Grammy-winning jazz singer Cassandra Wilson has died at the age of 70, leaving behind a three-decade musical legacy that influenced generations of artists.
Wilson died peacefully at her home in Jackson, Mississippi, surrounded by family, close friends and her manager, Robert Torre confirmed. No cause of death was disclosed.
Known for her rich, expressive contralto voice, Wilson built a reputation for pushing the boundaries of jazz by blending traditional influences with R&B, folkloric, diasporic, experimental and popular music.
Her acclaimed career earned her two Grammy Awards. She won Best Jazz Vocal Performance for New Moon Daughter in 1997 and Best Jazz Vocal Album for Loverly in 2009.
Wilson’s influence extended beyond her recordings. She performed in a leading role in Wynton Marsalis’s Blood on the Fields, the first jazz work to win a Pulitzer Prize.
She also collaborated with musicians including Steve Coleman, Greg Osby and hip-hop group The Roots.
Following news of her death, tributes highlighted the impact of her distinctive sound.
Musician Jon Batiste described Wilson as a major influence, praising her unmistakable vocal tone and her ability to weave different musical traditions into her work.
“She sounded like the South,” Batiste wrote.
Wilson’s family and close friends have asked for privacy as the jazz world remembers an artist whose voice and musical vision helped redefine contemporary jazz.