Cassandra Wilson, influential jazz singer, dies at 70

Jazz vocalist and composer Cassandra Wilson has died at her home in Jackson, Mississippi, at the age of 70. Born in 1955, Wilson’s musical identity was deeply rooted in the Mississippi Delta and shaped by the social landscape of the American South.

Wilson rose to prominence after moving to New York in the 1980s, where she worked with the M-Base collective alongside musicians such as Steve Coleman. She achieved major success in the 1990s after signing with Blue Note Records, notably with her 1993 release ‘Blue Light ‘Til Dawn’. Her style was characterized by a warm, sandy vocal tone and a fusion of genres including blues, folk, pop, R&B, and funk.

Throughout her career, Wilson received critical acclaim and won two Grammy Awards for albums such as ‘New Moon Daughter’ and ‘Loverly’. Her later work included a tribute to Billie Holiday, released in 2015.