Post by Kay on Nov 26, 2008 17:33:31 GMT -5
How We Met: Mary Wilson & Edwin Starr - "He was a real rootsy, gutsy"
Independent, The (London), Apr 2, 2000 by Interviews by Pierre Perone
Edwin Starr, 58, was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. After military service, he signed with the Ric Tic label and in 1967, Tamla Motown took over his contract. His biggest hit was "War". Based in the UK since 1983, he lives in Birmingham.
Mary Wilson, 56, was born in Detroit and is a founder member of The Supremes with Diana Ross and the late Florence Ballard. Now an author, Mary still sings but also acts, lectures and DJs. She lives in New York
Edwin Starr: I first met Mary Wilson in the Sixties. I was doing a Motown package tour of Canada at the same time as The Supremes. We were all on the same bus travelling from one side of the country all the way across to the other. I met Florence Ballard, I met Diana Ross and I met Mary.
It was a very good tour, the audience loved it. The Supremes had been groomed to be a big act and they were on their way to superstardom. It was a privilege for me to be on their show, playing to a crossover audience that I was incapable of getting on my own. I was a soul artist and I was not considered in the same league as The Supremes.
It was like the class system in the UK. At Motown, there was a class system - The Supremes were royalty and I was carrying the buckets. But I never got that treatment from Mary, it came from the Motown label owner, Berry Gordy, and others in the management of the company.
In fact, I do recall that Mary and Florence were easier to get on with and talk to than Diana. It was still just The Supremes but it was very obvious Diana was going to go solo. I'm forever amazed at how Mary managed to remain gracious and dignified through all the trials and tribulations. God knows how I would have felt.
Over the years, I would see Mary in the company's offices in Los Angeles and around studios in California and we'd go and see other Motown artists or go out to dinner. It always felt comfortable, like we'd seen each other yesterday, even if months or a year had gone by. The friendship kept right on through. The only thing that was between us was distance and, in the old days, the politics of the company.
We've both had disappointments and frustrations in our personal and professional lives. Mary lost a son in a car crash, and she had to fight Motown over royalties and the rights to The Supremes' name. So now, whatever success and happiness come, we both seem to enjoy it all the more.
We're currently doing the "Dancing in the Streets" tour with Martha Reeves. It is the first time Mary and I have ever sung together on stage. It's taken all these years but it's great. Our voices do work together. We're making up for lost time, doing "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" and "Endless Love" and all those songs.
Mary is pretty much the same as when I first met her but she's a lot more assertive than the shy girl from the Sixties. Time has been kind to her and she's really blossomed. Going back to university did her the world of good. She looks wonderful, she's into a healthy diet and she's forever teasing me about my love of fried foods. She has no airs about her, she's a star on stage, but off stage, she's a regular girl, not a diva.
Mary never believed the hype. She recognised that being true to herself, being a real person, is more important than all the awards, gold records and all the hype.
Mary Wilson: Edwin did a tour of Canada with The Supremes. He remembers it more than I do - I can't even tell whether it was '66, '67 or '68! Because Edwin was late coming to the Motown stable, they put him on with us to introduce him to a wider audience.
Edwin's early records like "Agent Double- O Soul" and "Stop Her On Sight" were very strong, so I already knew about him. He was a real rootsy, gutsy singer. When we met, I took to him right away. Even in those days, we were not rock'n'rollers tearing up hotel rooms. For the most part, it was pretty tame. You'd have a drink or two and then, after hours, a few people would maybe smoke a little marijuana.
Later, I bought a house in Los Angeles. I remember we had an earthquake. The Four Tops, The Temptations and Edwin were all staying in a high-rise hotel which was considered dangerous, so they all came over to my place because it was low on the ground. Edwin and I talked into the night about our frustrations with the whole Motown situation. They really didn't know what to do with either of us.
When "War" was a worldwide hit and Edwin got a platinum record, there was no presentation. A secretary gave him the award in the corridor. I don't know how he didn't lose his temper. "War", along with Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On", was such a major record and really helped open the eyes of the world. The Supremes and other Motown acts had put the black community on an even basis with the rest of humankind but Marvin Gaye and Edwin took the music into other areas.
I was really glad for Edwin when he got out of his contract and had hits with "Contact" and "HAPPY Radio" in the late Seventies. We stayed close and he's become a part of my family. It's good finally to be working together. I really liked doing "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" with him. We both find it difficult to sing because of the pitch. Eddie Kendricks of The Temptations and Diana Ross had very high voices, so it is out of Edwin's range. It stretches us. But we've managed to transpose it and we have a ball.
On this tour, we've had quite a bit of time to go sightseeing. Edwin has been living in the UK for so long that he knows all the best places. He's like a local. I know Edwin is very happy here. I told him to consider the move and I'm glad he took the gamble. He is really respected over here both by the soul community and by younger kids who've discovered him through Paul Weller. They all call him Mister Motown!
