Motown's biggest female solo star, and a highly original vocalist with a unique blend of sophistication and innocence, Mary Wells enjoyed a long string of hits in the first half of the 1960s (Motown's glory days), mostly penned by genius writer/producer Smokey Robinson. In '64, Wells recorded a successful album of duets with Marvin Gaye. After leaving Motown in the mid-'60s, she had a few smaller hits here and there, but by the '70s her chart reign was over. An indefatigable trooper, she continued recording until she was felled by cancer in 1992.