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, California. 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.