The Marvelettes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Marvelettes
The Marvelettes in a 1963 promotional photo. Clockwise from top left: Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgeanna Tillman, and Wanda Young
Background information
Also known as	The Casinyets, the Marvels, the Darnells
Origin	Inkster, Michigan, U.S.
Genres	R&B, rock and roll, doo-wop, pop, soul
Years active	1960–1971
Labels	Tamla, Motown
Past members	Gladys Horton Katherine Anderson Georgeanna Tillman Wanda Young Juanita Cowart Ann Bogan Georgia Dobbins

The Marvelettes were a famous American girl group from the 1960s. They became very popular in the early to mid-1960s. The group started with school friends Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgeanna Tillman, Juanita Cowart, and Georgia Dobbins. Before they signed their first record deal, Wanda Young joined the group, replacing Georgia Dobbins.

The Marvelettes were the first super successful group for Motown Records after the Miracles. They were also Motown's first very successful female group. This happened after their song "Please Mr. Postman" became number one in 1961. This song was one of the first number-one hits by an all-female group and the first for any Motown artist!

The group formed in 1960 when the members sang together in their glee club at Inkster High School in Inkster, Michigan. They signed with Motown's Tamla label in 1961. Some of their early hit songs were written by the band members themselves. Others were written by rising stars like Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye. Marvin Gaye even played drums on many of their early recordings! Even with their early success, other groups like the Supremes became more popular later on. The Marvelettes and the Supremes even had a friendly competition.

However, the Marvelettes made a big comeback in 1966 with their hit song "Don't Mess with Bill". They had several other hits too. The group stopped performing together in 1969. After an album called The Return of the Marvelettes came out in 1970 (which only featured Wanda Rogers), the group officially broke up. Both Wanda Rogers and Katherine Anderson left the music business.

The Marvelettes have received many awards. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. They also received the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. In 2005, two of their most successful songs, "Please Mr. Postman" and "Don't Mess with Bill," sold over a million copies each. They earned Gold singles from the RIAA. On August 17, 2013, The Marvelettes were inducted into the first class of the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

History of The Marvelettes

How The Marvelettes Started

The group that became The Marvelettes began at Inkster High School in Inkster, Michigan. This was in the fall of 1960. Fifteen-year-old glee club member Gladys Horton started the group. She asked older glee club members Katherine Anderson, Georgeanna Tillman, Juanita Cowart, and a high school graduate named Georgia Dobbins to join her. At first, they called themselves "the Casinyets," which was a funny way of saying "we can't sing yet."

In 1961, the five friends, now called "the Marvels," entered a talent show. They came in fourth place. Even though only the top three winners were supposed to audition for the new Motown record label, their teachers helped them get an audition too. They sang for Motown executives like Brian Holland and Robert Bateman. Then they had a second audition with bigger names like Smokey Robinson and the Motown founder, Berry Gordy. Gordy liked their singing but told them to come back with their own original song.

Back in Inkster, Georgia Dobbins found a local musician, William Garrett. He had an unfinished song called "Please Mr. Postman." Garrett let Dobbins use it, as long as he got credit if it became a hit. Even though she had never written a song before, Dobbins worked on it all night. She changed it to fit the popular teenage sound of doo-wop.

Before they went back to Motown, Georgia Dobbins left the group. Her family was growing, and her father advised her not to continue in show business. Gladys Horton then took charge of the group. She asked another Inkster graduate, Wanda Young, to replace Dobbins. When the group returned and sang their new song, Berry Gordy agreed to work with them. He also suggested they change their name. Gordy renamed them The Marvelettes and signed them to Motown's Tamla division in July 1961.

The next month, the group recorded "Please Mr. Postman." Other writers like Brian Holland, Robert Bateman, and Freddie Gorman helped make the song even better. Freddie Gorman was a mailman, which fit the song perfectly! They also recorded "So Long Baby," sung by Wanda. Tamla released "Please Mr. Postman" on August 21, 1961. The song quickly went to the top of the charts, reaching number one that December. This made The Marvelettes the first Motown group to have a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

To keep their success going, Motown had the group record "Twistin' Postman." This song was made to go along with the popular twist dance craze. It reached number 34 on the pop chart in early 1962. Before the end of 1961, Tamla released The Marvelettes' first album, also called Please Mr. Postman.

