Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together

by Mary Wilson, Patricia Romanowski

Recounts the attempts of Motown to undermine the Supremes after Diana Ross's departure from the group and tells of the author's celebrated love affairs and solo career

Genres: Music

303 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1990

About the author

Mary Wilson was best known as a founding member and longest member of the Supremes. Wilson remained with the group following the departures of other original members, Florence Ballard and Diana Ross. Following Wilson's own departure in 1977, the group disbanded. Wilson has since released three solo albums, five singles and two best-selling autobiographies, Dreamgirl: My Life As a Supreme, a record setter for sales in its genre, and Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together; both books later were released as an updated combination

Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mary Wilson is definitely a survivor, but this book about life after the Diana Ross Supremes is not as interesting as her first book, Dreamgirl. Maybe she should have stopped there.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was well-written enough, but I feel there is a lot that Mary is not telling. In the book's plot Mary takes responsibility for the group. In the book's writing, I feel she does not take as much responsibility for what happened to the group. I understand that there were many forces beyond her control, most notably Motown's desire to deprive the group of airplay. Mary talks a lot of trash about all of the singers and her power struggles with them. I don't doubt what she says, but I would love to hear the other ladies' sides of the story. The only one who comes out looking good (Mary included), is Scherrie Payne, the final lead singer of the Supremes. She sounds very professional and expresses understanding about Mary's abusive marriage. As Mary's life gets messier, the book gets messier. I feel she leaves out information that might make her look bad. Dramatically, however, the book comes to life whenever Diana Ross randomly blows into Mary's life. For a while Mary's fortunes are looking up and Diana appears to have taken too huge risks, but that all changes when "Lady Sings the Blues" hits. And we see the demise of Florence Ballard once again. Overall, a good book but the parts are greater than the whole.

[Michael Holland · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of the same, only Mary seems more and more sanctimonious, and more of a whiner. She no doubt was treated unfairly and poorly, but she also sabotaged herself and the group after Diana left the Supremes.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a hard book to read. Mary was abused by her husband and she should have left him much much sooner, but she was afraid of his threats that he would take away her children. This is her 2nd book and picks up after Diana Ross left the Supremes and Mary struggled to try and keep the Supremes as a top group even when Motown did not support them now that Diana was gone. Mary Wilson had an over the top life and traveled throughout the world but it was also a financial struggle as Motown did not give her most of the money she made in the 60's. It would have been better read the other memoir first if possible that I imagine talks about her first joining the group. This book was written in 1990.

[Imani Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply transparent window into the music industry system. Ms.Wilson's narrative voice appears forever young and fixed in time as that same teenager from the Brewster Projects in Detroit.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Sharell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was one of the first adult books I read back in the summer of 1996, and a lot of details still stand out in my mind to this day. The abuse Ms. Wilson faced, the struggle to keep The Supremes together, seemed very realistic. I didn't get the feeling that Mary was completely honest about her recollection of everything that happened, but very few people are completely honest when writing a memoir. Berry Gordy's treatment of the group in the 70s seems to be very in keeping with the way he treated other groups at the time, like The Jackson 5, the Temptations, and Stevie Wonder to name a few. I reccomend this book to anyone curious about how bands fall apart.

[Helen · Rating 1 out of 5]

boring, dreary and utterly monotonous. don't waste your time with it.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring