourage, and I pray to motivate you with all my heart and soul and whispers."
In the summer of 1992, Wells' cancer returned and she was rushed to the Kenneth Norris Jr. Cancer Hospital in Los Angeles with pneumonia. With the effects of her unsuccessful treatments and a weakened immune system, Wells died on July 26, 1992 at the age of forty-nine. After her funeral, which included a eulogy given by her old friend and former collaborator Smokey Robinson, Wells was laid to rest. She is buried in Glendale's Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
Though Wells has been eligible for induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - she was nominated twice in 1986 and 1987, she has yet to achieve it. Wells earned one Grammy Award nomination during her career and in 1999, the Grammy committee inducted Wells' "My Guy" to the Grammy Hall of Fame assuring the song's importance. Wells was given one of the first Pioneer Awards by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1989. A year later, the foundation raised more than $50,000 to help with Wells' treatment after her illness had wiped out all of her finances. In 2006, she was inducted to the Michigan Rock & Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
Wells married twice. In 1960, she married Detroit singer Herman Griffin. The marriage of the teenage couple was troubled from the start due to their age and Griffin's unhealthy control of Wells. They divorced in 1963. Despite rumors, Wells never dated fellow Motown singer Marvin Gaye, who would go on to have successful duet partnerships with Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell and Diana Ross after Wells left Motown. In 1966, Wells married singer-songwriter Cecil Womack, formerly of The Valentinos and the younger brother of music legend Bobby Womack. The marriage lasted until 1977 and resulted in three children. Wells began an affair with another Womack brother, Curtis, in 1979. Like her marriage to Griffin, her relationships with the Womack brothers were reportedly abusive. Wells was a notorious chain smoker and went through bouts of depression during her relationships. By the time she left Curtis Womack in 1990, Wells had developed a heroin habit. After her split from Curtis, Wells was able to beat her heroin habit, and focused on raising her youngest daughter until her cancer appeared. Mary had four children: sons Cecil, Jr. and Harry, and daughters Stacy and Sugar
With a string of hit singles mainly composed by Smokey Robinson including "Two Lovers" (1962), the Grammy-nominated "You Beat Me to the Punch" (1962) and her signature hit, "My Guy" (1964), she became recognized as "The Queen of Motown" until her departure from the company in 1964, at the height of her popularity. In other circles, she's referred to as the "The First Lady of Motown" and was one of Motown's first singing superstars.
Mary Esther Wells was born near Detroit's Wayne State University on May 13, 1943 to a domestic mother and an absentee father. One of three children, she caught spinal meningitis at the age of two and struggled with partial blindness, deafness in one ear and temporary paralysis. During her early years, Wells' family grew up in a poor residential Detroit district. By age 12, Wells was helping her mother with housecleaning work. She described the ordeal years later:
"Daywork they called it, and it was damn cold on hallway linoleum. Misery is Detroit linoleum in January--with a half-froze bucket of Spic-and-Span."
Wells used singing as her comfort from her pain and by age ten had graduated from church choirs to performing at local nightclubs in the Detroit area. Wells graduated from Detroit's Northwestern High School at the age of 17 and set on sights of becoming a scientist but already hearing about the success of Detroit musicians such as Jackie Wilson and The Miracles decided to try her hand at music as a singer-songwriter.
In 1960, 17-year-old Wells approached Tamla Records founder Berry Gordy at Detroit's Twenty Grand club with a song she had intended for Jackie Wilson to record, since Wells knew of Gordy's collaboration with Wilson. However, a tired Gordy insisted Wells sing the song in front of him. Impressed, Gordy had Wells enter Detroit's United Sound Studios to record the single, titled "Bye Bye Baby". After a reported twenty-two takes, Gordy signed Wells to the Motown subsidiary of his expanding record label and released the song as a single in late 1960 where it eventually peaked at number eight on the R&B chart in 1961, later crossing over to the top fifty on the pop singles chart where it peaked at number 45.
Wells' early Motown career insisted on a rougher R&B production that predated the smoother sound of her bigger hit recordings. Wells became the first Motown female artist to have a top forty pop single after the Mickey Stevenson-penned doo-wop single, "I Don't Want to Take a Chance", hit number thirty-three. In the fall of 1961, Motown issued her first album and released a third single, the blues-styled ballad "Strange Love". However when that record bombed, Gordy set Wells up with The Miracles' lead singer Smokey Robinson. Though she was hailed as "the first lady of Motown", Wells was technically Motown's third female signed act: Claudette Rogers of Motown's first star group The Miracles, has been referred to by Berry Gordy as "the first lady of Motown Records" due to her being signed as a member of the group, and in late 1959 Detroit blues-gospel singer Mable John signed to the then-fledging label a year prior to Wells' arrival. Nevertheless, Wells' early hits as being one of the label's few female solo acts did make her the label's first female star and its first fully successful solo artist.
