My Guy Mary Wells {Stereo}

Thank you my friend SGT (Join to see) for posting the music video of Christian Motown singer Mary Wells performing My Guy in honor of the anniversary of her birth on May 13, 1943.
Sadly she developed cancer of the larynx and by God's grace she said she felt no pain during radiation therapy.
Rest in peace Mary Wells!

"My Guy" written by William 'Smokey" Robinson
Lyrics
"Nothing you can say can tear me away
From my guy
Nothing you could do, 'cause I'm stuck like glue
To my guy

I'm sticking to my guy like a stamp to a letter
Like birds of a feather we stick together
I'm tellin' you from the start
I can't be torn apart from my guy

Nothing you could do could make me be untrue
To my guy (my guy)
Nothing you could buy could make me tell a lie
To my guy (my guy)

I gave my guy my word of honor
To be faithful and I'm gonna
You'd best be believing
I won't be deceiving my guy

As a matter of opinion, I think he's tops
My opinion is he's the cream of the crop
As a matter of taste to be exact
He's my ideal as a matter of fact

No muscle bound man could take my hand
From my guy (my guy)
No handsome face could ever take the place
Of my guy (my guy)

He may not be a movie star
But when it comes to being happy, we are
There's not a man today who can take me away
From my guy

No muscle bound man could take my hand
From my guy (my guy)
No handsome face cCould ever take the place
Of my guy (my guy)

He may not be a movie star
But when it comes to being happy, we are
There's not a man today who can take me away
From my guy (what'cha say?)

There's not a man today who could take me away
From my guy (Tell me more!)
There's not a man today who could take me away
From my guy "


"Mary Wells" and "Stevie Wonder" on The Joan Rivers Show
Joan Rivers Interviews Mary Wells and introduces Sugar Wells Womack. with a never before seen Special Performance from Stevie Wonder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHA40H8XdbI


Images:
1. Mary Esther Wells
2. Mary Esther Wells signed photograph
3. Motown's First Star - MARY WELLS
4. Soul sister - Mary Wells

Biographies:
1. history-of-rock.com/mary_wells.htm
2. imdb.com/name/nm0920341/bio

