Jump to content

Rip Gladys Horton

Rip Gladys Horton magazine cover

Sad news

 

http://www.mynewslet...ter/1410718729/

 

below added by site

 

Gladys Horton, the co-founder and former lead singer of the Motown group "The Marvelettes," has passed away.

 

 

Vaughn Thornton, 40, says his mother passed at approximately 10:00 PM, PST on Wednesday, Jan. 26th in a Sherman Oaks, Calif. (near Los Angeles) nursing home where she had been recuperating from a stroke that she suffered some time ago.

"My mother died peacefully," said Thornton. "She fought as long as she could."

 

Born in Detroit, Michigan, she was raised in the western Detroit suburb of Inkster by foster parents. By the time of her high school years at Inkster High School on Middlebelt Road, Gladys had taken a strong interest in singing, joining the high school glee club. In early 1961, the fourteen-year-old formed a group with fellow glee club members , Georgeanna Tillman, Katherine Anderson and Juanita Cowart. She also invited Georgia Dobbins to join her new group.

 

Formerly calling themselves The Casinyets (can't sing yet), the group eventually auditioned for Motown after a talent contest, and while the audition was successful, the group was requested to return to Hitsville with an original song. After member Georgia Dobbins co-created the song "Please Mr. Postman", Dobbins suddenly left the group after her father forbid her from being in nightclubs. Dobbins, who was also the group's original lead singer, gave Horton the spotlight to be the lead vocalist, a spot Horton was not comfortable with in the beginning. The group changed their name to the Marvelettes shortly after Motown signed the act and released "Please Mr. Postman" in the summer of 1961 when Horton was just fifteen.

 

The single eventually hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 - becoming Motown's first #1 Pop hit - and turning the group into instant Motown stars. Horton would later sing lead on Marvelettes' classics such as "Playboy", "Beechwood 4-5789" and "Too Many Fish in the Sea". Horton's position as lead vocalist ended in 1965 with Wanda Young, who had replaced Dobbins, taking over from then on as lead vocalist. Horton left the group in 1967 and was replaced by Cleveland, Ohio vocalist Anne Bogan.

 

In the late 1980s Horton and Wanda Young Rogers reunited to collaborate on the 1990 Marvelettes album for Ian Levine's Motor City Records label titled The Marvelettes...Now! though Young didn't take part in the group's performances. The Marvelettes released the single "Holding On With Both Hands" in 1990, which was sung on record by Wanda but performed by Gladys in public

 

For years Horton had retired from the business to take care of her handicapped son. Horton still performs on occasion as Gladys Horton of the Marvelettes. Horton and former Marvelette Katherine Anderson were involved with Marc Taylor's official biography of the group. Horton has resided in southern California since the early 1970s.

 

She died 26th january 2011 at 66 years old

source :above link and http://en.wikipedia....i/Gladys_Horton

 

more reading

Motown's real unsung heroes (Pt. 1): The Marvelettes

http://midnightman84.wordpress.com/




Members Comments

Recommended Comments

shame and so young too

marvelettes - my baby must be a magicain - tamla motown

r.i.p Gladys.......

A big club fave back in the mid 60ts in my clubs, still a fave of mine to this day, Melvin Franklin of The Temptations on opening monolgue of course

Link to comment
Social source share

shame and so young too

marvelettes - my baby must be a magicain - tamla motown

r.i.p Gladys.......

Trouble is, she doesn't sing on this one...

Lead vocalist here is Wanda Young Rogers, backed by the Andantes.

Gladys Horton's last A side with the Marvelettes was 'Too Many Fish In The Sea'.

Wonderful, unique voice, though. Shame it;'s now stilled forever....

Link to comment
Social source share

RIP Gladys.

Ian D :thumbsup:

That's also Wanda Young Rogers singing with the Andantes. As with '...Magician' Gladys was not even in the studio when this track was recorded.

Please, if you've going to post a tune up in tribute, at least have courtesy to check who the lead vocalist is.

Here, looking great and miming to her final Marvelettes A side, is Gladys Horton:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKQbpSLW1jE

Link to comment
Social source share

That's also Wanda Young Rogers singing with the Andantes. As with '...Magician' Gladys was not even in the studio when this track was recorded.

Please, if you've going to post a tune up in tribute, at least have courtesy to check who the lead vocalist is.

Here, looking great and miming to her final Marvelettes A side, is Gladys Horton:

https://www.youtube.c...h?v=HKQbpSLW1jE

My mistake Tony, so apologies. So my favourite 2 records by the Marvelettes both turned out not to feature Gladys Horton but I still wish her the best.

Note to self: must research better before I post...........

Ian D :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Social source share

That's also Wanda Young Rogers singing with the Andantes. As with '...Magician' Gladys was not even in the studio when this track was recorded.

Please, if you've going to post a tune up in tribute, at least have courtesy to check who the lead vocalist is.

You are right Tony, though Wanda was the voice of the Marvelettes as we come to know them (never better in my opinion then on their far superior version of "I Want A Guy" which for me will always mark out the girls in front of the supremes) Gladys WAS The Marvelettes. It is sad to see her passing away. The Marvelettes will always be for me, Motown's PREMIER girl group.

First record I bought by the girls was Holland Dozier Holland's "Locking Up My Heart" not my fav now, but still love the trade off lead vocals between Gladys and Wanda

so here is both of them!

marvelettes - locking up my heart - tamla

much respect to that little girl from Inkster, a major stamp on my birth to the music I love.

steve

Link to comment
Social source share




×
×
  • Create New...