Mary Wells

October 15, 2012
Benjaminson (The Lost Supreme) delivers another excellent and fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the artists who made Motown Records a massive success in the 1960s. He sympathetically recounts the tumultuous life of singer Mary Wells, who gave the company its first #1 hit in 1964—“My Guy,” which Mary Wilson of the Supremes called “the epitome of the Motown Sound.” Relying heavily on four hours of interviews with Wells done by author Steve Bergsman between 1990 and 1992, as well as his own numerous interviews with friends, lovers, and business associates, Benjaminson describes how Wells became “a Motown goddess: its premiere female vocalist, a position she would hold without challenge from 1962 to 1964,” when she suddenly left Motown, leaving the Supremes to become Motown’s most commercially successful vocal group. He details how Wells’s success “held the company together economically while the Supremes were struggling to gain traction”; he explores the facts behind her belief that her Motown contract was unfair; and he recounts in detail her recordings for a series of companies, including Atlantic Records, where she never was able to repeat her past glory. But Benjaminson shows that while Wells struggled through problems with men, money, and drugs until she died of throat cancer in 1992, she never stopped performing to adoring audiences—with “My Guy” as her signature song.

October 1, 2012
From journalist and Motown chronicler Benjaminson (The Lost Supreme: The Life of Dreamgirl Florence Ballard, 2009, etc.), a compelling, sympathetic biography of Motown's first diva Mary Wells (1943-1992). Before Diana Ross or any other Motown star, there was Wells. Discovered at age 17 by Berry Gordy, president of the then-fledgling Motown, in 1960, the young Detroit schoolgirl went on to create a number of crossover hits (appealing to both black and white audiences), including her signature song, "My Guy." Wells would define the style (long gowns and glamour) for later female Motown artists and the sound ("a strong melody, a noticeable beat, and accessibility for all") that would bring enormous success and wealth to Motown. Yet, in a dispute over money, Wells left Motown, and while she spent the rest of her life trying to do so, she was never able to equal the success she had there. Trekking from one record company to another, she could never recreate the elusive magic of recording for Motown. "Nostalgia," however, "kept her performing career alive," and she performed "almost every other night, week after week," becoming, for better or worse, "Queen of the Oldies." Benjaminson ably captures the artistic milieu of early Motown, in which Wells' art flourished. He also offers an unvarnished account of her tumultuous personal life: her numerous, sometimes disastrous, relations with a series of men, the drug and alcohol addictions that consumed her later in life, and her long battle to defeat the cancer that would take her life. While a flawed figure, Wells faced life's hardships "by struggling and achieving until the very end." A moving tribute to an artist who should not be forgotten.

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November 15, 2012
Benjaminson follows his definitive biography of Supremes vocalist Florence Ballard ("The Lost Supreme: The Life of Dreamgirl Florence Ballard") with the first biography devoted solely to the tumultuous life of Motown hitmaker Mary Wells. "My Guy" remains Wells's signature tune, but she was much more than a one-hit wonder (Benjaminson provides an extensive discography) and readers will be fascinated by the trajectory of Wells's career; her personal and professional choices; and ultimately, her tenacity. Wells was signed to Motown at the age of 17 after cornering label chief Berry Gordy at a Detroit nightclub. Success followed and she hit the top of the national charts. Later in life she regretted her decision to leave Motown at the age of 21, never achieving the same level of success, but her story did not end there. Near the end of her life, Wells lost her ability to sing due to the ravages of throat cancer; but through extensive research and interviews Benjaminson once again gives her voice. VERDICT "My Guy" remains a popular classic (Wells cited Mae West as her inspiration for the songs outro) and this book tells the rest of the story. A fascinating narrative of the life of a popular music icon.--Bill Baars, Lake Oswego P.L., OR

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2012
Before Diana Ross defined the image of the Motown female singer, Mary Wells put her stamp on that legendary record company. As a Detroit teenager, she was looking for an opportunity to write songs, particularly for her idol, Jackie Wilson, when an impromptu audition led Barry Gordy to sign her as a vocalist. The hit singles You Beat Me to the Punch and My Guy launched her into stardom. She went on the road with the Motown Revue, coping with little pay, harsh travel conditions, segregated or no hotel accommodations, and the massive insecurities of a young woman looking for a man to take care of her. Benjaminson details Wells' relationship with Smoky Robinson and the songwriting team Holland, Dozier, and Holland. Wells eventually broke with Motown, charging Gordy with gross underpayment, and struggled for years, never again quite reaching the top but still adored by fans black and white. Through failed romances and marriages, suicide attempts, alcohol and drug abuse, and ultimately cancer, Wells maintained her talent and tenacity until her death, at 49.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)