Mary Wilson and Duke Fakir - Chicago Television Interview

[marv2]

Here are those two nutty crazy kids again........hehehehehehe....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmlNnRvh0bo&feature=youtube_gdata

[REDHOT]

Thanks marv,i really enjoyed this interview.

[stephanie]

This was funny! Marv you made my morning. I can tell those two still have a fondness for each other.

[soulwally]

Brightened me up after a hard day at work. I've been working continously for 43 years so those two put me in the shade. I liked Mary lolling against those two cushions, and Duke still looks so fit and well.

[marv2]

This was funny! Marv you made my morning. I can tell those two still have a fondness for each other.

Steph! Let's go to Chicago to the show and party for the holiday? LOL!

[jillfoster]

Those two should just get married and get it over with! LOL

[marv2]

Those two should just get married and get it over with! LOL

YA Think? LOL!!!!

[captainjames]

Did Mary say that the Supreme gown display is still at "The Rock and Hall of Fame" in Ohio ?

[luke]

What a great interview, thx Marv. Did they say they plan to do more stuff together?

[Roberta75]

What a great interview, thx Marv. Did they say they plan to do more stuff together?

If you watched the entire 8.19 interview youd know the answer wouldnt you?

[Roberta75]

Did Mary say that the Supreme gown display is still at "The Rock and Hall of Fame" in Ohio ?

No CaptainJames she said it had been at the RRHOF musem in Cleveland.

Best to you.

Roberta

[captainjames]

Ok thanks Roberta

[marv2]

What a great interview, thx Marv. Did they say they plan to do more stuff together?


You are most welcome Luke! But they've have done "stuff" together, ...............oh you meant more things professionally? LOL! I try to see what I can find out.

[marv2]

Here are a few shots of the the Harris Theatre in Chicago:

[antceleb12]

"I've always been a groupie of the Four Tops." I'd say!! LOL.

And did I hear a Four Tops musical is in the works???

Fantastic interview. Thanks for that!

[marv2]

"I've always been a groupie of the Four Tops." I'd say!! LOL.

And did I hear a Four Tops musical is in the works???

Fantastic interview. Thanks for that!

You're welcome. This is the first I've heard of it [[the Four Tops musical). Sounds like it could be something really great1 Move over Four Seasons.......LOL!

[supremester]

This is a great gig for Mary & Duke - maybe they could parlay this into something steady in Vegas........Duke could stay at Mary's place.

[Methuselah2]

Thanks very much, Marv. Both the radio and TV interviews were a whole lotta fun.

[marv2]

Thanks very much, Marv. Both the radio and TV interviews were a whole lotta fun.

You are very welcome Methuselah! It's good to have some fun here now and then. I hope they make this Mary Wilson Holiday Spectacular an annual event.

[marv2]

Here's one of the promo posters for the show:

[nosey]

Is Theo back with the tops or is that an old photo?

[milven]

Is Theo back with the tops or is that an old photo?

I wondered the same thing when I saw the photo, but i doubt that he would be back in the group or we would have heard about it. Also, if I remember correctly, his departure wasn't very amicable.

According to Wikopedia [[and we know how reliable they are :rolleyes:) Harold Bonhart, who replaced Peoples, is still with the group

[Roberta75]

I wondered the same thing when I saw the photo, but i doubt that he would be back in the group or we would have heard about it. Also, if I remember correctly, his departure wasn't very amicable.

According to Wikopedia [[and we know how reliable they are :rolleyes:) Harold Bonhart, who replaced Peoples, is still with the group

Well they use Diane Ross voice whenever Mary is promoting shows on TV because Diane is the lead singer on the 1960s hits so thats the voice that was recorded so using Theos photo is probably okay because Duke is probably the only one the general public [[not us Motown fans) recognize so i think the photo they using is fine imo.

Roberta

[marv2]

More media interviews!!!!

Chicago Fox 32 television:

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/video?clipId=9440871&autostart=true

[marv2]

From WGN Morning News:

[milven]

Well they use Diane Ross voice whenever Mary is promoting shows on TV because Diane is the lead singer on the 1960s hits so thats the voice that was recorded so using Theos photo is probably okay because Duke is probably the only one the general public [[not us Motown fans) recognize so i think the photo they using is fine imo.

Roberta

I disagree. These are the 4 Tops and playing their music in promotions with Levi singing lead is fine. But to promote a show with the original lineup would be wrong. And so is using Theo, who hasn't been a Top for two years. They had plenty of time to make new publicity photos.