1. Background from {[https://www.history-of-rock.com/mary_wells.htm]}
Mary Esther Wells was born May 13, 1943 in Detroit Michigan near Wayne State University. Wells' early years were not easy growing up without a father. Her mother did domestic work in order to support her three children. As a small child, she suffered a bout of spinal meningitis, which left her temporarily paralyzed, with loss of hearing, and partial blindness in one eye. When she returned to good health, Wells suffered the hardship of learning to walk again.
Wells first began singing in church when she was three or four. While attending Northwestern High School she sang in the choir. Wells began singing in local clubs and talent contests at age ten. At age 16 she met Berry Gordy Jr.'s assistant Robert Bateman. It seems that she had written a song for Jackie Wilson and had Bateman introduce her to Gordy. Unable to write her song down, she sang it to Gordy. Gordy promptly signed her, turned her over to William "Smokey" Robinson and Motown released her debut single "Bye, Bye Baby" (#45 Pop, #8 R&B, 1960).
Her follow up "I Don't Want To Take a Chance," which Wells also wrote, did well on both the pop and R&B charts, but her third single, "Strange Love" wavered. Gordy then decided that she could benefit from someone else' material and in 1962, Wells was teamed up with performer, writer, producer Smokey Robinson scoring a string of hits, including "The One Who Really Loves You, "You Beat Me to the Punch" and "Two Lovers" in 1962; "Laughing Boy', "Your Old Stand By", and "What's Easy for Two Is So Hard for One" b/w "You Lost the Sweetest Boy" in 1963. Her biggest hit was 1964's "My Guy" which reached #1 on the pop charts. Like her other collaborations with Robinson it featured her smooth, knowing, but coy delivery backed by Robinson's understated popish arrangement. Next came two duets with Marvin Gaye. Wells was the first female singer at Motown to adopt a glamorous stage persona.
In 1964, Wells' career reached a significant peak when her song, "My Guy," made it to #1 on the pop chart and became one of the year's best recordings. She also sang duets with Marvin Gaye, such as "Once Upon a Time," which made it to #17 in 1964. The Beatles declared Mary Wells their favorite American singer, calling her "their sweetheart" and invited her to England to tour with them. Upon her return to the States, the Beatles sent Wells several compositions to be released on their next album. In return, Mary recorded an album called "Love Songs to The Beatles."
Soon thereafter, Wells became the first of Gordy's successful artists to sue the label. Encouraged by her husband songwriter Herman Griffin, Wells sued Motown and won, arguing that the recording contract she had signed at seventeen was invalid. Her leaving came at the height of her success and was an embarrassment to Gordy, who attempted to discourage other labels from signing her.
Wells received a large contract from 20th Century Fox, along with promises that she would be making films, but her records went nowhere and she never appeared in a film. In late 1965, she signed with Atco and had a hit with "Dear Lover" (#6 R&B), but none of her subsequent records were as successful as her Motown recordings. "Dig the Way I Feel" was a minor hit on Jubilee in 1969. In 1970, she retired from performing.
She did continue to record with singles on Reprise in 1971 and 1974. and two singles for Columbia/Epic in 1982. In the early '80s, she re-recorded her biggest hits for Allegiance Records album. In 1987, she signed with Motor City Records, and an album Keeping My Mind On Love was released in 1990
In 1967 she married Cecil Womack, brother of recording star Bobby Womack, with whom she had three children. They were divorced in 1977. Wells began performing again in the Eighties, as renewed interest in Motown created a demand.
In 1990 it was discovered that Wells had cancer of the larynx which left her unable to sing. A two pack a day smoker, she had no health insurance and was financially devastated by the illness having to sell her house. Many of her friends, including Mary Wilson and Martha Reeves rallied around her, and several artists including Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, and Diana Ross, provided financial assistance.
In early fall 1991, Mary traveled to Washington D.C. where she testified before a Congressional Committee concerning the funding for cancer research. She said: "I'm here today to urge you to keep the faith. I can't cheer you on with all my voice, but I can encourage, and I pray to motivate you with all my heart and soul and whispers."

After a bout of pneumonia, Wells was hospitalized once more and spent her last days at the Kenneth Norris Jr. Cancer Hospital. Mary Wells died July 26, 1992 in Los Angeles, California."


2. Background from {[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0920341/bio]}
Mary Wells Biography
Overview (4)
Born May 13, 1943 in Detroit, Michigan, USA
Died July 26, 1992 in Los Angeles, California, USA (throat cancer)
Birth Name Mary Esther Wells
Nickname The Queen of Motown
Mini Bio (1)
Detroit-born (in 1943) Mary Wells was one of the first stars of the soon-to-be-legendary Motown Records, and while she became one of the label's superstars, she had very, very difficult early years that many other people would not have been able to overcome. As a child she contracted spinal meningitis, resulting in temporary paralysis, hearing loss and partial blindness in one eye. When she regained her health she had to learn how to walk all over again. Fortunately, however, she did regain her hearing and eyesight.

At ten years of age she began singing in Detroit-area clubs and talent contests. When she was 17 she wrote a song she wanted to give to Jackie Wilson, a favorite singer of hers. Motown head Berry Gordy was holding open auditions at his studio and Mary showed up with the song, "Bye Bye Baby", and performed it for him. Gordy not only bought the song but signed her to a recording contract, and instead of giving the song to Jackie Wilson, it became Mary's first single, in 1961. It landed in the top 50 on the R&B charts.

