VOA慢速英语2021--节奏蓝调歌手玛丽·威尔逊逝世

U.S. rhythm and blues¹ singer Mary Wilson has died at the age of 76. Wilson rose to fame as a member of the female, three-person singing group The Supremes in the 1960s.

Wilson started The Supremes with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard while living in Detroit, Michigan in 1959. The group signed a business deal with local R&B music company Motown Records two years later. But they did not have their first popular song until 1964 with "Where Did Our Love Go."

The Supremes would go on to sing a record 12 number one popular songs, including "Baby Love," "Come See About Me," "Stop! In the Name of Love," "I Hear a Symphony," and "You Can't Hurry Love."

FILE - Singer Mary Wilson, a founding member of the Motown female singing group The Supremes.

FILE - Singer Mary Wilson, a founding member of the Motown female singing group The Supremes.

Their songs, many television appearances and live performances made them one of most popular musical groups of the 1960s. The group helped turn Motown Records into an important part of American popular culture.

Florence Ballard was replaced by Cindy Birdsong in 1967. Diana Ross left the group in 1969 for a solo career. But Wilson remained with The Supremes with different singers until the group officially broke up in 1976. She remained active for many years as a solo performer, motivational speaker and U.S. cultural ambassador. The Supremes members Wilson, Ross and Ballard were admitted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

Her friend and spokesman Jay Schwartz said Wilson died suddenly Monday at her home in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Motown Records founder² Berry Gordy praised Wilson in a statement. He said she was "quite a star in her own right" who worked hard over the years "to boost the legacy³ of The Supremes."

"She was a trailblazer, a diva and will be deeply missed," Gordy said.

Words in This Story

solo –adj. something done without another person

boost –v. to increase the power of something; to push or lift up

legacy –n. something from the past or that happened in the past

trailblazer –adj. a person who makes, does or discovers something new and makes it acceptable and popular

diva –n. a famous, successful female performer

1 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

2 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

3 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。