The Marvelettes lead singer Wanda Young passes away at the age of 78

Wanda Young left her mark in the world of music and was popularly known for being one of the lead singers in the band The Marvelettes. The legendary musician passed away on December 15 in Garden City, in the city of Michigan. She breathed her last at the age of 78 and died of pulmonary disease.

Singer Wanda Young from The Marvelettes passes away at 78

The Marvelettes rose to fame and were popular for their 1961 song Please Mr. Postman, which the group recorded when they were only teenagers. According to a report by The New York Times, the late singer's daughter, Meta Ventress shared that she passed away from complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 

The Marvelettes began their journey in the world of music in 1961 and Wanda Young, who was also known as Wanda Rogers was the lead singer of the group along with Gladys Horton. The band's song, Don’t Mess With Bill was also one that became exceedingly popular. It ranked number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1966, only 5 years after the group became to produce music. Young took the lead on the song, which had been penned down by Smokey Robinson.

Wanda Young sang several numbers, whose lyrics were written by Smokey Robinson. Some of the songs include I’ll Keep Holding On, which released in 1965 and rose to the 34th position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She also sang The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game, which was written by Robinson. The song ranked at number 13 on the charts in 1967 and was well-known in the music industry. The Marvelettes began as a five-member group and eventually became a quartet and then a trio. The group then dissolved in 1970, and in the same year, Wanda Young recorded an album, that was produced by Smokey Robinson.

Several fans of the legendary singer took to Twitter and mourned her loss. A fan wrote, "Rest in paradise to Wanda Young from the Marvelettes", while another wrote, "So many great songs but her lead on ‘Don’t Mess With Bill’ has always been a favourite." A netizen also said, "Starting off the morning with one less memory of my youth… RIP."

Image: Twitter/@MikeBaris, @KtoUmarl