Gordy set her up with legendary songwriter/producer Smokey Robinson and together they came out with a stream of big hits: "The One Who Really Loves You" (#8), "You Beat Me to the Punch" (#9) and "Two Lovers" #7). Mary embarked on a series of very successful US and European tours. In 1964 she came out with her most famous--and successful--song: "My Guy", which reached #1 on the US pop charts. She became the first Motown artist to have a #1 song on that label, and in fact she was the first Motown artist to have a #1 song on any of the Motown family of labels (Motown, Gordy, Tamla). She sang a duet with Marvin Gaye, "Once Upon a Time", which charted at #17. Mary was at the top of her career by this time. The Beatles said that she was their favorite American singer and invited her on their tour of England. She went, and upon her return she cut an album called "Love Songs to the Beatles".

In 1964 Mary was approached by 20th Century-Fox Records and offered a contract of several hundred thousand dollars to leave Motown and sign with them. She took them up on their offer and left Motown, but she didn't have the same degree of success that she had with Motown. She left Fox after a year, and wound up recording for such labels as Atlantic, Atco, Jubilee and Reprise. Her personal life was almost as turbulent as her professional one. She divorced her first husband and married Cecil D. Womack, the brother of singer Bobby Womack, but that marriage ended in divorce also. In the 1970s and '80s she toured the US on the oldies circuit and developed a very loyal following.

In 1990 she was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx, which left her unable to sing. Since she had no health insurance, she was financially ruined by the cost of treatment for her condition. Many of her colleagues in the music industry, including such stars as Martha Reeves, Rod Stewart and Bruce Springsteen, provided financial assistance. The experience affected her deeply, and she traveled to Washington, DC, to testify before Congress on the need for funding for cancer research.

In 1992 Mary caught pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital, where she died on July 28. She was interred in a cemetery in Glendale, California. She was 48 years old.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: [login to see]
Spouse (3)
Cecil D. Womack (20 August 1966 - 24 March 1978) (divorced) (3 children)
Herman Griffin (23 June 1961 - 23 May 1963) (divorced)
Curtis Womack (? - 26 July 1992) (her death) ( 1 child)

Trivia (7)
1. Her big hit was "My Guy"
2. Issued an album in 1983 for Allegiance Records called "I'm a Lady: The Old, New & Best of Mary Wells" which had her recording many of her previous Motown hits, plus new 80s wave music. The album flopped. It was recently issued on CD as "Dance With Me".
3. Her last charted song was a disco/r&b mix "Gigolo" for Epic Records. The song was made for the 1981 album "In And Out of Love". It was later released as a single in '82. The song peaked at #69 R&B, and #2 Disco.
4. One of few singers who maintained a long-running high status in the music charts, having many hits; spanning from 1960 to 1982. Her first string of hits were at her home of Motown, starting with her own self-penned song "Bye Bye Baby", followed by "I Don't Want To Take a Chance", "The One Who Really Loves You", "Your Old Standby", "What's Easy For Two Is So Hard For One", & her #1 hit (in all categories [R&B/Pop]) "My Guy". Upon leaving Motown, she had a few hits at 20th Century-Fox "Never, Never Leave Me", "He's a Lover", "Use Your Head", "Stop Takin' Me For Granted" & "Ain't It The Truth". Then, Mary signed to Jubilee, and had hits with "The Doctor", & "Dig The Way I Feel". Her last hit was when she signed to Epic in 1981, and scored with the disco smash "Gigolo", peeking at #69 R&B, and #2 Disco.
5. Throughout her career at Motown (1960-1964), Mary's career was forever promising, but like any other artist, much of her work was vaulted and never issued. Recently all of her 12 previously unissued recordings have surfaced. She is the only Motown artist who has had ever had all recordings issued.
6. Had a total of 4 children. Cecil, Jr., Harry, & Stacy (from her marriage to Cecil D. Womack[Sr.])...and Sugar (with Curtis Womack).
7. Ex-sister-in-law of Bobby Womack and Curtis Womack."

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Great oldie

Love this song!