Who was Mary Wilson's son Rafael? Supremes star's son, 14, died when Jeep she drove veered off course in 1994

Rafale played the tenor saxophone and intended to follow in his mother's footsteps in charting a music career

UPDATED FEB 9, 2021

Mary Wilson performs at the Catalina Bar and Grill on September 2, 2010, in Hollywood, California (Getty Images)

Life dealt a cruel blow for Mary Wilson, the 'Supreme' star who died at age 76 at her Las Vegas home on Monday, February 8, night. Even as news of her death was doing the rounds, the vocalist's troubled life came to the fore.

Tragedy struck Wilson in the winter of 1994 when she lost her teenage son, Rafael in a car accident. The 14-year-old was in the passenger seat and in an unfortunate case of Wilson losing control of the car that drifted, Rafael succumbed to severe injuries two hours later in the hospital.

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Who is Rafael Wilson?

Rafael Ferrer Wilson was born on May 9, 1977, and was the son of the famed R&B singer. According to a bio, he played the tenor saxophone and intended to follow in his mother's footsteps in charting a music career. He died tragically on January 29, 1994, when their Jeep Cherokee drifted.

He died after being crushed between the car and the road. A report added that the accident, where no other cars were involved, was the result of a design flaw in the car's door. For Wilson, coming to terms with the death of Rafael was a challenge and a struggle.

Singer Mary Wilson attends Kentucky Derby 144 on May 5, 2018, in Louisville, Kentucky (Getty Images)

Death of Mary Wilson

The star has two other children. She still remembers her other son’s words after Rafael’s death. "My other son said to me, 'Mum, losing Rafael was like having a hole in my heart'," she said. "It was really devastating. I think the only thing that got me through was probably just being who I am. I am very resilient."

The news of Wilson's death was confirmed by Jay Schwartz, her long-time publicist. Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr said in a statement that he was "extremely shocked and saddened" to hear of Wilson’s death.

"The Supremes were always known as the ‘sweethearts of Motown’," he said. "I was always proud of Mary. She was quite a star in her own right and over the years continued to work hard to boost the legacy of the Supremes. Mary Wilson was extremely special to me. She was a trailblazer, a diva, and will be deeply missed."