Mary Wilson Movies
In this music video compilation, Motown fans are treated to 100 video clips featuring their favorite Motor City music artists. The era may be gone, but the groove lingers on as Martha and the Vandellas, The Contours, Billy Preston, Marvelous Marv Johnson, The Elgins, and The Supremes deliver hit after toe tapping hit. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mary Wells, The Miracles, (more)
- 2005
This concert program captures a live performance by soul singer and former member of The Supremes Mary Wilson, recorded live at the Sands Casino in Las Vegas in 2005. Some of the songs featured in the performance include My World Is Empty Without You, Reflections, and more. ~ Cammila Albertson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Donzel Davis, Ray Pannell, (more)
- 2003
This program takes a look at the fascinating musical journey of legendary Motown girl group the Supremes, tracing their roots from housing projects in Detroit, to the height of international fame. ~ Cammila Albertson, Rovi
- Starring:
- The Supremes, Diana Ross, (more)
Roger Friedman is an entertainment journalist and music fan with a particular love for R&B and soul music from the mid-'50s to the pre-disco era of the early '70s. Owing in part to segregated booking policies and simple lack of proper archiving, Friedman discovered there is little or no surviving film footage or videotape of many of the greatest artists of the era performing on-stage. However, a large number of the performers in question were still active and performing on a regular basis, and with the help of documentary filmmakers Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker, Friedman set out to capture some of his favorites on film while they were still in good form. Only the Strong Survive features knockout performances from such R&B legends as Wilson Pickett, Jerry Butler, the Chi-Lites, Carla Thomas, Mary Wilson, Ann Peebles, and many more, as well as interviews in which the artists discuss the ups and downs of their lives in music. Only the Strong Survive also features performance footage of Memphis R&B pioneer Rufus Thomas, who had passed on at the age of 84, less than two months before the film was screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Bell, Jerry Butler, (more)
- 2001
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Vocal Group Hall of Fame, Vol. 1 features a series of artists performing songs in order to commemorate their induction into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. This release includes Mary Wilson performing the National Anthem, The Orioles delivering a medley of Sam Cooke songs, The Vogues offering versions of "Five O'Clock World," and "You're The One," and performances by The Lettermen and The Lennon Sisters. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- 2000
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What do Neil Diamond, the Beach Boys, the Ronettes, Ike and Tina Turner, the Shangri-Las, and the Dixie Cups all have in common? They all recorded hits that were written, co-written, or co-produced by Jeff Barry. Originally broadcast as a PBS television special, this program was recorded live at the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara, CA. It features performances of many of Barry's hit songs, as well as interviews with Barry himself and a number of artists who had hits singing his compositions. The performances include: "Chapel of Love" by the Dixie Cups, "Da Doo Ron Ron" by the Crystals, "Be My Baby" by Brian Wilson, "I Can Hear Music" by Ronnie Spector and Brian Wilson, "River Deep, Mountain High" by Mary Wilson, "Leader of the Pack" -- an ensemble performance, "And Then He Kissed Me" by the Crystals, "The Last Time I Made Love" by Deniece Williams and Jeffrey Osborne, "I Honestly Love You" by Deniece Williams, "Baby I Love You" by Andy Kim, and "Doo Wah Ditty" by Jeff Barry and his guests. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi
- 1999
Najara (Kathryn Morris), the homicidal religious zealot with whom Xena (Lucy Lawless) tussled in the earlier episode "Crusader," is back with a new look -- and a new message. Insisting that she has forsaken her past strong-arm methods, Najara declares that she is now devoted to a mantra of nonviolence -- but Xena isn't buying. Meanwhile, Joxer (Ted Raimi) must confront his feelings of guilt over his first kill. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
Diana Ross hosts this four-hour TV special tracing the rise of Berry Gordy's Detroit-based Motown record label during the '60s. Clips were compiled from a variety of sources, including such TV shows as Teen Town, Where the Action Is and It's What's Happening Baby. The history covers the label's leading acts (Temptations, Supremes, Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Martha and the Vandellas, Mary Wells, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye) and explores the talents who created the Motown style -- songwriters Holland-Dozier-Holland and Norman Whitfield, choreographer Cholly Atkins, finishing-school director Maxine Powell, arranger Maurice King, and the rhythm section (pianist Earl van Dyke, drummer Ben Benjamin, and bassist James Jamerson). With background on Gordy, the story moves forward into Motown's film/TV production, the solo career of Diana Ross, the Commodores, Teena Marie, Rick James, and many others. Interviews include Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, Branford Marsalis, Clive Davis, Jesse Jackson, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, George Schlatter, Julian Bond, Diahann Carroll, RuPaul, and Rod Stewart. The special premiered as a two-parter (February 15th and 19th, 1998) on ABC. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, (more)
