{"id":613038,"date":"2026-09-03T08:44:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T08:44:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/613038\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T08:44:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T08:44:25","slug":"two-time-grammy-winner-cassandra-wilson-dead-at-70","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/613038\/","title":{"rendered":"Two-Time Grammy Winner Cassandra Wilson Dead At 70"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Cassandra Wilson,<\/a> the two-time Grammy Award-winning<\/a> jazz singer, songwriter and producer has died. She was 70.<\/p>\n

Dubbed America\u2019s best singer by Time magazine in 2001, Wilson was best known for her genre-bending voice, which expanded the boundaries of traditional blues-based jazz and worked effortlessly across folk, pop, R&B, country and beyond. At the heart of all her work was her idiosyncratic contralto, a soulful sound distinctly tied to her roots.<\/p>\n

As Jon Batiste put it in a eulogy on Wednesday, Wilson sounded like the South.<\/p>\n

She died in her native Jackson, Mississippi, on Tuesday morning, the Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard confirmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Cassandra Wilson, the Grammy Award-winning and legendary jazz artist. Cassandra Wilson transitioned peacefully at home, surrounded by family, close friends, and her manager,\u201d said a statement from her manager to jazz radio station WBGO.<\/p>\n

From Jackson to the world<\/p>\n

Born and raised in Jackson to musician Herman B. Fowlkes and teacher Mary Fowlkes, Wilson showed an early love of music listening to Motown, Miles Davis<\/a> and Thelonious Monk. At 6, she started piano lessons. She played clarinet in marching bands. She performed at coffeehouses and in cover bands while studying at Millsaps College and Jackson State University.<\/p>\n

In the early \u201980s, she mentored under jazz greats in New Orleans before moving to New York City and joining Steve Coleman\u2019s M-Base Collective \u2014 eventually becoming its main vocalist.<\/p>\n

Her instantly recognizable voice earned her four Grammy nominations and two wins for best jazz vocal album. Those were in 1997 for \u201cNew Moon Daughter\u201d and 2009 for \u201cLoverly.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2015, it was Wilson who gave a special concert<\/a> at the famed Apollo Theater to commemorate the 100th birthday of blues singer Billie Holiday, the legendary American jazz vocalist who died in New York City at age 44. That same year, Wilson released her last album, \u201cComing Forth by Day,\u201d an homage to Holiday.<\/p>\n

In 2022, Wilson was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, one of the highest honors awarded to jazz musicians in the United States.<\/p>\n

Tributes pour in<\/p>\n

\u201cShe had an unmistakable vocal tone, phrasing and her approach of weaving folkloric, R&B and diasporic music together with experimental and popular genres had a major impact on me,\u201d Batiste said in his tribute to Wilson<\/a> on Instagram.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer Mississippi heritage was always present in everything no matter how expansive her artistry evolved,\u201d he wrote in the caption of a clip showing them together on Brazilian TV in 2009. \u201cShe was one of the first people to take me on tour around the world, the great Cassandra Wilson.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jackson Mayor John Horhn<\/a> said the city \u201chas lost an extraordinary native daughter, and the world has lost a singular musical voice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCassandra Wilson carried the sound, spirit and history of Mississippi with her wherever her music reached,\u201d said the mayor\u2019s statement, shared with WJTV. \u201cHer work had rare depth of character and a profound understanding of how music moves people, tells stories and connects generations.\u201d<\/p>\n

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via Associated Press<\/p>\n

Neil Sedaka<\/p>\n

Neil Sedaka, the singer-songwriter behind dozens of hits such as \u201cBreaking Up Is Hard to Do\u201d and \u201cLaugher in the Rain,\u201d died on February 27, 2026. He was 86. Sedaka teamed with lyricist Howard Greenfield on songs that reflected the teen innocence of the post-Elvis\/pre-Beatles era of the late 1950s-early 1960s, including \u201cHappy Birthday Sweet Sixteen,\u201d \u201cCalendar Girl\u201d and \u201cOh! Carol.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Bobby Bank via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Robert Carradine<\/p>\n

Robert Carradine, the “Revenge of the Nerds” star who hailed from one of Hollywood’s prominent acting families, died on February 23, 2026. He was 71. Carradine earned a generation of new fans by playing the father in \u201cLizzie McGuire\u201d and also had a prominent role in the Oscar-decorated \u201cComing Home\u201d (1978) and appeared in Quentin Tarantino\u2019s \u201cDjango Unchained\u201d (2012).<\/p>\n

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Photo by Jordan Strauss\/Invision via Associated Press<\/p>\n

