Mary Weiss, lead singer of the Shangri-Las, dies at 75

Mary Weiss, the lead singer of the 1960s pop group the Shangri-Las, whose hits included “Leader of the Pack,” has died. She was 75.

Miriam Linna, founder of Weiss’ label, Norton Records, said Sunday that Weiss died Friday in Palm Springs, Calif. No cause of death was given. Rolling Stone first reported her death Friday.

The Shangri-Las, formed in the New York City borough of Queens, were made up of two pairs of sisters: Weiss and her sister Elizabeth “Betty” Weiss, along with twins Marguerite “Marge” Ganser and Mary Ann Ganser. They met in school and as teenagers began performing at school dances and teen hops.

After producer Artie Ripp signed them to Kama Sutra Productions, the Shangri-Las found enormous success as a girl group with a tough, working-class image and drama-filled songs of teen dreams and heartbreak that consumed mid-1960s radio waves. Their name came from a restaurant in Queens.

Their first hit, “Remember (Walking in the Sand),” reached the Billboard top 5 in 1964 for Red Bird Records. Weiss was just 15 when it charted. The song, which Aerosmith would later cover, was written by Brill Building pop songwriter-producer George “Shadow” Morton.

Morton would be a key architect of the Shangri-Las, developing a sound that fused a Ronettes-style R&B with big teenage emotions. “Leader of the Pack,” co-written by Morton, was the top Billboard single of 1965. On it, Weiss sang:

“My folks were always putting him down

They said he came from the wrong side of town

They told me he was bad, but I knew he was sad

That’s why I fell for the leader of the pack”

The Shangri-Las didn’t last long. They disbanded in 1968 amid legal issues. But they remained a pioneering all-female group.