Another hit song, "...", reached number 7. A fourth hit, "Beechwood 4-5789", was co-written by Marvin Gaye and reached number 17. The flip side of "Beechwood," called "Someday, Someway," also became popular on R&B radio. It reached number 8 on the R&B chart, making it their first song where both sides were hits.

Because of their success, the group had to leave school to perform. They were promised tutors to help them with their studies, but they never got them. Since they were so young, Esther Gordy Edwards (Berry Gordy's sister) helped look after them. She took them to Motortown Revue shows. After several more successful songs, "Strange I Know" reached number 49.

In early 1963, the group became a quartet when Juanita Cowart decided to leave. She felt too much stress from performing on the road. The group continued as four members. They released "Locking Up My Heart", which reached number 44. This was one of the first songs where both Gladys Horton and Wanda Young sang lead. The song's B-side, "Forever," also became popular, reaching number 78. Then, Berry Gordy wrote and produced "My Daddy Knows Best," but it was their lowest charting song at number 67.

Changes and New Success

By 1964, many American vocal groups, especially all-female bands, were finding it hard to have hits. This was because of the new British pop and rock acts like The Beatles. Meanwhile, other Motown girl groups like Martha and the Vandellas and the Supremes were becoming very popular. The Supremes became Motown's top female group after many hit songs that year. Some people say The Marvelettes turned down the song "Where Did Our Love Go," which became a huge hit for The Supremes. Gladys Horton said they chose "Too Many Fish in the Sea" instead because it had more music and bongos.

That year, The Marvelettes had a Top 40 hit with "Too Many Fish in the Sea," which reached number 25. By this time, Motown had started its "charm school." They hired choreographer Cholly Atkins and Maxine Powell to help their artists look and act more polished. Atkins helped The Marvelettes with their dance moves. Powell taught them to be more graceful, telling them they would "perform in front of kings and queens."

Around this time, two of The Marvelettes got married. Georgeanna Tillman married Billy Gordon of the Contours. Wanda Young married Bobby Rogers of the Miracles and changed her name to Wanda Rogers. By the end of 1964, Georgeanna Tillman, who had sickle cell anemia, was also diagnosed with lupus. By early 1965, her doctor told her to stop performing because of her illnesses and the tough touring schedule. The rest of The Marvelettes continued as a trio.

In mid-1965, Wanda Rogers became the main lead singer. Motown producers felt her voice was better for this role than Gladys Horton's at the time. With Wanda as lead, the group had a hit with "I'll Keep Holding On," which reached number 34. "Danger! Heartbreak Dead Ahead" reached number 61 on the pop chart but was number 11 on the R&B chart. Later in 1965, the group released the Smokey Robinson song, "Don't Mess with Bill." This song brought them back to the top ten, reaching number 7. It also sold over a million copies, becoming their second million-selling single. From then on, most of The Marvelettes' songs featured Wanda Rogers on lead vocals.

In 1966, they had another success with "You're the One." By the end of that year, they reached the top 20 with "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game," also written by Smokey Robinson. In 1967, the group recorded "When You're Young and in Love." This song reached number 23 in the U.S. and number 13 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming their only British hit.

Later Years and Legacy

By 1967, Gladys Horton decided to leave The Marvelettes. Her first child, Sammie, was born with cerebral palsy, and she wanted to focus on her family. She left before the hit song "My Baby Must Be a Magician" was released. This song reached number 17 and featured the Temptations' Melvin Franklin speaking the opening line. After Horton left, Harvey Fuqua introduced Ann Bogan, who replaced her. However, by 1968, many of Motown's early musicians had left the label. The group struggled to record new hits after "Magician." Motown also did not promote their new songs much. Their 1968 singles "Here I Am Baby" and "Destination: Anywhere" were only moderately successful. Their 1969 album, In Full Bloom, did not do well.

