Nationwide — Cassandra Wilson, the two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz singer, songwriter and producer, has died at 70. The Mississippi native died Tuesday morning at her home in Jackson, surrounded by family, close friends and her manager. Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard confirmed her death. Her manager also announced that she died peacefully at home. She was known for her distinctive contralto voice and her musical style that moved across jazz, blues, folk, pop, R&B, and country.
News of her death quickly brought tributes from musicians and leaders in her hometown, according to 11Alive. Jon Batiste remembered her for the strong connection between her music and her Mississippi roots. He recalled that she had taken him on tour around the world and praised the way she blended folkloric, R&B, and diasporic music with experimental and popular sounds. Batiste said her Mississippi heritage remained part of her music even as her style continued to grow.
Jackson Mayor John Horhn also honored Wilson, calling her an extraordinary native daughter of the city. He said her music carried the sound, spirit, and history of Mississippi to audiences around the world. The tributes reflected the reach of a career that began in Jackson and eventually took her to major stages across the United States and beyond.
Wilson’s connection to music started early. She was born and raised in Jackson to Herman B. Fowlkes, a musician, and Mary Fowlkes, a teacher. She began taking piano lessons at 6 and later played clarinet in marching bands. While attending Millsaps College and Jackson State University, she performed at coffeehouses and sang with cover bands. Motown, Miles Davis, and Thelonious Monk were among the artists who influenced her early musical development.
Her career took a major step forward in the early 1980s when she studied under jazz musicians in New Orleans before moving to New York City. She joined Steve Coleman’s M-Base Collective and eventually became its main vocalist. Her deep, unmistakable voice helped set her apart as she developed a sound that pushed beyond traditional jazz. Time magazine later named her “America’s best singer” in 2001. She received four Grammy nominations and won Best Jazz Vocal Album twice, first for “New Moon Daughter” in 1997 and later for “Loverly” in 2009.
Wilson continued to explore jazz history while putting her own stamp on it. In 2015, she performed at the Apollo Theater in New York to honor Billie Holiday on what would have been Holiday’s 100th birthday. Wilson also released “Coming Forth by Day” that year, an album devoted to Holiday’s music. It became her final album. Seven years later, she received another major honor when the National Endowment for the Arts named her a Jazz Master in 2022. Through her voice, songwriting, and production, Wilson built a career that crossed musical boundaries while remaining closely tied to the sounds and traditions of her Mississippi roots.