Newsletter
2008 HAS GONE AND TO QUOTE SOME OF THE OLD TIMERS ‘GOOD RIDDENCE’.
In 2008 The Supreme’s gown exhibit, entitled, “The Story of the Supremes from the Mary Wilson collection opened in Great Britain at the Victoria& Albert Museum on May 13, for six months. The exhibit is in on tour for three years in Great Britain. Black pool was the second exhibit and the gowns are currently at the Birmingham Museums Arts and Gallery until June of this year. I flew over for all three openings and they were all fantastic. There will be links to read about the exhibits so that you too can enjoy the excitement. The Supreme’s gowns will be on tour in the UK for another year and will then move on to Europe. There is a book put out from the Victoria & Alberts Museum called ‘The Story Of The Supremes, the foreword was written by none other than myself. I hope to visit each opening and will post the dates as we book them at various museums.
Since we are on the subject of Great Britain and Europe I must mention my appearance on the UK TV program Hairspray. It was a wonderful experience. The TV chose a school to put on the production. I was the Star who they flew over to mentor the students while they were in rehearsal. The show was an eight- week, episode with me in the final week. The students had their opening night in a West End Theatre. It was like being at a Broadway opening.
Motown’s Record’s 50th Anniversary has really taken off in a big way in Europe. I have done many interviews for the Anniversary. It is hard to believe that 50 years has gone by so quickly. In September I went over to Berlin, Germany for Universal Music’s gala celebration. How about that big beautiful article in ‘Vanity Fair, It was great seeing my friend Martha Reeves and of course the ever so graceful Ms, Maxine Powell.
My Humpty Dumpty project has been a big success and I am very happy that I was chosen to be the spokesperson for this cause of bringing attention to the ‘Land Mine’ crises. The trips that I started in 2007 as well as 2008, took me to places like Sri Lanka, and Laos, where I met many interesting people. One of the villages where I visited schools and planted trees, named an orchard after my mother ‘Johnnie Mae’. Unfortunately I was not able to make the Vietnam trip due to illness, but my band and singers deserve a special thank you for doing the show without me. They even had to sing at the benefit with one of Vietnams biggest stars. ‘That is what friends are for’. Another area that HDI is working on and is very close to my heart is a food stamp project, which has to do with buying food at ‘Farmers Markets’ while using food stamps. More on this as it develops and I receive more information.
Towards the end of the year I received a Life Time achievement Award from the St. Lewis Gate Way Classic. The New Years Eve, found me performing with the Australian group ‘Human Nature’ at the ‘Belagio’ hotel for their high rollers. Those are some of the highlights of my year.
I know that 2008 was a year that we all were hoping would hurry up and end and was a scary period with lots of un-certainty. Medicare, Social Security, the banking industry and many more American institutions have been closing and falling apart. January 2009 brought in a Presidential Inauguration that gave us new hope. The world as we knew it, seems to have been a thing of the past. Not all bad I might add. 2009 has come in so fast with so many changes that nothing is the same any more. The New Year has brought in a new generation with ideas that hopefully will bring in changes to help rid the world of old atrocities.
I might add with all of these changes I too have made a few in my business. I now have new management as well as a new agent. I am now signed with the Front Line ‘Management of Morey Entertainment. My bookings are now through MPI talent agency.
I now have 8 grandchildren and one new Great grand child. I hope you enjoy this new website. I will write a newsletter to keep you up to date on my travels. January 2009- March 2009 is next.
Touch
MARY WILSON
But also not all good. I wonder if this is what my mother meant when she said ‘just wait until you have to pay the bills”. But in reality I think it is much more than just Financial, there seems to be a general upheaval of ideas, values, and traditions.
Some of the good events for me were the Supremes Gown Collection