Celebrity Celebrity Deaths Celebrity Death News Mary Wilson, a Founding Member of The Supremes, Dead at 76: She 'Will Be Deeply Missed' The late singer made up the first arrangement of The Supremes alongside Diana Ross and Florence Ballard By Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to staff positions. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. People Editorial Guidelines and Tomás Mier Tomás Mier Tomás Mier is a former digital music writer at PEOPLE. He left PEOPLE in 2021. People Editorial Guidelines Published on February 9, 2021 08:41AM EST Mary Wilson, a founding member of The Supremes, has died. She was 76. On Monday evening, Wilson — who made up the first arrangement of The Supremes alongside Diana Ross and Florence Ballard — died at her home in Las Vegas, her publicist Jay Schwartz confirmed to PEOPLE. Wilson's cause of death was not immediately clear but Schwartz said in a statement that she "passed away suddenly." According to Schwartz, funeral services for Wilson will be private due to restrictions and protocols amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but there will be a public memorial later this year. Celebrities Who've Died in 2021 Earl Gibson III/Shutterstock Born on March 6, 1944, in Greenville, Mississippi, according to her IMDB page, Wilson began her career in Detroit in 1959, singing for The Primettes, who would later go on to become The Supremes. Alongside Ross, 76, and Ballard — who was later replaced by Cindy Birdsong — Wilson appeared on each of The Supremes' 12 No. 1 pop hits from 1964 to 1969, including "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love," "Come See About Me," and "Stop! In the Name of Love," among others. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. A few days before her death, Wilson shared a video on her YouTube channel announcing that she was planning to release a new batch of solo material, including the unreleased album Red Hot she recorded in the 1970s. "Hopefully some of that will be out on my birthday, March 6," she said in the video, before also noting that she would release interviews that she had done in the past about The Supremes' experiences with segregation in honor of Black History Month. Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images RELATED VIDEO: The Supremes' Mary Wilson Reminisces About Performing in NYC Over the Years In a statement acquired by PEOPLE, Motown Records' founder Berry Gordy reflected on Wilson's death, sharing that he was "extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of a major member of the Motown family." "The Supremes were always known as the 'sweethearts of Motown.' Mary, along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, came to Motown in the early 1960s. After an unprecedented string of Number One hits, television and nightclub bookings, they opened doors for themselves, the other Motown acts, and many, many others. … I was always proud of Mary," he said. "She was quite a star in her own right and over the years continued to work hard to boost the legacy of the Supremes. Mary Wilson was extremely special to me. She was a trailblazer, a diva and will be deeply missed." Wilson is survived by her daughter, son, several grandchildren, a sister and a brother. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that friends and fans support UNCF.org and the Humpty Dumpty Institute.