The Supremes’ Mary Wilson "will never get over" the death of her son.
The 75-year-old singer – who was the founder and longest member of the legendary group – tragically lost her then-14-year-old son Rafael in a car crash, in which she was behind the wheel of her Jeep Cherokee, in January 1994 and, although she got through the ordeal with "resilience", she’ll never forgive herself.
Speaking to Dan Wootton on ‘The Dan Wootton Interview’, she said: "I was driving the car, but you know we had gotten a lot of sleep that night. I had not been drinking or anything like that It was really devastating. I think the only thing that got me through was probably just being who I am. I am very resilient.
"My other son said to me, ‘Mum, losing Rafael was like having a hole in my heart.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, you’re right, it’s like a hole but you’ve still got your heart, you still have your heart.’ And I think that’s what got me through, still having that heart and knowing life can be up and it can be down and you’ve got to learn how to roll with the punches as they say. I mean I’m not over it, I’ll never be over it."
Mary has pictures of Rafael all over her house and sometimes she’ll look at them and "just burst into tears" as she reflects on the tragic accident 25 years ago.
She explained: "I have his picture all over my house and sometimes I will look at it and I’ll just burst into tears. And sometimes I’ll just smile, you know, you’ve just got to, something in you, you’ve got to have that."
Rafael – who was travelling to Las Vegas at the time with his mother – died from internal injuries after the car swerved off the highway and flipped, landing on upright on the left shoulder, and he was thrown out of the passenger door.
The Supremes’ Mary Wilson won’t get over son’s death