Wells' teaming with Robinson began a succession of hit singles the duo would collaborate on in the following two years. Their first collaboration, 1962's "The One Who Really Loves You", was Wells' first smash hit, peaking at number-two on the R&B chart and number-eight on the Hot 100. The song featured a calypso-styled soul production that defined Wells' early hits. Known for releasing songs with a repetitive sound, Motown released the similar-sounding "You Beat Me to the Punch" a few months later. The song became her first R&B number-one single and peaked at number nine on the pop chart. The success of "You Beat Me to the Punch" helped to make Wells the first Motown star to be nominated for a Grammy Award as the song was nominated in the Best Rhythm & Blues Recording category.
Then in late 1962, Motown released "Two Lovers". The single became Wells' third consecutive single to hit the top ten of Billboard's Hot 100 where it peaked at number-seven and became her second number-one hit on the R&B chart. This help to make Wells the first female solo artist to release three consecutive top ten singles on the pop chart. Wells' second album, also titled The One Who Really Loves You, was released in 1962 and peaked at number-eight on the pop albums chart, making the teenage singer a breakthrough star and giving her clout at Motown. Wells' success at the label was recognized when she became a headliner during the first string of Motortown Revue concerts, starting in the fall of 1962. The singer showcased a rawer stage presence that contrasted with her softer R&B recordings.
Wells' success continued in 1963 when she hit the top twenty with the doo-wop ballad "Laughing Boy" and scored three top forty singles that year including "Your Old Standby", "You Lost the Sweetest Boy", and its B-side "What's So Easy for Two Is So Hard for One". "You Lost the Sweetest Boy" was one of the first hit singles composed by the successful Motown songwriting and producing trio Holland-Dozier-Holland, though Robinson remained Wells' primary producer.
During that year, Wells recorded a session of successful B-sides that became as well-known as her hits, including "Operator", "What Love Has Joined Together", "Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right" and "Old Love (Let's Try It Again)". Wells and Robinson also recorded a duet together titled "I Want You 'Round", which would be re-recorded by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston.
In 1964, Wells recorded and released "My Guy". The Smokey Robinson song became her trademark single, reaching number-one on the Cashbox R&B chart for seven weeks, becoming the number-one R&B single of the year. The song successfully crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100, where it eventually replaced Louis Armstrong's "Hello, Dolly!" to hit number-one on that chart where it stayed for two weeks. To build on the song's success, Motown released a duet album recorded with fellow Motown singing star Marvin Gaye, Together. The album peaked at number one on the R&B album chart and hit number forty-two on the pop album chart and yielded the double-sided hits "Once Upon a Time" and "What's the Matter With You Baby".
"My Guy" was one of the first Motown songs to break over the other side of the Atlantic, where it eventually peaked at number five on the UK chart, making Wells an international star that year. Around this time, despite competition, The Beatles publicly stated that Wells was their favorite American singer and soon she was given an invitation to open for the group during their tour of the United Kingdom, thus making her the first Motown star to perform in the UK. Wells was only one of three female singers to open for The Beatles, the other singers were Brenda Holloway and Jackie DeShannon. Wells made friends with all four Beatles and later released a tribute album, Love Songs to the Beatles in mid-decade.
When describing Wells' landmark success in 1964, former Motown sales chief Barney Ales:
"In 1964, Mary Wells was our big, big artist, I don't think there's any audience with an age of 30 through 50 that doesn't know the words to My Guy."
Ironically during her most successful year, Wells was having problems with Motown over her original recording contract, which she had signed at the age of seventeen. She was also reportedly angry that the money made from "My Guy" was being used to promote The Supremes, who were at last finding success with "Where Did Our Love Go". Though Gordy reportedly tried to renegotiate with Wells, the singer still asked to be let go of her contract with Motown.
A pending lawsuit would keep Wells away from the studio for several months, as she and Gordy went back and forth over the contract details, Wells fighting to gain larger royalties from earnings she had made during her tenure with Motown. Finally, she invoked a clause that allowed her to leave the label, telling the court that her original contract was invalid since she signed while she was still a minor. Wells won her lawsuit and was awarded a settlement, leaving Motown officially in early 1965, whereupon she accepted a lucrative ($500,000) contract with 20th Century Fox Records.
