Known as the "First Lady of Motown," singer and songwriter Mary Wells launched Motown into the black with a succession of hits. As a teenager, Wells was the first Motown artist to have a Top Ten and Number One single for the label. She was teamed with songwriter/producer Smokey Robinson, and their synergy produced the right combination of material and approach to show off Wells's talent to the fullest. During Wells's tenure with Motown, she had nine hit songs in the R&B category and six more in the pop category.

Mary Esther Wells was born on May 13, 1943 in Detroit and grew up singing gospel music at her uncle's Baptist church with aspirations to become a songwriter. While in high school, she penned the gospel-inspired "Bye Bye Baby" with singer Jackie Wilson in mind. Songwriter Berry Gordy had written several hits for Wilson...