Most of Mary's solo career has been promoting the fact that she was a Supreme and singing those songs. I don't think it is deceptive to play those songs with Diana's voice during interviews. But if she were giving a concert and it had posters and photos of DMF, that would be wrong.

By the way, I like the billing of this show with Mary taking top billing and barely mentioning that she was an "original Supreme" in small letters. But, in the interview that Marv posted above, Mary slipped and said the show was starring the 4 Tops and Mary WIlson and the Supremes.

[detmotownguy]

It is a pleasure to listen to Mary and Duke! We are lucky to have these two veterans forging on doing what they want to do. MARY has sure come a long way from her beginnings to where she is today. And manythought she would simply go away..........

[supremester]

I agree even though it's pushing it with Duke. He owns the name so he can be The Four Tops but no one knows who he is and almost no one cares. It's basically just a tribute act. The Four Tops without Levi? I'd check them out, though as no one could convince me David Ruffin could be replaced and Dennis created that beautiful miracle. I hope their show does well, I will try to see it Jan 4 or 5. We are lucky to have any 60's Motowners with us - so many are gone!
It is a pleasure to listen to Mary and Duke! We are lucky to have these two veterans forging on doing what they want to do. MARY has sure come a long way from her beginnings to where she is today. And manythought she would simply go away..........

[marv2]

http://grouptix.net/2013/10/28/mary-wilson-holiday-spectacular/

[marv2]

Promoting her Holiday Spectacular! Mary Wilson with Duke Fakir.......

[Roberta75]

Here are some more photos of Mary and Duke promoting they holiday concerts,

[jobeterob]

So did ticket sales pick up?

[REDHOT]

Thanks Roberta for sharing these great photo's

[Roberta75]

Thanks Roberta for sharing these great photo's

You are so welcome my dear dear Redhot.

Fondly,

Roberta

[milven]

Here is another article about the Chicago Christmas Show.

http://www.nwitimes.com/niche/shore/entertainment/music/a-supreme-musical-season-mary-wilson-to-ring-in-the/article_57ae9a26-a8e7-5a07-b554-fe16afa4ada9.html

It is a nice article, but I am confused about this quote by her from the article.

Wilson said when the Supremes traveled the world to perform they were looked upon as musical ambassadors.

"We were ambassadors in the sense of what the music did for the world," Wilson said.

She said when the group broke up in the 1970s, she had to really think about what she would do next.

"It took me a long time, after the group disbanded, to decide to step out front. But I love what I do and didn't want to give it up just because someone else's dream stopped or died," Wilson said.



Who's dream stopped in the '70's? Wasn't it she who left the Supremes in the seventies? So it isn't it her dream of the Supremes that died [[at least, temporarily), not someone elses? Not being negative here. Just asking a question.

[jobeterob]

Here is another article about the Chicago Christmas Show.

http://www.nwitimes.com/niche/shore/entertainment/music/a-supreme-musical-season-mary-wilson-to-ring-in-the/article_57ae9a26-a8e7-5a07-b554-fe16afa4ada9.html

It is a nice article, but I am confused about this quote by her from the article.

Wilson said when the Supremes traveled the world to perform they were looked upon as musical ambassadors.

"We were ambassadors in the sense of what the music did for the world," Wilson said.

She said when the group broke up in the 1970s, she had to really think about what she would do next.

"It took me a long time, after the group disbanded, to decide to step out front. But I love what I do and didn't want to give it up just because someone else's dream stopped or died," Wilson said.



Who's dream stopped in the '70's? Wasn't it she who left the Supremes in the seventies? So it isn't it her dream of the Supremes that died [[at least, temporarily), not someone elses? Not being negative here. Just asking a question.

I think it is just loose talk to vague questions. But I think at this late stage she might mean Diana's dream for the supremes stopped, it took Mary years to figure it all out, but she liked to sing and carried on.

[smark21]

http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Mary-Wilsons-Holiday-Spectacular-with-The-Four-Tops-to-Join-Chicagoland-Choirs-1223-15-20131202

More info about the show has come out. A number of Chicago area gospel choirs have been recruited to perform with Mary and The Four Tops. I hope the run is a success.

[marv2]

Mary Wilson is a cover girl again! This time around it is for Ndigo Magazine promoting her upcoming Holiday Spectacular Show. It is my understanding that auditions are now complete and that they are now in deep rehearsals..........

http://ndigo.com/index.php/motown-royalty-mary-wilson-duke-fakir/

[milven]

The show is getting a lot of attention and Mary is giving a lot of interviews. It is a nice interview, but I wonder what she meant when she said that she is a star in her own mind and that DianA feels that way too.

