Tributes are pouring in for Grammy-winning jazz singer, songwriter and producer Cassandra Wilson of Jackson, whose “sultry, honey-toned voice” brought her international fame. She died Tuesday at age 70.
Singer Cassandra Wilson attends the 48th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel on Thursday, June 15, 2017, in New York. Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP“Cassandra Wilson transitioned peacefully at home, surrounded by family, close friends and her manager,” the longtime manager, Robert Torre, said in a statement published by WGBO. “Her family and close friends respectfully ask for privacy during this difficult time as they grieve her loss.”
Wilson, who grew up as Cassandra Fowlkes, graduated from Jackson’s Murrah High School.
During her career, she was known for a style that infused her jazz performances with influences of country, folk, blues and pop.
Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Dee Dee Bridgewater shared her condolences, writing on social media: “Cassandra was unique in every way, blessed with a sultry, honey-toned voice. I will miss our occasional phone conversations and rare times in the same space.”
Questlove, the Grammy-winning drummer and producer who leads The Roots, posted online: “Cassandra/The Siren of Sirens/That Voice, That GiftDamn.”
Malcolm White, a longtime Jackson music promoter who once served as director of the Mississippi Arts Commission, was a friend of Wilson’s. He told Mississippi Today she will be remembered as an international icon.
“Her records, performances, her awards will stand the test of time as a giant in the American music field of jazz,” White said.
He noted that even after Wilson found success, she stayed connected to the jazz scene in Jackson.
“I always thought it was cool that she came back and was a part of her home community,” White said. “She could have lived anywhere, you know.”
Jackson Mayor John Horhn said in a statement: “Jackson has lost an extraordinary native daughter, and the world has lost a singular musical voice.”
Horhn added, “She built a remarkable career rooted in jazz, blues, gospel, folk and the many traditions that shape our state’s musical identity. Her work had rare depth of character and a profound understanding of how music moves people, tells stories and connects generations. Through every performance and recording, she carried forward the legacy of jazz, blues and gospel.”
Fellow Grammy-winning musician Jon Batiste, former band leader of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” posted a clip on social media of himself interviewing Wilson on a Brazilian talk show. The caption reflected on the time he spent touring with her as a young musician.
“She sounded like the south,” he wrote. “Her Mississippi heritage was always present in everything no matter how expansive her artistry evolved.”
Terence Blanchard, left, and Cassandra Wilson perform at the MusiCares Person of the Year tribute honoring Neil Diamond on Friday, Feb. 6, 2009, in Los Angeles. Credit: AP Photo/Matt SaylesBorn in December 1955, she was inspired by her parents’ love of music. Her father, Herman B. Fowlkes, was a music teacher, guitarist and bassist who loved jazz, while her mother, Mary Fowlkes, was a teacher who loved Motown. Cassandra began taking classical lessons at a young age. By age 6 she began playing piano, and at 12 she started working as a vocalist.
Singer Cassandra Wilson performs at the 48th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel on Thursday, June 15, 2017, in New York. Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/APShe attended Millsaps College and Jackson State University, earning a degree in mass communications. While in college, she sang with multiple cover bands in Jackson’s local music scene. Alvin Fielder, drummer and founding member of the Black Arts Music Society, encouraged her to sing modern jazz.
She moved to New Orleans in 1981 and performed jazz with Earl Turbington and Ellis Marsalis. She moved to New York City in 1982, where she became a founding member of the jazz collective M-Base. She also signed with an independent German record label in 1986, where she released her first album.
In 1992, she signed with Blue Note Records. She released several albums, including the Grammy-winning albums “New Moon Daughter” in 1997 and “Loverly” in 2009.
Wilson was named Female Jazz Vocalist of the year by Downbeat magazine in 1995-96, received the Miles Davis Prize from the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal in 1999 and was dubbed “America’s best singer” by Time Magazine in 2001.
She received the Mississippi Governor’s Award for Artistic Excellence in Music in 2009 and was added to the Mississippi Blues Trail in 2010. In 2022, she was named a jazz master by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Jazz musician Cassandra Wilson poses during an interview in Cologne, Germany on Sept. 25, 2003. Credit: AP Photo/Hermann J. KnippertzHence then, the article about cassandra wilson jackson native who earned international acclaim as a jazz singer dies at 70 was published today ( ) and is available on Mississippi Today ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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