Eric Dane<\/p>\n

Eric Dane, the actor best known for his roles on \u201cGrey\u2019s Anatomy\u201d and \u201cEuphoria\u201d and who later in life became an advocate for ALS awareness, died on February 19, 2026. He was 53. Dane developed a devoted fanbase when he was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan, aka McSteamy, on the ABC medical drama \u201cGrey\u2019s Anatomy,\u201d a role he would play from 2006 until 2012 and reprise in 2021. In April 2025, Dane announced he had been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive disease that attacks nerve cells controlling muscles throughout the body.<\/p>\n

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Neilson Barnard via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Jesse Jackson<\/p>\n

Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, whose two presidential runs in the 1980s set the stage for today\u2019s progressive movement, died on February 17, 2026. He was 84.<\/p>\n

He participated in marches from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama and established a branch of the Martin Luther King Jr.-led Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Chicago. He was later appointed to lead SCLC\u2019s economic arm, Operation Breadbasket.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Casey Curry\/Invision via Associated Press<\/p>\n

Robert Duvall<\/p>\n

Robert Duvall, an acclaimed and prolific actor celebrated for his complex, rugged roles in films like \u201cThe Godfather,\u201d died on February 15, 2026. He was 95. Duvall\u2019s career spanned six decades, during which he accumulated many directing, producing and acting credits. He continued to work until late in his life, acting alongside Martin Sheen in 2021\u2019s \u201c12 Mighty Orphans,\u201d a film about a football team at an orphanage in 1930s Texas, and appearing in 2002\u2019s \u201cHustle.\u201d<\/p>\n

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via Associated Press<\/p>\n

James Van Der Beek<\/p>\n

James Van Der Beek, star of the iconic teen drama series “Dawson\u2019s Creek” in the late \u201990s and early 2000s, died on February 11, 2026. He was 48. Van Der Beek had announced in November 2024 that he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.<\/p>\n

He participated in theater in middle school, and at 16, he made his professional debut off-Broadway in Edward Albee\u2019s \u201cFinding The Sun.\u201d The next year, he made his feature film debut in the coming-of-age comedy \u201cAngus.\u201d He also starred in \u201cMercy,\u201d \u201cCSI: Cyber\u201d and most recently \u201cOvercompensating.\u201d His film credits include \u201cVarsity Blues,\u201d \u201cBad Hair\u201d and \u201cThe Rules of Attraction.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Christian Petersen via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Terrance Gore<\/p>\n

Terrance Gore, who was part of World Series championship teams as a speedy bench weapon, died on February 6, 2026. He was 34. He played in 11 postseason games as a pinch runner, stealing five bases in six attempts and scoring three runs. He was a part of a championship team with the Royals (2015), who drafted him with a 20th-round selection in 2011, the Los Angeles Dodgers (2020) and the Atlanta Braves (2021).<\/p>\n

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via Associated Press<\/p>\n

Sonny Jurgensen<\/p>\n

Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen died on February 6, 2026. He was 91. He topped 3,000 yards in a season five times, including twice with Philadelphia, in an era before rules changes opened up NFL offenses. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and remains the only Washington player to wear the No. 9 jersey in a game.<\/p>\n

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Chris Pizzello via Associated Press<\/p>\n

Catherine O’Hara<\/p>\n

Beloved comic actor Catherine O’Hara, best known for her roles in \u201cSchitt\u2019s Creek,\u201d \u201cHome Alone,\u201d \u201cBest in Show\u201d and countless other comedies, died on January 30, 2026. O\u2019Hara, a two-time Emmy Award winner, was 71. O\u2019Hara got her start in 1974 performing with The Second City, an improv comedy troupe with an outpost in Toronto, then joined the group\u2019s spinoff production SCTV. <\/p>\n

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via Associated Press<\/p>\n

Bob Weir<\/p>\n

Veteran rock musician Bob Weir, the Grateful Dead\u2019s rhythm guitarist who helped guide the legendary jam band, died on January 10, 2026. He was 78. It was Weir who sang the verses on the band\u2019s trademark boogie anthem, \u201cTruckin\u2019,\u201d and who wrote such key songs as \u201cSugar Magnolia,\u201d \u201cPlaying in the Band\u201d and \u201cJack Straw.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Tom Williams via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Doug LaMalfa<\/p>\n

Republican Doug LaMalfa, a seven-term U.S. representative from California and a reliable vote on Trump\u2019s agenda, died on January 6, 2026. He was 65. LaMalfa was first elected to Congress in 2012 and represented Northern California\u2019s 1st District, along the Oregon border, including Redding and reaching just north of Sacramento. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Cassandra Wilson, the two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz singer, songwriter and producer has died. She…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":613039,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[259803,321,93,72781,259802,61,60,47563,259801,2872],"class_list":["post-613038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-cassandra-wilson","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-grammy-award","tag-herman-b-fowlkes","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-jackson","tag-jeramiah-howard","tag-mississippi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=613038"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613038\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/613039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=613038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=613038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=613038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}