A weary Wells worked on material with her new record label while dealing with other issues, including being bed-ridden for weeks suffering from tuberculosis. Wells' eponymous first 20th Century Fox release featured the modest hits "Ain't It The Truth", the B-side "Stop Taking Me for Granted", the lone top 40 hit, "Use Your Head" and "Never, Never Leave Me". However, the album flopped as did the Beatles tribute album she released not too long afterwards. Rumors have hinted Motown may have threatened to sue radio stations for playing Wells' post-Motown music during this time. After a tenuous and stressful period in which Wells and the label battled over creative differences and withdrawal after Wells' records failed to chart successfully, the singer asked to be let go in 1965 and left with a small settlement.
Wells' film career never truly panned out only having one bit part in the 1967 film, "Catalina Caper". In 1966, Wells signed with the Atlantic Records subsidiary Atco. Working with producer Carl Davis, Wells scored her final top ten R&B hit with "Dear Lover", which also became a modestly successful pop hit, peaking at number fifty-one. However, much like her tenure with 20th Century Fox, the singer struggled to come up with a follow-up hit and in 1968 she left the label for Jubilee Records, where she scored her final pop hit, "The Doctor", a song she co-wrote with then-husband Cecil Womack, of the famed Womack family. Two years later Wells left the label for a short deal with Warner Music subsidiary Reprise Records and released two Bobby Womack-produced singles before deciding to retire from music altogether in 1974 to raise her family.
In 1977, Wells divorced Cecil Womack and returned to performing on the road in 1979. Performing in venues, she was spotted by CBS Urban president Larkin Arnold in 1981 and offered a contract with the CBS subsidiary, Epic Records. Wells accepted the contract and ended her seven-year retirement with the release of In and Out of Love, in October 1981. The album sparked a luke-warm career rebirth but yielded Wells' biggest hit in years, the funky disco single, "Gigolo".
The song became a smash at dance clubs across the country, which took the song's 12-minute-long mix to number thirteen on Billboard's Hot Dance/Club Singles chart, and number-two on the Hot Disco Songs chart. An edited three-minute version for radio was released to R&B stations in January, 1982, which helped the song achieve a modest showing at number 69. It turned out to be Wells' final chart single.
After the parent album failed to chart and/or release concurrent follow-ups, the Motown-styled "These Arms" was released, but it was quickly withdrawn after the album tanked and Wells' Epic contract fizzled out. The album's major failure was due to a light promotion but she had completed it in 1979 and it was withheld for two years; most likely due to financial and business logistics, with contributions in part by Wells' own personal problems. She still had one more album in her CBS contract and in 1982, she released an album of cover songs, Easy Touch, which featured a more adult contemporary flavor.
Leaving CBS in 1983, she continued recording for smaller labels, gaining new success as a touring performer. In 1989, she was celebrated with a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation during its inaugural year.
In the same year, 1990, Wells recorded an album for Ian Levine's Motorcity Records, Wells' voice began to cut off, causing the singer to visit a local hospital. Doctors diagnosed Wells with laryngeal cancer. Treatments for the disease ravaged her voice, forcing her to quit her music career. Since she had no health insurance, her illness wiped out her finances, forcing her to sell her home. Struggling to continue treatment, her old Motown friends -- including Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, members of The Temptations and Martha Reeves -- personally made donations to support her, along with the help of admirers such as Dionne Warwick, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin and Bonnie Raitt. The same year, a benefit concert was held by fellow fan and Detroit R&B singer Anita Baker. Wells was also given a tribute by friends such as Stevie Wonder and Little Richard on The Joan Rivers Show.
The following year, Mary Wells brought a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Motown for royalties she felt she had not received upon leaving Motown Records in 1964. It was also for loss of royalties for not promoting her songs like they should have. Motown eventually settled the lawsuit by giving her a six-figure sum. That same year, she testified before the United States Congress to encourage government funding for cancer research:
"I'm here today to urge you to keep the faith. I can't cheer you on with all my voice, but I can encourage, and I pray to motivate you with all my heart and soul and whispers."