She says that she doesn't think she will ever retire. She said that if she did as well as Tina Turner, who recently retired, that she could retire too.!

Singer Mary Wilson—a founding member of the iconic group The Supremes—continues her career, performing live and bringing a festive show to Chicago this holiday season.
She is the only member of The Supremes to stay with the group in all its incarnations, and was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard.

Wilson wrote two books—Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme and Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together.

Windy City Times talked with Wilson at her hotel to find out more about the legacy that this artist continues to maintain.

Windy City Times: Hello, Mary. I read that you lived in Chicago in the past.

Mary Wilson: When I was an infant with the whole migration of Blacks from the South to the North, this was one of the first cities that my family moved to. Then I went on to Detroit, where I grew up. I probably spent about two years here in Chicago. I have had family here ever since so I have been coming here for years.

WCT: Where do you reside now?

Mary Wilson: I'm in Las Vegas now.

WCT: Have you ever taken a break from performing?

Mary Wilson: I am 69 years old now and have been performing since 1963, pretty much constantly. I love it. We end up having vacations when we go to some of these places so I am all over the place. Just recently I was in Europe performing with Bill Wyman. We had a ball. We went to Switzerland.

WCT: I just went there and was looking for Tina Turner! What did you think of Motown the Musical?

Mary Wilson: It was a long time coming. Mr. [Berry] Gordy had been working on it for many years. The music and the whole legacy of Motown—for people who grew up in our era—it was major. It was the soundtrack of our lives. When I went to the opening night on Broadway there were all kinds of people there and all ages. People were moving and grooving. It was so great. It is where it should be. I loved it.

There is a lot to go in there and very difficult to tell the story of Motown but the way they did it was good.

WCT: I saw a preview in Millennium Park here in Chicago; the cast member who played Michael Jackson was just incredible to watch.

Mary Wilson: Everybody loved him.

WCT: He nailed it.

Mary Wilson: It sounded like our record up there.

WCT: What was your opinion on Dreamgirls?

Mary Wilson: I loved it, but it is not the story of The Supremes. I sing "I Am Changing" in my show. People say Dreamgirls is about The Supremes but I know it is not because I didn't get paid! The thing is, when I was sitting there watching it on Broadway it was as if the person who had written it was right there with us. It was our story, which was kind of odd.

WCT: It must have been surreal.

Mary Wilson: It was and hit home. It was still beautifully done. I just wish they had paid me! [Laughs]

WCT: They got around that one.

Mary Wilson: They did, but it's okay.

WCT: You and Diana Ross have had such a big gay following over the years.

Mary Wilson: Sure. You have people like Cher, Supremes [and] Carol Burnett, where they love the female artists. I think it is because of the glamour and the showbiz aspect of it. We have had a gay following since we started making records, which was early on. [Gay fans] support us, but more than that they give us the adulation and accolades that a lot of people are not able to give. They really see all the magic and appreciate it. I think it is great. Hey, why not? [Both laugh.]

WCT: This gay man loves some Carol Burnett.

Mary Wilson: She is a hoot. We had the same dress designer, Michael Travis. He did loads of our gowns and hers as well. They were so heavily beaded. I saw someone on TV ask one time, "What happened to all the beads in the world?" and they responded, "Liberace and The Supremes got them all!" I thought that was so profound. Before Bob Mackie he did them all—Liberace, Dionne Warwick and The Supremes at NBC.

WCT: Your gowns are always on tour, I read. So if you are not traveling, your gowns are!

Mary Wilson: Yes, they are in museums and traveling around the world.

WCT: Do you want to write more books?

Mary Wilson: My biggest dream is to write what I call a layman's psychology book. I can't do it until the final stages of my life. I want to sit and write the whole concept of how I view life. That is a big dream of mine.

People don't understand that you don't become an adult when you hit 21 years of age. You answer questions continuously, even though people think you know everything because you are famous. You are still learning. That is what I like about being an entertainer. We have such a quest for learning things and improving ourselves. This is the kind of medium where you do all kinds of things. If you are a normal person you wouldn't have that opportunity to search and become bigger than you are. You are exposed to so much and so many people as well.

WCT: How did this holiday show come together?

Mary Wilson: It just came about. All of my life I have been trying to grow and become a great entertainer.

I moved to Las Vegas in the late '80s to get my own show there because I had been traveling for so many years; I wanted to be in one place. I wanted to still work. I didn't want to stop working. A production company reached out to me and asked me to play The Venetian then told me about doing a Christmas show at the Harris. This all came up only three weeks ago.

