Entertainment

Cassandra Wilson, two-time Grammy-winning jazz vocalist, dies at 70

The acclaimed singer and NEA Jazz Master died at her home in Jackson, Mississippi.

Updated Sep 2, 2026 · 22:19 UTC5 reports

The short version

Vocalist, songwriter, and producer Cassandra Wilson has died at age 70 at her home in Jackson, Mississippi.
Wilson gained acclaim for expanding jazz by blending it with blues, folk, pop, and R&B, earning two Grammy Awards across her career.
Her passing was confirmed by local officials and her management, though an official cause of death has not been released.

Cassandra Wilson died at age 70 at her residence in Jackson, Mississippi.[ABC News · Variety]
Her death was confirmed by Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard and announced by her manager via jazz radio station WBGO.[ABC News · Variety · Associated Press]
Wilson earned two Grammy Awards for her recordings 'New Moon Daughter' (1997) and 'Loverly' (2009).[ABC News · Billboard · The Guardian]
In 2022, she received the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master award, one of the nation's highest honors in the genre.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Her final studio album, 'Coming Forth by Day', was released in 2015 as a tribute to Billie Holiday.[Variety · The Guardian]

A specific cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.[Variety]
Coroner reports and management statements slightly conflict on the exact day of death, reported variously as Tuesday morning or early Wednesday morning.[ABC News · Variety]