Fakir, who's the sole surviving member of the Four Tops' original lineup, lived with and was engaged to Wilson for a time during the '60s, while both of their groups were churning out hits for Motown. "In 1963, we had just signed to Motown and were being introduced to a lot of the artists," Fakir -- who was alerted about Wilson's passing by a late-night text from a friend on the West Coast -- told Billboard on Tuesday (Feb. 9). "They were beautiful, sweet kids. We took a liking to them right away, and right away Mary and I became instant friends -- and, of course, it grew into something a little more than that." The engagement, however, "didn't work out. We were more engaged to our careers than anything else, so we just decided to be friends, and that's what happened. We've been lifelong friends, dear friends. She was probably one of the sweetest people I ever met -- so full of life, so joyful."