Mary Weiss, the leader of the iconic 1960s New York band Shangri-Las, has passed away at the age of 75. Miriam Linna from the Norton Records label, which released Mary's solo album "Dangerous Game" in 2007, confirmed her death to Rolling Stone on Friday. Linna expressed, “Mary was an icon, a hero, a heroine, to both young men and women of my generation and of all generations.”
The Instagram account for Ronnie Spector, who co-founded the girl group the Ronettes and passed away in January 2022, paid tribute to Weiss. The caption alongside a black-and-white photo of Weiss reads, “We are deeply saddened to hear the news of Mary Weiss’ passing. She and Ronnie were kindred spirits; two fearless bad girls of the 60s. Join us as we spin the Shangri-Las in her honor.”
Pop singer Sky Ferreira also shared her sentiments, writing, “Mary Weiss forever inspiration.”
Mary Weiss, along with her sister Elizabeth “Betty” Weiss and twins Marguerite “Marge” Ganser and Mary Ann Ganser, formed the Shangri-Las while growing up in Queens. The quartet gained attention after recording their first demo, “Remember (Walking in the Sand),” produced by George “Shadow” Morton in 1964.
Known for their melodramatic songs capturing the teen tragedy trend of the early Sixties, the Shangri-Las created hits like “Give Him a Great Big Kiss” and the 1964 chart-topper “Leader of the Pack.” In 2021, X honored the latter by including it in their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at number 315+_.
In a 2007 interview Mary Weiss, who had been out of the public eye for four decades, reflected on her past experiences, including the time she surprised James Brown at a Texas show. “When I walked out onstage, I thought he was going to have a coronary,” she recalled. “He didn’t realize I was white.” Weiss leaves behind a lasting legacy as a pioneering figure in the music scene, and her impact will be remembered by generations to come.