Wanda Rogers began having personal problems and sometimes did not show up for performances. In 1970, Wanda Rogers recorded songs for a solo album. Motown decided to release it as The Return of The Marvelettes. Since no other Marvelettes were on this album, Katherine Anderson refused to be on the cover. She felt Motown was disrespecting the group. The album was only a small hit. After this, the group broke up. Katherine Anderson worked briefly as a staff writer for Motown. After Motown moved to Los Angeles in 1972, both Anderson and Rogers left the music business. They returned to Michigan. Gladys Horton moved to Los Angeles and raised her three sons.

In January 1980, Georgeanna Tillman passed away from complications of lupus at age 36. Later, some former members sued Motown, saying they had not received their fair share of money from their music. In 1989, Gladys Horton tried to get the original Marvelettes back together. Wanda Young was the only other member who agreed to sing on the new recordings. Gladys Horton continued to perform, sometimes as "Gladys Horton of the Marvelettes." She spent years fighting to keep the group's name because someone else had bought the rights to it.

Gladys Horton passed away from a stroke in January 2011. Both Georgia Dobbins and Juanita Cowart stayed in Inkster and lived lives outside of music. Juanita Cowart was active in her church choir. Katherine Anderson lives in Inkster and helps young vocal groups in the Detroit area. Ann Bogan, who joined later, lives in Cleveland, Ohio. She was part of the group New Birth before retiring to raise her children. All the surviving members, including Dobbins and Rogers, were interviewed for a TV show called Unsung.

Georgia Dobbins passed away on September 18, 2020, at age 78. Wanda Rogers passed away on December 15, 2021, also at age 78.

The Marvelettes' Legacy

In 2005, The Marvelettes received two gold awards for their biggest hits, "Please Mr. Postman" and "Don't Mess with Bill." This meant these songs had sold over a million copies each. The next year, Gladys Horton appeared on a TV concert special called My Music: Salute to Early Motown. Some of the group's songs were later used by rap musicians. For example, Jay-Z's song "Poppin' Tags" used a part of The Marvelettes' 1970 cover of "After All".

In 1995, they received the "Pioneer Award" from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. In 2004, the group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. In 2006, a book about the group called The Original Marvelettes: Motown's Mystery Girl Group was published.

In 2007, The Marvelettes were voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.

In 2009, for Motown's 50th Anniversary, a special three-CD set was released. It was called The Marvelettes: Forever – The Complete Motown Albums Vol. 1. This set included their first six albums, some of which had never been on CD before. Another set, The Marvelettes: Forever More – The Complete Motown Albums Vol. 2, came out in 2011. Their famous 1961 number-one hit, "Please Mr. Postman," was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.

The Marvelettes were nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013 and again in 2015. On August 17, 2013, The Marvelettes were inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in Cleveland. They were inducted again in June 2017 in Detroit, Michigan.

Members of The Marvelettes

• Gladys Catherine Horton (May 30, 1945 – January 26, 2011) - lead vocals (1960–1967)
• Wanda LaFaye Young Rogers (August 9, 1943 – December 15, 2021) - lead vocals (1961–1971)
• Katherine Anderson Schaffner (born January 16, 1944) - vocals (1960–1969)
• Georgeanna Marie Tillman Gordon (February 6, 1944 – January 6, 1980) - vocals (1960–1965)
• Ann Bogan (born March 17, 1941) - lead vocals (1967–1969)
• Juanita Cowart Motley (born Wyanetta Cowart, January 8, 1944) - vocals (1960–1963)
• Georgia Dobbins Davis (May 5, 1942 – September 18, 2020) - lead vocals (1960–1961)

Discography

Albums

Singles

(*There was no Billboard R&B Singles Chart from November 1963 to January 1965. The R&B chart numbers from that period come from Cash Box magazine, a Billboard competitor at the time.)

Awards and Recognition

• 1995: The Rhythm & Blues Pioneer Award (Rhythm & Blues Foundation).
• 2004: Inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
• 2005: RIAA-certified half million-selling Gold records for "Please Mr. Postman" and "Don't Mess with Bill".
• 2013: Nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• 2013: Inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Hall Of Fame.

See also

In Spanish: The Marvelettes para niños