Mary Wells

Motown's reigning diva until the arrival of Diana Ross, Mary Wells began making hits at 16 with "Bye Bye Baby," which she wrote herself, and went on to release a stirring round of singles, generally cowrit-ten with the label's in-house genius, Smokey Robinson. Her light, airy approach stamped her as more of a '50s-style doo-wopper than a soul singer, and her trademark songs -- "My Guy," "You Beat Me to the Punch," "The One Who Really Loves You" -- were more snappy than fervent. With Marvin Gaye, however ("What's the Matter With You Baby," "Once Upon a Time"), she swung with more confidence. Holland-Dozier-Holland produced her one exceptional go-for-broke number, "You Lost the Sweetest Boy", and it remains a fine treatise on agonized romance. The Ultimate Collection is the most thorough compilation; You Beat Me to the Punch is a strong set of all-Smokey productions. Wells lost her battle with throat cancer in 1992. (PAUL EVANS)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide