DETROIT — Wanda Young, co-lead singer of popular Motown group The Marvelettes, died Dec. 15. She was 78.

Fellow Motown performers remembered Young for her distinctive voice, wit and stage presence.

“We were kids,” Motown singer Carolyn Crawford said, recalling her experiences with Young in the early 1960s. “We did a lot of record hops together, the Marvelettes and the Velvelettes. She was a pleasant, friendly person.”

Young was a student at Inkster High School when she replaced original Marvelette Georgia Dobbins, whose parents refused to sign off on her singing career.

With all the right elements in place, the troupe scored a deal with Motown in 1961. In August that year, the label released “Please Mr. Postman,” penned by Dobbins, and it steadily climbed the charts, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on December 11, 1961, and remaining atop the R&B chart for seven weeks. Young sang lead on the B-side, the ballad “So Long, Baby.”

Two years later, the Beatles would cover “Postman,” and in 1975, The Carpenters would take the song to the top spot once again.

“Postman” holds a unique place in music history as Motown’s first chart topper.