In the summer of 1992, Wells' cancer returned and she was rushed to the Kenneth Norris Jr. Cancer Hospital in Los Angeles with pneumonia. With the effects of her unsuccessful treatments and a weakened immune system, Wells died on July 26, 1992 at the age of forty-nine. After her funeral, which included a eulogy given by her old friend and former collaborator Smokey Robinson, Wells was laid to rest. She is buried in Glendale's Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
Though Wells has been eligible for induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - she was nominated twice in 1986 and 1987, she has yet to achieve it. Wells earned one Grammy Award nomination during her career and in 1999, the Grammy committee inducted Wells' "My Guy" to the Grammy Hall of Fame assuring the song's importance. Wells was given one of the first Pioneer Awards by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1989. A year later, the foundation raised more than $50,000 to help with Wells' treatment after her illness had wiped out all of her finances. In 2006, she was inducted to the Michigan Rock & Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
Wells married twice. In 1960, she married Detroit singer Herman Griffin. The marriage of the teenage couple was troubled from the start due to their age and Griffin's unhealthy control of Wells. They divorced in 1963. Despite rumors, Wells never dated fellow Motown singer Marvin Gaye, who would go on to have successful duet partnerships with Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell and Diana Ross after Wells left Motown. In 1966, Wells married singer-songwriter Cecil Womack, formerly of The Valentinos and the younger brother of music legend Bobby Womack. The marriage lasted until 1977 and resulted in three children. Wells began an affair with another Womack brother, Curtis, in 1979. Like her marriage to Griffin, her relationships with the Womack brothers were reportedly abusive. Wells was a notorious chain smoker and went through bouts of depression during her relationships. By the time she left Curtis Womack in 1990, Wells had developed a heroin habit. After her split from Curtis, Wells was able to beat her heroin habit, and focused on raising her youngest daughter until her cancer appeared. Mary had four children: sons Cecil, Jr. and Harry, and daughters Stacy and Sugar
Old Love
Mary Wells Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Old Love' by these artists:
- Eric Clapton I can feel your body When I'm lying in bed There's too…
Alan Price I can feel your body When I'm lying in bed There's too…
Alter Boy I'm an old dog My baby you don't want to play With…
An Eagle In Your Mind We were walking down the street And then comes a lake it…
Antagonist A.D - Haunt Me as I Roam What am I supposed to say? An old love called me…
Arlissa You said forever we'd be together But it feels so much…
Atilia You can lie down next to me Just don't lie to…
Bob Moses BROODS Old love, if only it was easier to fall in…
Brad Paisley & John Mayer I can feel your body When I'm lying in my bed There's…
Cameron Bruce I can feel your body When I'm lying in my bed There's…
Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons Oh my, my lover is gone, Her horse is in the…
Dominique Fils-Aimé Feel the fall Feel the fall Feel the fall Feel the wind in…
Dru Hill Baby, I would like to reminisce All times that we were…
Eric Clapton I can feel your body When I'm lying in bed There's too…
Eric Clapton (Unplugged 1992) I can feel your body When I'm lying in bed There's too…
George Harrison and Eric Clapton I can feel your body When I'm lying in bed There's too…
Greg Barnett OLD LOVE Here sitting on my own Just staring into space A s…
Hank & Carol Diamond Just like old times you were here last night And gone…
Jim Roll Comes to you when you're all alone boy Comes to you…
Joe Hertler & the Rainbow Seekers We met on the battlefield Drank from the ladle by the…
John Mayer I can feel your body When I'm lying in my bed There's…
John Mayer & Brad Paisley I can feel your body When I'm lying in my bed There's…
King King Any old time, you want to come back home Drop me…
Lawrence Trailer Talk to me sister I wanna know About the man Whose name You'…
Luke O'Brien Now me and shorty been down since high school 11th grade…
Mary Chapin Carpenter I want old love, the kind that takes years To turn…
Moonlight Social Well This looks like the end, you said With a sigh Through a…
N.B.L. Bring it back Bring it back Bring it back Bring it back Brin…
Overseas I'm thinking back to a sensual act I enjoyed with…
Sivia Mencintaimu adalah keahlianku Namun ternyata kau tak seperti…
Skeye You can't break my heart If only love can mend these…
Son Mieux In love with the past, Lost in the present The melody…
