Cassandra Wilson: Voice of Mississippi | Jamaica News

Jazz lost a true icon: Cassandra Wilson, the two-time Grammy-winning contralto whose voice bridged blues, jazz, folk, R&B, and country, died at 70 in her Mississippi hometown. Born in Jackson, she absorbed Motown and Miles Davis from childhood, rose through New Orleans, and became a vital force in New York’s M-Base Collective. Her soulful sound, rooted in Southern tradition, earned her acclaim from Time magazine as “America’s best singer,” a Billie Holiday tribute album, an Apollo Theater centennial performance, and the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master award. Musicians like Jon Batiste hailed her as a genre-defying visionary who carried Mississippi’s spirit into every note — a legacy that echoes across generations. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/c12785154ac54074