An Unexpected Beverly Hills Encounter I'll Never Forget
Mable John and her brother, R&B trailblazer Little Willie John, singing together.
Before Mary Wells, Martha Reeves, Diana Ross, or Chris Clark, there was Mable John!
Born November 3, 1930, Mable John holds a special place in Motown history as the first female solo recording artist signed to Berry Gordy's fledgling Tamla label.
The older sister of R&B legend Little Willie John, Mable helped lay the foundation for the women who would follow at Hitsville.
And she was much more than another artist on Berry Gordy's roster. In those formative years, Mable was one of his trusted confidantes, accompanying him on business trips, helping promote his fledgling enterprise, and witnessing the birth of what would become a musical empire.
Although her early Tamla recordings never became major hits, her recording sessions became something of a classroom for two groups that would eventually become Motown royalty: the Supremes and the Temptations!
Long before they became international superstars, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard were cutting their teeth singing background vocals on Mable John's recordings, learning the recording business, developing their craft, and getting an early education in the Motown way.
And the Temptations were there, too! Their early background vocal work can be heard on Mable's "Take Me" and "Say You'll Never Let Me Go."
Imagine that! Two of Motown's greatest groups learning their way around the recording studio while supporting the label's first female solo artist.
A Forgotten Motown Duet
Here's another little piece of Motown history that deserves attention.
Long before Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell became Motown's celebrated duet partners, Berry Gordy was already experimenting with male-female vocal pairings.
One of those early artists was Singin' Sammy Ward, a bluesy vocalist who recorded with Sherri Taylor on the 1960 Motown release "Oh Lover," backed with "That's Why I Love You So Much."
Motown also paired Sammy with Mable John for a duet titled "I'm Yours, You're Mine."
The recording remained unreleased during Mable's original Motown tenure, finally appearing decades later on the 2004 compilation My Name Is Mable: The Complete Collection.
It's fascinating to hear these early experiments in male-female duets, years before Marvin and Mary Wells, and later Marvin and Tammi Terrell, would make the format such an important part of the Motown sound.
Mable would eventually find greater commercial success at Stax Records with "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)" and later became a featured voice with Ray Charles' Raelettes.
Her career extended far beyond Hitsville, but her place in Motown history was already secured.
EXPLORE MABLE JOHN'S MOTOWN RECORDINGS
For anyone curious about Mable's early Motown years, My Name Is Mable: The Complete Collection is a wonderful place to start. It brings together her Tamla recordings, including rare material such as her previously unreleased duet with Singin' Sammy Ward, “I'm Yours, You're Mine.”
🎶 Explore My Name Is Mable: The Complete Collection on Amazon
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And while her contributions to music are reason enough to celebrate her, I have another reason Mable John will always hold a special place in my heart.
First, A Little Something About Me
Before I go any further, there's something you should know.
I am an enormous Little Willie John fan. And I mean ENORMOUS!
I absolutely adore his music, but my fascination goes far beyond the records. His life, his story, and his revolutionary place in the evolution of R&B and soul music have captivated me for years.
In my opinion, his contributions remain criminally underappreciated.
Mable was part of Motown's earliest history. Little Willie helped shape the very sound of R&B before Motown even existed.
Two extraordinary talents from the same family.
And whenever I think of Mable, I can't help but think of Willie.
Which brings me to a rather extraordinary Christmas memory.
A Little Holiday Gig in Beverly Hills
A few years back, during the holiday season, at the request of a friend, I took a gig helping deliver Christmas gift baskets to residents around Beverly Hills, figuring I'd earn a few extra coins along the way.
And these weren't your ordinary gift baskets!
They were enormous, plush, beautifully arranged creations, some practically bigger than me!
One morning, as I was loading my car with baskets, I happened to notice a card attached to one of them.
It read:
"Dr. Mable John."
Well, imagine that!
Of all the deliveries I could have been assigned, wouldn't you know it, the Motown specialist, sometimes affectionately called "Chasey" (a little wink to Steven Maduro! 😉), would get the basket addressed to someone named Mable John!
Now, synchronicities have a funny way of finding me.
They happen so often that I've almost come to expect them. Still, this one caught my attention.
Of all the names I could have encountered that morning, Mable John?
What were the odds?
Naturally, I wondered who this Dr. Mable John was.
Did this person have any idea they shared a name with a Motown legend?
Was the doctor even a woman? For all I knew, I could be delivering to a gentleman!
Either way, I was looking forward to meeting this doctor with the wonderfully familiar name. I just hoped whoever answered the door would be friendly enough for me to share my little bit of Motown trivia.
After all, I'd encountered a few rather cranky Beverly Hills doctors in my day!
Gotta love Beverly Hills! 😉
I could already imagine myself explaining who Mable John was and why the name meant so much to me.
If only I had known.
The Door Opens
When I arrived at the beautiful, upscale Beverly Hills high-rise, I remember thinking, "Oh, very nice!"
Upstairs I went, enormous Christmas basket in hand.
I arrived at the apartment and knocked.
And when the door opened, I nearly fell over.
Standing right there in front of me was...
THE MABLE JOHN HERSELF!
Not somebody who happened to share her name.
Not a coincidence of names.
The actual Mable John. Motown pioneer. Stax recording artist. Former Raelette.
And the sister of one of my greatest musical idols!
I couldn't believe it.
Here I had been, driving around Beverly Hills, wondering whether this mysterious doctor knew anything about the famous Mable John.
And all along, I was delivering Christmas to the woman herself!
A Conversation I'll Always Treasure
We exchanged warm greetings, and I introduced myself, explaining my passion for Motown and its history.
But there was something else I simply had to tell her.
Her younger brother, Little Willie John, was one of my all-time musical idols.
My admiration for his extraordinary voice and artistry has always been something of a private passion. It's not something I get to share very often, simply because so few people today seem to know just how remarkable he was.
And here I was, standing face-to-face with his sister!
I told her how much I loved Willie's music and how deeply I admired his contributions to R&B and soul.
She seemed genuinely touched.
We shared a lovely, warm exchange, brief perhaps, but one that has stayed with me ever since.
There are moments in life you simply cannot arrange or anticipate.
This was one of them.
The Greatest Gift Wasn't in the Basket
I had set out that morning to deliver a Christmas basket and earn a few extra coins.
I never imagined I'd come home with a Motown memory I'd treasure for the rest of my life.
And the funny thing is, I thought I was the one bringing the gift.
Turns out, the greatest gift that day was waiting on the other side of the door.
Some deliveries you forget by the end of the day.
Others stay with you for a lifetime.
And this one?
Well, I couldn't have asked for a more special delivery.
Happy heavenly birthday, Dr. Mable John.
Thank you for the music, for helping pave the way for the women of Motown, and for one unforgettable moment during the Christmas season. 💙
Chasing Motown celebrates the artists, recordings, and personal stories that keep the Motown legacy alive.
Chasers, have you ever unexpectedly crossed paths with one of your musical heroes? I'd love to hear your story.