The Prairie States She said I want come down there, let me in Why…
The Rocket Summer I had a dream that could save my life. Airplane hands…
The Roe-O-Tation We live in the modern age Where love is fast like…
Tout Va Bien I'm so close to your heart I'm so close to your…
Twin Shadow What am I supposed to say? An old love called me…
yuji When you were here the stars disappear Nothing can outshine …
We have lyrics for these tracks by Mary Wells:
(You Can) Depend On Me You, You need a love like mine that you can depend…
06. My Guy Nothing you could say could tear me away from my…
09. Mary Wells Well, I've got two lovers, and I ain't ashamed, Two lovers…
After The Lights Go Down Low After the lights go down low, baby you know There'll be…
Ain't it the Truth Your conscience has got a hold on you, uh huh…
All I Got I've got a story (story) I've got a story that i…
At Last At last, my love has come along my lonely days are…
Bad Boy She's not a bad girl because she made me see Oh…
Bye Bye Baby Well, you know you took my heart And you broke it…
Bye Bye Baby - Single Version W-e-e-l-l you took my heart And broke it apart Why didn't ou…
Can't You See You, You need a love like mine that you can depend…
Come to Me Come on now, come-a, come-a, come-a Come on now, come-a,…
Dear Lover Dear lover It's been a long long time So I'm writing this…
Deed I Do Do I want you? Do I want you? Oh my, baby…
Depend On Me You, You need a love like mine that you can depend…
For Sentimental Reasons I love you (love you) for sentimental reasons (reasons) And …
Goodbye And Good Luck You've done it again You lied and cheated And now you want…
Guess Who Someone really loves you Guess who, guess who Someone really…
He's a Lover (He's a lover) Some people talk about my guy They say he…
He's The One I Love Some other girls are fillin' your head with jive So now…
I Don You say you love me, and I believe you do You…
I Don't Want To Take A Chance ) You say you love me, and I believe you do You…
I Don't Want To Take A Chance. You say you love me, and I believe you do You…
I Feel For You I love you (love you) for sentimental reasons (reasons) And …
I Love The Way You Love The sweet things you do to me Like holding my hand When…
I Only Have Eyes for You My love must be a kind of blind love I can't…
I Remember You Some other girls are fillin' your head with jive So now…
I Want You Every day that passes by I think about the new love…
I'm Yours You're Mine I'm yours and you're mine You are mine, baby I'm yours…
I've Got a Notion I've got a story (story) I've got a story that i…
If You Love Me Really Love Me Whisper you love me boy Say the words you seldom say You…
In The Midnight Hour I'm gonna wait til the midnight hour That's when my love…
It Had To Be You It had to be you, it had to be you. I…
javascript void; Finjo ser invisível Pra não ter que te encarar Afogo na pisc…
Just Squeeze Me My baby don't care for shows My baby don't care for…
Keeping My Mind On Love I got a message for you people All over the world,…
Laughing Boy Laughing boy (Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha) That's what they used…
Me And My Baby My baby don't care for shows My baby don't care for…
Me Without You Day without sun, stars without night Moon without glow, what…
My 2 Arms I never knew much about arithmetic Our history is not my…
My Baby Just Cares For Me My baby don't care for shows My baby don't care for…
My Guy Nothing you could say Can tear me away from my guy Nothing…
My Guy '64 Nothing you could say could tear me away from my…
My Guy (excerpt) Nothing you could say Can tear me away from my guy Nothing…
My Guy - Single Version Nothing you could say could tear me away from my…
My World Is Empty Without You My World Is Empty Without You, babe. My World Is Empty…
My World Is Empty Without You Babe My world is empty without you, babe My world is empty…
Never Never Leave Me I love you more than anyone Should ever be allowed…
Oh Little Boy Shu, bap, shi, bap Look at me Shu, bap, shi, bap And it's…
Once Upon A Time Once upon a time I almost lost my mind I was…
One Who Really Love You Some other girls are fillin' your head with jive So now…
One Who Really Love You The Some other girls are fillin' your head with jive So now…
One Who Really Loves You Some other girls are fillin' your head with jive So now…
Operator Operator, operator, I'm so glad that you rang my phone…
Shangri-La Your kisses take me to Shangri-La Each kiss is magic that…
She Don't Love You She may dress & she may pose She may strut…
Shop Around When I became of age my mother called me to…
Stop Takin' Me For Granted Now I don't mind you tellin' everyone how much I…
Strange Love Strange love, I'm experiencing a strange love & all those…
Strange Love - Remastered Strange love, I'm experiencing a strange love And all those …
