Katherine Anderson, Co-Founder Of The Marvelettes, Dead At 79

Katherine Anderson-Schaffner, a founding member of The Marvelettes, has died at age 79. A cause of death is unknown.

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The tragic news was confirmed by her daughter, Keisha Schaffner, on Wednesday (Sept. 20) via Facebook .

“Some called her Kat – some called her Sis , Gamma – Momma K but my sister and I called her MOM ,” she wrote in her tribute post . “She was not just a Mom to us but to many. Many people would come and sit at her table. Now if you ever sat and said, ‘Kat I need to talk.’ You already knew you were going to get true, uncut, unedited council. She wasn’t going to tell you what you wanted to hear but what you should hear. I remember friends saying I’m coming over and I would say, ‘I’m not home;’ the response would be I’m going to talk to your mom. My response would always be you know how that’s going to go right? Two hours and a box of tissue later sitting at her kitchen table, your counseling session was over. The funny part is you would come back for more.”

Schaffner reflected on her late mother’s cooking including her speciality — ribs with her one-of-a-kind sauce. She concluded, “Katherine Anderson Schaffner is and will always be one of the Original Marvelettes. Her music and Legacy will live on. So the next time you hear ‘Please Mr. Postman,’ ‘Don’t Mess With Bill,’ or ‘The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game,’ just smile and say ‘I’ll Keep Holding On.’ Mom we love you and will miss you. And yes we know — ‘It is what it is.'”

Born Katherine Elaine Anderson on January 16, 1944, the Michigan native’s career began at age 17 when she was enlisted as a background singer for her friends, Gladys Horton and Georgia Dobbins, at an Inkster High School talent show in 1961, along with Georgeanna Tillman and Juanita Cowart.

After winning fourth place, they landed an audition with Motown . Their spin on William Garrett’s “Please Mr. Postman” scored them a deal and their group name went from The Casinyets (Can’t Sing Yets) to the Marvelettes.

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Dobbins was later replaced by Wanda Young . “Please Mr. Postman” peaked No. 1 for 13 weeks. Anderson reflected on the record’s impact in the 2004 book, The Original Marvelettes: Motown’s Mystery Girl Group . “We were all surprised when ‘Postman’ hit so big. The most surprised was Motown. Motown became even more known once we hit with ‘Please Mr. Postman.’ In my opinion, where Motown wanted to go. The Marvelettes came in and kicked the door open,” she stated.

Before disbanding in 1969, The Marvelettes became “an essential female part of Gordy’s ‘sound of young America,’ along with Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and The Supremes,” according to The History Makers .

Anderson is survived by her children, Keisha and Kalaine Schaffner and extended family.

VIBE sends our deepest condolences to the Anderson and Schaffer families, and all those affected by this loss.

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