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.

Published

4 years ago

December 26, 2021

Wanda Young, Singer of Group The Marvelettes, Dies at 78

Wanda Young (Motown/Tamla Records-photographer-James Kriegsmann, New York, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Marvelettes_1963.jpg)

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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.

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Unheard Voices, an award-winning, family owned online news magazine, began in 2004 as a community newsletter serving Neptune, Asbury Park, and Long Branch, N.J. Over time, it grew into a nationally recognized Black-owned media outlet. The publication remains one of the few dedicated to covering social justice issues. Its honors include the NAACP Unsung Hero Award and multiple media innovator awards for excellence in social justice reporting and communications.