Singer Mary Weiss Dies at 75- Entertainment News

By Geoffrey Huchel

Mary Weiss, the former lead singer of the 1960s pop girl group The Shangri-Las, passed away January 19, 2024. No cause of death was given. She was 75.

Weiss was born On December 28, 1948, in New York City, NY and grew up in the borough of Queens, with her sister, Elizabeth (known as Betty) and her brother George. During her school years Mary sang in school plays and choirs. While in grammar school, Mary and Betty became good friends with twin sisters Mary Ann and Margie Ganser. The four sang at local dances and sock hops, bringing them to the attention of local producer Artie Ripp, who signed them on to Kama Sutra Productions. In 1964, the girls were signed to Red Bird Records, where they recorded the songs “Remember (Walking in the Sand)”, their first hit single, and “Leader of the Pack”, which went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1964. The Shangri-Las became a leading girl group in the 1960s, however, after several years together, the group split up in 1968. After years apart and doing their own things, Weiss and the rest of The Shangri-Las occasionally got back together and gave shows in New York City during the 1970s. In 1989, they reunited one last time for a show at The Meadowlands in New Jersey.

In 2005, Weiss left her job in commercial interiors to get back into music. In March 2007, she released a critically acclaimed solo album “Dangerous Game”. She performed at various locations in the United States, as well as Spain and France.

Ringside Report sends our condolences to Mary Weiss’ family during their time of grief.

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