Supreme’s style evolving

Leila Navidi

Mary Wilson, co-founder of The Supremes, rehearses for the Dennis Bono show Thursday at Sam’s Town. She says she’s now more into jazz than Motown.

By Jerry Fink (contact)

Monday, Sept. 8, 2008 | 2 a.m.

After almost 50 years in the business Supremes co-founder Mary Wilson is finding her voice — in jazz and ballads.

“I’m a slow learner,” she laughs as she prepares to tape an interview with local radio host Dennis Bono for his show on KUNV 91.5-FM and KDWN 720-AM.

She’d just flown back from London and was in overdrive mode trying to get the word out about her upcoming engagement at South Point. The shows Friday through Sunday are her first in her hometown in 18 months.

Wilson, 64, will mostly do Supremes songs during the appearance, but she does love jazz.

“These days I do a lot of performing arts centers and corporate dates that send me everywhere, from the smallest to the biggest cities,” she says. “Then, I have my little nightclub act — a whole jazz nightclub act. I love singing jazz. I think I’m actually better suited to jazz and ballads.

“After 50 years in the business, I’m just now exploring who I am.”

But she doesn’t want to disappoint her fans and is happy to perform the Supremes’ hits, which may explain why she’s so busy.

She’s so busy, it’s hard to keep up with the globe-trotting native of Mississippi:

• Southeast Asia — Wilson is the spokeswoman for the Humpty Dumpty Institute Mine Action Program, a position once held by the late Princess Diana. The institute works to rid the world of unexploded mines and to aid those who have been injured by explosions. Late last year she traveled to Laos and Sri Lanka for the cause, and she plans to tour Vietnam.

“I actually exploded some of the bombs,” Wilson says. “This is a problem all over the world. Right now we’re addressing the issue in Vietnam and Cambodia and other Southeast Asia nations.

“We are so blessed in America. We think we have it bad.”

• Australia — She went to Australia in April to perform with Human Nature, a group that does the Motown sounds.

“They’ve recorded several platinum albums and now they’re trying to break into Las Vegas,” Wilson says. “They’re going to have a show here for New Year’s and I’m going to be with them as a special guest.

“I want to be home working on New Year’s, not on the road.”

• Monaco — On Aug. 1 Wilson performed at the annual Princess Grace Red Cross Ball put on by Prince Albert.

“Billy Wyman, an ex-member of the Rolling Stones, was asked to perform at the show and he asked me,” Wilson says.

• London — While she was in the neighborhood, she dropped by London to check on more than 50 luxurious gowns worn by the Supremes, which are on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

“I’ve still got a lot in my garage,” she says. “I’d like to find a place for them in Vegas.”

While in London she took the time to work with the teenage cast of “Hairspray,” an amateur production put together for a reality TV series.

“The show found a school in London and sponsored them to put on the production — made the gowns, brought in Broadway producers — and then brought me in toward the end to mentor the kids, to give them stage presence,” Wilson says. “That’s what I did.”

The show’s finale was putting the show on in the West End.

“The students were brilliant,” she says.

• Berlin — When Wilson finished being interview by Bono, she went home to pack for a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Motown.

“Motown is owned by Universal, whose headquarters are in Berlin,” Wilson says. “So they’re having a big celebration with lots of events there.”

She left Saturday and will return Thursday, in time for the South Point shows.

• Nashville — After her South Point gig, Wilson can relax — but only for a couple of days. She’s heading for Tennessee, where she has an engagement with the Nashville Symphony at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.