WCT: So, all of a sudden.

Mary Wilson: Yes, and it was unexpected. It is a wonderful opportunity to work with The Four Tops, who I have always loved. They are one of my favorite groups in the world.

Duke Fakir from the group and I have been working together on this show. We have been friends since back in the early days. I recorded a top-10 hit with them, "River Deep Mountain High." We did [the album] The Return of the Magnificent Seven with The Four Tops and the Temptations. So we have always worked together but this is the first time that I, Mary Wilson, have had a chance to headline and work with my guys. I am really happy about it.

WCT: You are still working on the set list but I heard some of the songs are ironed out.

Mary Wilson: Yeah, some of them but things change when you get into actual rehearsal. We want to do not just Christmas songs but more holiday and seasonal. Duke and I have always wanted to sing together so we want to do a couple of duets.

WCT: "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music is a possibility?

Mary Wilson: That is one of the songs we are thinking about doing. But until you actually finish rehearsal will you know what ones will end up in the show. That is one of our favorites that we want to work on.

WCT: You will be performing some Supremes songs, I am sure.

Mary Wilson: Oh, yes. We will be doing some of the hits then doing some things together. I understand there will be a choir since it is a holiday show.

WCT: How do you normally celebrate the holidays?

Mary Wilson: I usually take off Christmas. That is the one holiday that I don't work. Sometimes I don't even work Thanksgiving either but New Years I try to always work. This time I will be working on Christmas, which is something very special. My grandchildren are all grown up now so I don't have that responsibility. I love spending time with them but now I can work whenever I want to.

WCT: Do you ever want to retire?

Mary Wilson: No, I don't think I ever will.

WCT: I thought since Tina Turner retired recently, maybe you would.

Mary Wilson: Heck, if I did as well at Tina then I could retire too! I am still growing.

WCT: Still changing...

Mary Wilson: I am still changing—that is a better way to put it. I really am. I had all those years as a Supreme, which were just wonderful, but since that time I have been trying for Mary Wilson to have her own legacy. I could retire but I want to continue my dream as Mary Wilson.

WCT: Part of the legacy is staying with The Supremes the entire run of the group. No one else did that.

Mary Wilson: I do have a few legacies. I am star in my own mind! I think Diana feels this way, too. You are always trying to feel a completion. Even though you have done many things, you still have a dream and it keeps going.

One of my very dear friends just retired: Nancy Wilson. I asked her how she could retire because she has a great voice and she said she just got tired of it. I don't think I will ever get tired of it. I want to keep working. To me that is the ideal way to go.

WCT: Well, it keeps you young. You look amazing.

Mary Wilson: There is something to that. There is always an inner child and that child still plays. In many jobs you can't play but with this one I can play and that keeps you young. I don't want to ever reach the stage where I can't play. I have matured though. At 69 and a half I think I have finally grown up!

It will be a Mary Christmas at the Harris Theatre, 205 E. Randolph St., when Mary Wilson's Holiday Spectacular Featuring Special Guests The Four Tops jingles Dec. 23-Jan. 5, 2014. Visit www.HarrisTheaterChicago.org or call 312-334-2419 for tickets.

For more on Mary, visit www.marywilson.com .

[Roberta75]

Tickets are half price for 3 dates on Goldstar. Ive provided a link below. The christmas and the 10 o clock new year eve shows got canceled due to poor sales so come on everybody spread the word and help these two Motown legends sell out the remainning concerts.

http://www.goldstar.com/events/chicago-il/mary-wilson-and-the-four-tops

http://tickets.harristheaterchicago.org/tickets/production.aspx?performanceNumber=5804

Roberta

[supremester]

Its just her usual revisionist BS to paint herself as the struggling waif/victim.- is she forgetting that she was wrestling the mic from Jean as early as '71 and doing more and more solos each year? Is she forgetting she had left the group for a solo career before the group broke up? Mary Wilson will say literally ANYTHING - except truth on this subject. Not once have I ever read her tell the truth about it - and there's nothing to hide!
I think it is just loose talk to vague questions. But I think at this late stage she might mean Diana's dream for the supremes stopped, it took Mary years to figure it all out, but she liked to sing and carried on.

[Roberta75]

Its just her usual revisionist BS to paint herself as the struggling waif/victim. Evidently all those bottles of Dom have bubbled her brain - is she forgetting that she was wrestling the mic from Jean as early as '71 and doing more and more solos each year? Is she forgetting she had left the group for a solo career before the group broke up? Mary Wilson will say literally ANYTHING - except truth on this subject. Not once have I ever read her tell the truth about it - and there's nothing to hide!

