JACKSON, Miss. — Two-time Grammy Award winner Cassandra Wilson, a jazz singer whose low and smoky voice was rooted in the blues tradition of her native Mississippi, died on Wednesday. She was 70.
Wilson died in Jackson, Mississippi, Rolling Stone reported. Her manager, Robert Torre, told New Jersey radio station WBGO that Wilson “transitioned peacefully at home, surrounded by family, close friends, and her manager.”
He did not cite a cause of death.
Jeramiah Howard, the coroner for Hinds County, confirmed the singer’s death, The New York Times reported.
Wilson was one of the major jazz acts of the 1980s and 1990s, opening for Miles Davis and touring with Wynton Marsalis, according to the newspaper.
Breaking News: Cassandra Wilson, an award-winning jazz singer who became one of the most distinct voices of her generation, has died at 70. https://t.co/7lG9PYolns
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 2, 2026
Wilson was named America’s best singer by Time magazine in 2001. Her voice expanded the boundaries of traditional blues-based jazz and slotted easily into genres such as folk, R&B and country, according to The Associated Press.
She wrote the lyrics and music for songs on the albums “Blue Light ‘Til Dawn” in 1993 and “New Moon Daughter” two years later, The New York Times reported. The latter work earned Wilson a Grammy Award for best jazz album.
Wilson’s other Grammy was also in the same category and was awarded for “Loverly” in 2009, Rolling Stone reported.
She was born on Dec. 4, 1955, in Jackson, Mississippi, according to the magazine. She was playing piano at age 6, guitar at 12, and singing professionally by her late teens, according to her official website. Wilson received a college degree in mass communications from Jackson State University and began singing jazz in her 20s.
Very saddened by the news that Cassandra Wilson has passed away. One of the most distinctive voices in modern jazz, Cassandra wove an alluring tapestry of jazz, blues, folk & R&B into a singular sound that opened up new avenues of expression for vocal jazz https://t.co/3qQcy2FEit pic.twitter.com/C6rcKTjze1
— Blue Note Records (@bluenoterecords) September 2, 2026
She co-founded the M-Base Collective, which springboarded her to the national stage, with saxophonist Steve Coleman after moving to New York in 1982.
Wilson released her debut solo album “Point of View” in 1986 and later signed with Blue Note Records, Variety reported.
In 2022, Wilson was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, the AP reported.
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