Cassandra Wilson Dead At 70

American jazz singer Cassandra Wilson has died. The two-time Grammy winning vocalist, known for her distinctive, smoky contralto, passed away in her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi today. She was 70."It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Cassandra Wilson, the Grammy Award-winning and legendary jazz artist," her manager Robert Torre's statement to WBGO reads. "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. Further information regarding memorial services and arrangements will be shared at a later time."Jackson Mayor John Horhn released a statement as well. "Jackson has lost an extraordinary native daughter, and the world has lost a singular musical voice," Horhn said. "Cassandra Wilson carried the sound, spirit and history of Mississippi with her wherever her music reached.""She built a remarkable career rooted in jazz, blues, gospel, folk and the many traditions that shape our state’s musical identity," Horhn continued. "Her work had rare depth of character and a profound understanding of how music moves people, tells stories and connects generations."Cassandra Wilson was born on December 4, 1955. Her father, Herman Fowlkes Jr., was a guitarist, bassist, and music teacher, while her mother was an elementary school teacher with a PhD in education. She was inspired by her father's appreciation for jazz and her mother's love for Motown and took classical lessons at a young age. Wilson attended Millsaps College and Jackson State University, receiving a degree in mass communications and later a PhD in Arts. At night she worked with R&B, funk, and pop cover bands and sang in local coffeehouses. She began releasing music in 1986 after signing to the Munich indie label JMT. It wasn't until 1988's Blue Skies that she was hit with critical acclaim, and in 1993 she signed to Blue Note Records and achieved breakthrough success with albums like Blue Light 'Til Dawn and 1996's New Moon Daughter, the latter of which won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance. Her last studio album was 2015's Coming Forth By Day, and in 2020 she formed a supergroup called Dopamine with Elvis Costello, DJ Premier, T-Bone Burnett, and Nathaniel Rateliff.