WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The audiences coming to Mary Wilson's show at Palm Beach's Royal Room aren't surprised that she's poised, glamorous and accomplished. After all, she was one-third of The Supremes, the most successful American singing group of the rock era; is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; and is the author of two memoirs.
"They're surprised," Wilson says, only half-joking, "that I can sing."
After all, the leads for the Supremes' hits, 12 of which went to No. 1, were sung by Wilson's childhood friend Diane Ross, who eventually became singer/actress/pop-culture-diva icon Diana Ross.
Interestingly, "Mary Wilson: Up Close" tells Wilson's story in the music of Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, the Rolling Stones and only one Supremes song.
"This is about my journey," the unbelievably youthful 64-year-old singer says, taking a long sip from a glass of pink champagne.
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You acknowledge in the show that fans may have followed you since the 1960s without really knowing what you sound like. And it turns out that Mary Wilson sounds more like Nancy Wilson than she sounds like Diana Ross.
"Nancy Wilson was my favorite! And it's true — they always heard Diane, but people didn't know how significant the background was to the sound. People grew up to us. They got married to our music, studied for their exams in college to it. What I wanted to do was to tell my real story."
You do just one Supremes song, "My World Is Empty," in your show.
"I normally don't, but I realized that the show was being advertised as 'Mary Wilson of the Supremes.' I didn't want people to feel cheated. I'm really more of a ballad singer. 'My World Is Empty' fit the best into the format of the show. I even do some rock."
That Rolling Stones medley was unexpected, but it rocked.
"I love rock. I'm like a young Tina Turner!"
You say in the show that the song that actually most sums up who you are is Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now."
"When I first heard it I thought, 'How can this person know so much about my life?' (laughs) It's all about illusions, about the way you thought things — clouds, love, life — were, when you really don't know what the hell it's all about. ."
When you, Diana Ross and Florence Ballard got together in 1959 as The Primettes, were you thinking about where this could go as a career?
"When you're 14 years old, you don't know anything. You find your passion and do what you're going to do. You're not thinking about where it goes. We loved singing, and we just wanted to make music."
You've said a lot that the Broadway play and the movie "Dreamgirls" is not the Supremes' story but that there are parallels. What in "Dreamgirls" is about you all?
"That Florence was very important — the character (Effie White) was based on her. She's the one that brought us all together, and she did have that powerful R&B voice, like Etta James. And though (Motown chief) Berry Gordy did put Diane out front, like in 'Dreamgirls,' Florence was a pivotal in the Supremes, but the public didn't know that. She was the soul of it . . . I'm not putting Diane down. She was talented. But we were all extremely talented. I'm glad for Diane, that one of us had that kind of success, no matter who did it."
