Glady Horton passes away

Co-founder of Marvellettes helped usher in girl group era
Susan Whitall / The Detroit News

Gladys Horton, who helped launch the girl group era of the '60s with her sassy, girlish lead vocal on the Marvelettes' "Please, Mr. Postman," the first Motown song to reach No. 1 on the pop charts, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. The singer, 66, had been recovering from a stroke in a Los Angeles nursing home when she died, according to her son, Vaughn Thornton.

"She fought until the end, her son told me," said fellow Marvelette Katherine Anderson Schaffner. She had alerted friends and fans several weeks ago that Horton was ill.

"When I let everybody know on my Facebook page that she was ill, she was already in hospice," Schaffner said. "Even though you try to prepare, and know the inevitable is about to happen, I don't think you're ever prepared for (someone's) death."

Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr., who was wowed by the 15-year-old Horton and her group, said in a statement, "I am so saddened to hear of the passing of another Motown great, one of our first, Gladys Horton, who with the Marvelettes, recorded our first #1 hit, 'Please Mr. Postman,' and many others. Gladys was a very, very special lady, and I loved the way she sang with her raspy, soulful voice."

They were just teenagers when Horton, Schaffner and several friends from Inkster High School's choir formed a group so they could enter a talent contest.

Schaffner remembers that Horton was determined to get into the mix when she heard the prize was an audition at Motown. They called their group the "Casinyets" (i.e. "can't sing yet"), and no, they didn't win the contest.

But a sympathetic counselor secured a meeting at Motown for the group. They wowed Gordy and his staff.
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