Jazz radio station WBGO shared that the “Time After Time” singer died this morning (Sept 2) in Jackson, Mississippi.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Cassandra Wilson, the Grammy Award-winning and legendary jazz artist,” her manager of two decades, Robert Torre, explained in a statement shared by WBGO. “Cassandra Wilson transitioned peacefully at home, surrounded by family, close friends, and her manager.
“Her family and close friends respectfully ask for privacy during this difficult time as they grieve her loss.”
Wilson’s cause of death wasn’t disclosed.
“I’m just devastated,” veteran WBGO staffer and NEA Jazz Master Dorthaan Kirk shared in the wake of the singer’s death. “Cassandra completely related to me because she looked up to me as an elder and somebody that was in the business.”
A Jackson native, Wilson began her journey in music by playing piano and guitar before focusing on her vocals, according to SoulTracks. After some time spent performing in New Orleans, she moved to NYC in the early 1980s. There, she joined up with the M-Base Collective, a trailblazing experimental outfit that included heavy hitters like Greg Osby and Geri Allen.
After recording several albums in the 1980s, Wilson’s breakthrough came with 1993’s Blue Light ’Til Dawn. With her smoky vocals and through the lens of R&B and contemporary jazz, she transmuted tracks by Robert Johnson, Van Morrison, and Joni Mitchell into both commercial and critical hits.
Her follow-up, New Moon Daughter, earned the singer the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance. Her 2008 album Loverly nabbed her another Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album.
Wilson’s other work included Traveling Miles, (a tribute to Miles Davis), Belly of the Sun, Glamoured and Silver Pony
Cassandra Wilson was 70.