My Guy Becomes a Hit

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It all started in the 1960s when a man named Berry Gordy created the record label Motown Records. Unfortunately he had no artist to make the public become aware of this label. So he approached a talented songwriter named Mary Wells and offered her a recording contract. She accepted and signed on as Motown Record’s first artist. Two years later Wells also gave the label its first number one hit “My Guy” which hit the Billboard pop chart in 1964. Having made Wells into a singer Gordy had her also perform material from other songwriters. She was one of the first singers in Motown to record a song by the now legendary songwriting team Hollan/Dozier/Holland. That first song was “You Lost the Sweetest Boy” in 1963 with The Supremes and The Temptations singing backup for Wells. She became successful when she started singing songs written by Motown Vice President William “Smokey” Robinson. This lead her to her first number one song written by him “My Guy”. Even though Motown Records became a successful label Mary Wells chose to opt out of her contract with them after her 21st birthday. She went on to sign with 20th Century Fox Records but only one recording made it on the Billboard Top 40 “Use Your Head”. She recorded more songs and albums but unfortunately died of throat cancer on July 26, 1992 at the age of 49. Do you know this song? Have you heard about this singer before? http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mary-wells-gives-motown-records-its-first-1-hit-with-my-guy