Mary Weiss, the iconic lead singer of The Shangri-Las, has passed away at the age of 75, as confirmed by Miriam Linna of Norton Records to Rolling Stone. Weiss was known for the highly influential girl group’s artful and cinematic singles in the 1960s. These singles included “Leader of the Pack,” “I Can Never Go Home Anymore,” and “Give Him a Great Big Kiss,” among others. The group depicted highly melodramatic teen tragedies in their music, and “Leader of the Pack” even managed to become a US Number One single.
Weiss was born in Queens, New York, in 1948 and began gaining attention as a singer with her sister Elizabeth “Betty” Weiss and the Ganser twins at local dances. After being invited to the legendary music production house, the Brill Building, the group worked with producer George “Shadow” Morton to create their debut single, “Remember (Walking in the Sand).”
After their singles became successful, the band split in 1968 after facing legal difficulties. As a result, Weiss was unable to record new music for 10 years. In the decades following the split, she moved to San Francisco and worked at an architecture firm. The Shangri-Las rarely made public appearances, but Weiss released one solo album, Dangerous Game, in 2007. The album was backed by the Memphis garage rock band Reigning Sound.
The band Garbage and Ronnie Spector, who was the frontwoman for another leading ’60s girl group The Ronettes, posted touching tributes to Weiss on Instagram in tribute to her memory. A range of musicians and fans also offered their condolences to the talented and inspiring artist. Weiss will be fondly remembered as a fearless “bad girl” of the 1960s who empowered young people to dream bigger and reach for their musical aspirations
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