Cassandra Wilson, the two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz singer, songwriter and producer whose deep contralto became one of the most distinctive voices in modern jazz, has died at age 70. Wilson died at her home in Jackson, Mississippi, on Tuesday, Sept. 2, surrounded by family, close friends and her longtime manager, Robert Torre. A cause of death has not been announced.

News of Wilson’s death was confirmed by Torre in a statement to WBGO and by Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard. The announcement prompted tributes from musicians and public figures, including Grammy-winning artist Jon Batiste, who highlighted Wilson’s Mississippi roots and influence on his own musical development. Jackson Mayor John Horhn also described Wilson as an important figure for the city and the state.

Born Dec. 4, 1955, in Jackson, Wilson grew up in a musical household. She began piano lessons at age 6, later learned guitar and played clarinet in marching bands. While attending Millsaps College and Jackson State University, she performed in coffeehouses and cover bands before moving toward a professional career in jazz.

Wilson moved to New York in the early 1980s and became associated with Steve Coleman’s M-Base Collective, eventually emerging as one of its principal vocalists. Her work during that period helped establish the experimental and genre-blending approach that would define much of her career.

Her breakthrough came with Blue Note Records and the 1993 album Blue Light ’Til Dawn. The record presented Wilson’s voice alongside interpretations of material drawn from blues, folk and other American musical traditions, helping establish her reputation as a vocalist who could move beyond conventional jazz categories.

Wilson went on to release a series of acclaimed albums and became a major figure in contemporary jazz. She won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album for New Moon Daughter in 1997 and again for Loverly in 2009. Her recordings frequently incorporated elements of blues, folk, country, pop and R&B while retaining a strong connection to jazz.

Her collaborations extended across generations and musical styles. Wilson worked with artists including Wynton Marsalis, The Roots and Elvis Costello, while her interpretation of songs by artists outside traditional jazz further broadened her catalog. She was also a significant vocalist on Marsalis’ Blood on the Fields, which became the first jazz work to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1997.

In 2015, Wilson released Coming Forth by Day, a project devoted to Billie Holiday. The album arrived alongside a performance at New York’s Apollo Theater commemorating the centennial of Holiday’s birth and became Wilson’s final studio album.

Wilson’s accomplishments were formally recognized in 2022 when she was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, one of the highest honors awarded to jazz musicians in the United States.

Her distinctive sound also drew recognition outside the jazz community. Time magazine named Wilson “America’s best singer” in 2001, reflecting the broader critical attention surrounding her voice and her ability to incorporate different American musical traditions into her work.

Following news of her death, Batiste shared a tribute recalling Wilson’s influence and their work together, while drummer and producer Questlove also posted a tribute. Singer Dee Dee Bridgewater remembered Wilson for her distinctive voice and personal connection.

As of Sept. 3, 2026, memorial arrangements for Wilson have not been announced. She is survived by her son, Jeris Wilson.