In Memoriam
Wanda Young, singer of group The Marvelettes, dies at 78
Wanda Young, a legendary singer in the Motown doo-wop girl group The Marvelettes, has died.
Wanda Young, a legendary singer in the Motown doo-wop girl group The Marvelettes, has died.
Young died Dec. 15 of complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, her daughter Meta Ventress told The New York Times Saturday.
She was 78.
Wanda Young and The Marvelettes
The Marvelettes (Motown/Tamla Records-photographer-James Kriegsmann, New York, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Marvelettes_1963.jpg)
Young replaced another singer in the Marvelettes group when Motown head Berry Gordy signed the band in 1961. A month later, The Marvelettes’ “Please Mr. Postman” became the first song on the label to reach the top of the charts.
The group followed the hit with popular songs like “My Baby Must Be A Magician” and “Don’t Mess With Bill,” which both featured Young providing lead vocals.
Wanda Young is survived by three children; seven grandchildren; a great-grandson; four sisters and four brothers.
Real stories. Real impact. Straight to your inbox. Join thousands others. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter today!
Follow us on Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram
Beloved Georgia Judge dies after cancer battle
Beloved Georgia eatery The Wing Suite faces financial strain, community support could keep doors open
Son of civil rights leader, Derek Steele, battles stage 4 prostate cancer, GoFundMe launched for support
Howard graduate who worked as a janitor at Yale Hospital returns as a doctor
33rd New York African Film Festival brings month‑long celebration to NYC in May
New Jersey police reach $4 million settlement with children of woman killed by ex-husband, a former police officer
Asbury Park High School: Crossover event esports and history with Tina Watson
Jury awards California woman $15 million after supervisor called her n-word
GoFundMe launched for Cleveland deacon recovering after brutal attack outside church
GoFundMe launched for family of 7‑month‑old girl killed in Brooklyn shooting
OWN greenlights first-ever ‘Belle Collective’ spinoff Belle Collective: Birmingham
Hazel Scott’s legacy returns to Harlem in free outdoor film screening
Olympic Gymnast Frederick Richard sets world record, raises $50K for Ugandan youth
Renee Ferguson, trailblazing investigative journalist, dies at 75
“AfroPoP Digital Shorts” returns to the land with “Sweet Samara,” climate and abolitionist film
-
Community2 weeks agoGoFundMe launched for family of 7‑month‑old girl killed in Brooklyn shooting
-
Community6 days agoBoston’s Black Market Nubian faces April 30 closure as community mobilizes to save cultural hub
-
New Jersey7 days agoAshlee Jenae’s father launches GoFundMe to help family bury late influencer
-
In Memoriam1 week agoAfrika Bambaataa’s legacy and controversy: Remembering the hip-hop pioneer
-
Crime & Justice4 days agoSouth Florida woman reportedly set on fire by roommate, GoFundMe launched to support medical costs
-
In Memoriam1 week agoIn Memoriam : Gwendolyn “Blondy” Chisolm, co‑founder of The Sequence, dies at 66
-
Crime & Justice1 week agoPregnant rapper and nursing student Qualeisha “Siditty” Barnes fatally shot in Atlanta
-
Health & Wellness2 days agoHoward graduate who worked as a janitor at Yale Hospital returns as a doctor
-
Social Justice1 week agoKyren Lacy’s parents file wrongful death lawsuit against Louisiana State Police
-
Crime & Justice4 days agoPregnant mother of two killed in Atlanta highway shooting while driving home