In honor of the anniversary of the birth of Jesus can we please have peace at Christmas without any Supremes war please pretty please.

Roberta

[supremester]

I'm way ahead of you, Miss R - I actually had intended to remove the offensive wording and somehow it didn't happen - it's hectic here today. You were correct to call me out on it. I have edited it now as you can as well in your response.

Thank you for posting The Gold Star info - I hope everyone who can, will go. I tried to change my sked around it, but just can't make it work. I'm sure it will be worth seeing - especially after seeing the duet.

[Roberta75]

I'm way ahead of you, Miss R - I actually had intended to remove the offensive wording and somehow it didn't happen - it's hectic here today. You were correct to call me out on it. I have edited it now as you can as well in your response.

Thank you for posting The Gold Star info - I hope everyone who can, will go. I tried to change my sked around it, but just can't make it work. I'm sure it will be worth seeing - especially after seeing the duet.

Enjoy this glorious season my dear.

Roberta

[smark21]

http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/people/24457785-421/supreme-talent-mary-wilson-brings-holiday-concert-to-chicago.html

Here's another interview, this time in the Chicago Sun Times

[REDHOT]

Thanks, Milven for posting the interview,i enjoyed it

[supremester]

These prices are quite reasonable and make it worth traveling to!

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In a Nutshell

http://assets2.grouponcdn.com/images/groupon/channels/live_logo.pngOriginal Supreme Mary Wilson teams up with the Four Tops for holiday standards and Motown hits

The Fine Print

Expiration varies. Limit 8 per person. Valid only for option purchased. G-Pass not redeemable with mobile app. Use for admission at Harris Theater on day of show. Refundable only on day of purchase. Must purchase together to sit together. Discount reflects Ticketmaster's current ticket prices - price may differ on day of event [[http://gr.pn/o4BBqe). Doors open 1 hour before showtime. Merchant reserves the right to substitute closer seat assignment. For ADA seating, call box office promptly upon receipt of voucher - availability is limited. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services. See the rules [[http://www.groupon.com/pages/universal-fine-print) that apply to all deals.



Christmas is a special time when people don’t feel embarrassed about singing in a group and don’t get mad when you put fruit in their socks. Enjoy it while it lasts with this Groupon.
The Deal



One G-Pass to see the Mary Wilson Motown Holiday Spectacular with special guests The Four Tops [[http://marywilsonandthefourtops.com/)
When: December 23 or 25–27
Where: Harris Theater
Door time: one hour before showtime
Ticket values include all fees.

Seating Options


$29.99 for rear orchestra or upper balcony seating [[up to a $72.07 value)
$39.99 for mid-rear orchestra or lower balcony seating [[up to a $92.07 value)
$49.99 for mid-orchestra seating [[up to a $112.07 value)
$59.99 for front orchestra seating [[up to a $132.07 value)
Click here to view the seating chart [[http://gr.pn/w58kCD).

How G-Pass Works: Your G-Pass will be ready to print 48 hours after the deal ends. Print the G-Pass and use it to enter the venue directly; you won't need to redeem at will call. Due to security restrictions, G-Passes cannot be redeemed through the Groupon mobile app.

[zani57]

Duke Fakir from the group and I have been working together on this show. We have been friends since back in the early days. I recorded a top-10 hit with them, "River Deep Mountain High." We did [the album] The Return of the Magnificent Seven with The Four Tops and the Temptations.


The way this quote reads, it sounds as if Mary is saying that the album "The Return of the Magnificent Seven" featured both The Four Tops AND The Temptations. I realize that after working so many years, it all tends to blur together. I wonder if she actually believes that the "seven" were Jean, Mary, Cindy, and the Four Tops, and the [[five) Temptations, which would be "The Return of the Magnificent Twelve" !

[supremester]

I think she just got confused. Miss Ross recently said she recorded I'm Gonna Make You Love Me with Marvin Gaye

[jobeterob]

She thinks Diana thinks Mary is a star too. And I think Diana does think that. And she is. It's just that it's kind of "Motown Star", a lesser star to the public and maybe not that well known; but a star nonetheless; to the fans, to Motown fans, to gay fans.

They'll say anything these days; it's all so long ago and really, does it matter anymore?

Even if some shows are cancelled and the prices cut, they get to get out and put on a show and some people will come and enjoy.