Independent, The (London), Apr 2, 2000 by Interviews by Pierre Perone
Edwin Starr, 58, was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. After military service, he signed with the Ric Tic label and in 1967, Tamla Motown took over his contract. His biggest hit was "War". Based in the UK since 1983, he lives in Birmingham.
Mary Wilson, 56, was born in Detroit and is a founder member of The Supremes with Diana Ross and the late Florence Ballard. Now an author, Mary still sings but also acts, lectures and DJs. She lives in New York
Edwin Starr: I first met Mary Wilson in the Sixties. I was doing a Motown package tour of Canada at the same time as The Supremes. We were all on the same bus travelling from one side of the country all the way across to the other. I met Florence Ballard, I met Diana Ross and I met Mary.
It was a very good tour, the audience loved it. The Supremes had been groomed to be a big act and they were on their way to superstardom. It was a privilege for me to be on their show, playing to a crossover audience that I was incapable of getting on my own. I was a soul artist and I was not considered in the same league as The Supremes.
It was like the class system in the UK. At Motown, there was a class system - The Supremes were royalty and I was carrying the buckets. But I never got that treatment from Mary, it came from the Motown label owner, Berry Gordy, and others in the management of the company.
In fact, I do recall that Mary and Florence were easier to get on with and talk to than Diana. It was still just The Supremes but it was very obvious Diana was going to go solo. I'm forever amazed at how Mary managed to remain gracious and dignified through all the trials and tribulations. God knows how I would have felt.
Over the years, I would see Mary in the company's offices in Los Angeles and around studios in California and we'd go and see other Motown artists or go out to dinner. It always felt comfortable, like we'd seen each other yesterday, even if months or a year had gone by. The friendship kept right on through. The only thing that was between us was distance and, in the old days, the politics of the company.
We've both had disappointments and frustrations in our personal and professional lives. Mary lost a son in a car crash, and she had to fight Motown over royalties and the rights to The Supremes' name. So now, whatever success and happiness come, we both seem to enjoy it all the more.
We're currently doing the "Dancing in the Streets" tour with Martha Reeves. It is the first time Mary and I have ever sung together on stage. It's taken all these years but it's great. Our voices do work together. We're making up for lost time, doing "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" and "Endless Love" and all those songs.
Mary is pretty much the same as when I first met her but she's a lot more assertive than the shy girl from the Sixties. Time has been kind to her and she's really blossomed. Going back to university did her the world of good. She looks wonderful, she's into a healthy diet and she's forever teasing me about my love of fried foods. She has no airs about her, she's a star on stage, but off stage, she's a regular girl, not a diva.
Mary never believed the hype. She recognised that being true to herself, being a real person, is more important than all the awards, gold records and all the hype.
Mary Wilson: Edwin did a tour of Canada with The Supremes. He remembers it more than I do - I can't even tell whether it was '66, '67 or '68! Because Edwin was late coming to the Motown stable, they put him on with us to introduce him to a wider audience.
Edwin's early records like "Agent Double- O Soul" and "Stop Her On Sight" were very strong, so I already knew about him. He was a real rootsy, gutsy singer. When we met, I took to him right away. Even in those days, we were not rock'n'rollers tearing up hotel rooms. For the most part, it was pretty tame. You'd have a drink or two and then, after hours, a few people would maybe smoke a little marijuana.
Later, I bought a house in Los Angeles. I remember we had an earthquake. The Four Tops, The Temptations and Edwin were all staying in a high-rise hotel which was considered dangerous, so they all came over to my place because it was low on the ground. Edwin and I talked into the night about our frustrations with the whole Motown situation. They really didn't know what to do with either of us.
When "War" was a worldwide hit and Edwin got a platinum record, there was no presentation. A secretary gave him the award in the corridor. I don't know how he didn't lose his temper. "War", along with Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On", was such a major record and really helped open the eyes of the world. The Supremes and other Motown acts had put the black community on an even basis with the rest of humankind but Marvin Gaye and Edwin took the music into other areas.
I was really glad for Edwin when he got out of his contract and had hits with "Contact" and "HAPPY Radio" in the late Seventies. We stayed close and he's become a part of my family. It's good finally to be working together. I really liked doing "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" with him. We both find it difficult to sing because of the pitch. Eddie Kendricks of The Temptations and Diana Ross had very high voices, so it is out of Edwin's range. It stretches us. But we've managed to transpose it and we have a ball.
On this tour, we've had quite a bit of time to go sightseeing. Edwin has been living in the UK for so long that he knows all the best places. He's like a local. I know Edwin is very happy here. I told him to consider the move and I'm glad he took the gamble. He is really respected over here both by the soul community and by younger kids who've discovered him through Paul Weller. They all call him Mister Motown!
