Phenomenal Woman: Mary Ella Walton

It’s hard to come up with the right words to describe this indescribable woman. 

Mary Ella Walton sang in Ireland and Russia with the Marygrove Choir, organized tours of the Mediterranean Sea and Europe, authored short stories, created music curricula, served as advisor to Wayne State University’s chapter of the Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity, and received a commendation from Pope John Paul II for her contributions to music in Southeastern Michigan. 

But most of all, my Mom is a woman whom I like to call the Pied Piper of People: As she walks down the Avenue of Life, people flock to her, benefiting from her wisdom, brilliance, unearthly strength, sincerity, integrity, much fussing, and love. She has impacted far too many lives to name, even since she was young. As my Dad used to say, “People just love her.” 

Allow me to introduce my life-long best friend.

Professor Mary Ella Walton was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the oldest child of Archie and Willie May Walton. She was raised as an only child, because her younger brother did not survive birth. Both of her parents were entrepreneurs. “They had a shared shop. On one side was his shoe shop; on the other side was her hair shop," she said. 

At age two, Mary moved to Detroit to live with her maternal grandmother, Mary Spraggins (for whom she was named), and her aunt, Viola Davie. This, they hoped, would help her avoid growing up around the overt prejudices that faced Blacks living in the South. A child of extremely high intellect, Mary benefitted from living with older adults, becoming a voracious reader, a celebrated storyteller and piano prodigy. Professor Walton described the next eleven years of her life:

My world consisted of my maternal grandmother and aunt and the neighbors, who were Canadian. My time was spent playing board games with my grandmother.  Because of that I learned simple arithmetic, reading and other skills before I started school. My companions were my books. I had a huge box in the basement; my books were waist-high, (to an adult’s waist). 

Mary’s innate musical abilities were evident even as a baby. According to family stories, when the choir sang during church services, her clapping was always rhythmically correct, no matter how complicated the pattern! Unfortunately, these natural talents were not nurtured when she began taking formal lessons. 

“I started piano lessons at eight years old. I was classically trained," she said. "My teacher told my grandmother not to let me play anything rhythmically, only read the classical page.” It was not until later that she became adept at gospel, jazz, pop and ragtime in addition to classical music.

Maintaining a close relationship with her parents, even while living in Detroit, she returned to Memphis at thirteen. Recalling how they went out of their way to make sure she felt at home, Mary said, “I remember that my mother bought a four-poster bed for me. In hindsight, it was like they turned themselves inside out to make sure I was comfortable.” While they enjoyed their time together, she ultimately returned to Detroit to complete her education, and graduated from Northern High School.

Early Aspirations and a Return To Her Roots

“I wanted to grow up and discover ways to utilize food to cure children of allergies and other ailments that I suffered from when I was little," she said. "I wanted to be a nutritionist. In the interim, I got married and had three children.” 

With her third child not yet born, Mary and her husband separated when her then two children were ages five and two. Her grandmother and aunt looked after them while she attended school, but, “I had to stop and come home for awhile. I had two children at the time, and my folks could not handle them. I returned to music.” She had previous experience teaching piano and producing programs at her home church, the historic Second Baptist, thus was quickly hired by several churches, first as the resident organist/pianist and eventually as Director of Music.

Following the death of Mary’s beloved grandmother, her mother moved to Detroit permanently, helping to raise her now three grandchildren. Mrs. Willie May Walton, a public speaker and sought-after spiritual leader, started an inter-denominational prayer circle, which included Mary. Always a natural leader, Mary soon found herself heading a group of talented singers and musicians from this prayer group, becoming their music director, composer and producer, and naming them the Melzarian Choral (“It was a name from the Bible, but I can’t recall where”). They performed throughout the metro-Detroit area, including the Scottish Rights Cathedral in the Masonic Temple. Under Mary’s leadership many of the members began composing songs for the first time. The music was unique, and considered by some as a forerunner to the contemporary Gospel music heard today. 

Dreams Realized

Completing school always remained a goal. Over the years, due to life distractions and emotional ups and downs, some professors assumed that Professor Walton was not smart enough to earn a degree. One actually suggested that she give up trying! Fortunately, her mother never stopped believing in her, and made sure that she was able to take advantage of workshops and courses (including Westminster Choir College at Princeton), which would eventually help toward the completion of a Bachelors degree.

Willie May also made sure that Mary could provide years of flute and violin lessons for her three children, and she would frequently accompany them during performances. At a Marygrove College recital, while accompanying her oldest daughter, Michelle, (who was minoring in music), the head of the Music Department was so impressed with her piano playing, that she insisted Professor Walton pursue a degree. In 1989, Mary became the college’s first student to graduate with a Pedagogy degree in Music. She then quickly obtained her Masters in Learning Styles, and was one of the top students in her program. 

“I remember the professor had all the other students pattern their papers after mine," she said.

A Life Long Passionate Commitment to Children Continues

Mary’s passionate commitment and dedication to children, helping them and their parents see them for the gifted, brilliant beings that they are, has never waivered. Since completing her Masters degree, she created Marella’s Music, which was first taught at the Center for Creative Studies and then at Marygrove College. She continues to teach all ages and levels, both privately and at Marygrove, with a full load of students plus a waiting list. 

Professor Walton serves as the primary keyboardist for Celeste Productions, Inc., having appeared on the album “No Limits”, is part of her daughter Angela’s music trio, accompanies the recreational group that her daughter, Michelle, founded, the Violin Divas, and continues to perform as a soloist as well. Her most recent endeavor involves serving on the board of the Detroit charter school, Freedom Academy. I cannot think of a more beautiful woman to present during this Mother’s Day season, than my own Mom … a Phenomenal Michigan Woman.