The Shangri-Las parted company in 1968 and Mary Weiss took off for the hippie life in San Francisco, which largely involved roller skating around Golden Gate Park. She returned to New York and by the 1990s was fitting out apartment blocks, though her biggest project was destroyed in the 9/11 attacks when a hijacked aircraft’s landing gear came through the roof
The band reformed briefly in 1989, though as a trio because Marge Ganser had died in 1971. Thereafter Mary Weiss was on her own, because Mary Ann Ganser died in 1994 and her sister Betty refused to return. In 2005 she released a solo album, Dangerous Game (2007), a pop-punk sound that occasionally echoed the sound of her heyday, though with her voice now much deeper.
This return to the public eye provided opportunities to reminisce, and Mary Weiss recalled a food fight during a party at Dusty Springfield’s home in London in 1965. “She really liked to throw stuff. I was hiding under a desk and everyone else was throwing food at each other,” she said. “Dusty taught me how to throw crockery, too.”
Mary Weiss’s first two marriages were dissolved and she is survived by her third husband, Ed Ryan.
Mary Weiss, born December 28 1948, died January 19 2024
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
