Two-time Grammy-winning jazz singer Cassandra Wilson dies at 70

Cassandra Wilson, the acclaimed jazz singer, songwriter and producer who won two Grammy Awards and became known for her distinctive voice and genre-crossing music, has died at the age of 70.

Wilson died at her home in her native Jackson, Mississippi, on Tuesday ( 1 September) morning, according to Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard.

Her manager said the legendary jazz artist "transitioned peacefully at home," surrounded by family, close friends and her manager.

Named America's best singer by Time magazine in 2001, Wilson was widely admired for her deep, soulful contralto voice and her ability to blend jazz with blues, folk, pop, R&B, country and other musical styles.

Musician Jon Batiste, paying tribute to Wilson on Wednesday (2 September), said her voice captured the spirit of the American South.

Born and raised in Jackson, Wilson developed an interest in music at an early age. Her father, Herman B. Fowlkes, was a musician, while her mother, Mary Fowlkes, was a teacher.

She grew up listening to artists including Motown performers, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. Wilson began taking piano lessons at the age of 6 and later played clarinet in marching bands. While studying at Millsaps College and Jackson State University, she performed at coffeehouses and played with cover bands.

In the early 1980s, she worked with and learned from leading jazz musicians in New Orleans before moving to New York City. There, she joined saxophonist Steve Coleman's M-Base Collective and eventually became its main vocalist.

Wilson's distinctive style earned her four Grammy nominations and two awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album. She won in 1997 for "New Moon Daughter" and again in 2009 for "Loverly."

In 2015, Wilson performed a special concert at the Apollo Theater marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary blues and jazz singer Billie Holiday. Later that year, she released "Coming Forth by Day," her final album, which paid tribute to Holiday.

In 2022, Wilson was named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts, one of the highest honors for jazz musicians in the United States.

Tributes poured in following news of her death.

Batiste said Wilson's unique vocal style and her ability to combine folk traditions, R&B and music from the African diaspora with experimental and popular sounds had a major influence on him.

He also praised her deep connection to Mississippi, saying her Southern roots remained at the heart of her music even as her artistry continued to evolve.

Jackson Mayor John Horhn described Wilson as an extraordinary daughter of the city and said the world had lost a truly unique musical voice.

"Cassandra Wilson carried the sound, spirit and history of Mississippi with her wherever her music reached," the mayor said in a statement.

He said her music had a rare depth and showed a powerful understanding of how songs can move people, tell stories and connect generations.