SUCH A SWEET THING (Hey hey, my baby's such a sweet thing) (x2) He's oh…
The Day Will Come Oh yeah)x4 You had the sweetest boy in the world…
The Late Late Show It's so inviting, this loving game But I need to know…
The one that really loves you Some other girls are fillin' your head with jive So now…
The One Who Really Loves You AUTO DJ Some other girls are fillin' your head with jive So now…
The One Who Really Loves You (Remastered) Some other girls are filling your head with jive So, now…
The One Who Really Loves You - Some other girls are fillin' your head with jive So now…
The One Who Really Loves You - Single Version Some other girls are filling your head with jive And now…
The Ones Who Really Love You Some other girls are fillin' your head with jive So now…
The Shadow of Your Smile The shadow of your smile When you have gone Will color all…
Time After Time Once upon a time I almost lost my mind I was…
To Lose You To lose you would be like losing the air I…
Together (Together) (Together mmm, hmm) We'd stroll the lane togethe…
Two Lovers Well, I've got two lovers and I ain't ashamed Two lovers,…
Two Lovers '63 Well, I've got two lovers, and I ain't ashamed, Two lovers…
Two Lovers - Single Version (Mono) Well, i've got two lovers and i ain't ashamed two lovers,…
Two Wrongs Don I took your love and said, "Goodbye" Stayed away, my darlin…
Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right I took your love and said, "Goodbye" Stayed away, my darling…
Until I Met You Mmm hmm, hmm Mmm hmm yeah Mmm hmm, hmm Uh I used to be…
Use Your Head Oh oh boy, oh oh boy Don't let him sway…
What Whoa, whoa, whoa Whoa-whoa, whoa, whoa Whoa-whoa, whoa, whoa…
What Is A Man Well well well well Let's get together and go for a…
What Love Has Joined Together It would be easier to take the wet from water…
What's Easy For Two I So Hard For One Well well well well Let's get together and go for a…
What's Easy For Two Is Hard For One Well well well well Let's get together and go for a…
What's Easy For Two Is So Hard For One Well well well well Let's get together and go for a…
What's The Matter With You Baby Whoa, whoa, whoa Whoa-whoa, whoa, whoa Whoa-whoa, whoa, whoa…
Whats Easy for Two Is Hard for One Well well well well Let's get together and go for a…
When I'm Gone What are you gonna do when I'm gone? Whose shoulder are…
When Your Lover Comes Back The night is so clear & there's a moon above…
Whisper You Love Me Boy Whisper you love me boy Say the words you seldom say You…
You Some other girls are fillin' your head with jive So now…
You Beat Me to the Punch That day, I first saw you, oh, oh, passing by I…
You Beat Me To The Punch ) One day I first saw you on passing by, I wanted…
You Beat Me to the Punch - Remastered That day, I first saw you passing by I wanted to…
You Beat Me To The Punch 1962 One day I first saw you on passing by, I wanted…
You Beet Me To The Punch One day I first saw you on passing by, I wanted…
You Can Dance You, You need a love like mine that you can depend…
You Lost The Sweetest Biy (Oh yeah) (Oh yeah) (Oh yeah) (Oh yeah) You had the sweetes…
You're My Desire Spoken): Darling, there's something I'd like to say You, y…
You're My Desire - Remastered (Spoken): Darling, there's something I'd like to say You, y…
Your Old Stand By She left you last night And today you called me on…
Your Old Standby She left you last night And today you called me…
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@spiderjones6723
My teenage crush was Mary Wells. growing up in the Detroit area had the chance to see her on so many occasions. RIP dear lady. You were the original Queen of Motown
@jorgearambula203
This song takes me to a place of heartache and happiness I don’t know how
@patrice-marialove484
Magic! No more music like this ever again! Listen to the background and music! She sung this record!
@onemilliondivas
I truly understand what you're saying! Mary was a very close and dear friend of mine till the time of her passing. we had conversations
that (I cannot disclose here), time and energy that Mary poured into the things that she loved the most mostly, for the love that she shared with her baby girl who she named "Sugar"! which I cannot post here but just wanted to let you guys know that she was clearly the Queen of Soul at Motown records!
@violetajuarez3611
Oldies, the best forever!
@thomaslombardo3401
One of my favorite songs by the queen of Motown. 💛
@jenkzy2
what an angel!! i never knew she had cancer or financial problems; i would have, gladly, given of my own...gladly. she helped me through all my teen 'tribulations. love you, always, baby.'
@mrjerrysheldon
!!
@SuperLtrain1
When I purchased this single for the 'A' side I discovered this and it became one of my very fgavorite tunes! Thanks for posting.
@dickoldham9760
She was the best...... still is❤️