Mississippi native and award-winning jazz singer Cassandra Wilson died Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 70 at her Jackson, Mississippi, home.
Wilson's longtime manager, Robert Torre, confirmed her death in a statement to WBGO, a Newark, New Jersey-based, jazz-themed public radio station.
"It 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," the statement began.
Wilson got her start in music in childhood and rose to become one of the most prominent jazz vocalists of the 1990s, the Mississippi Blues Commission and Blue Note Records, her former label, noted. She won two Grammy Awards
for her albums "New Moon Daughter" and "Loverly."
Here's what to know about the jazz singer.
When did Cassandra Wilson die?
Cassandra Wilson died Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 70 at her home in Jackson, Mississippi, Rolling Stone and WBGO reported.
"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," the statement to WBGO concluded.
What was Cassandra Wilson's cause of death?
No cause of death was reported.
Who was Cassandra Wilson?
Born Cassandra Marie Fowlkes in Jackson, Mississippi, and known as Cassandra Wilson, her first husband's surname, she was an award-winning jazz singer-songwriter and musician.
She was the daughter of bassist Herman Fowlkes Jr. She began playing instruments as a child and became a vocalist by the 1970s, according to her website's biography and the Mississippi Blues Commission.
She was a founding member of the M-Base Collective, a group of African American jazz artists in New York City. Wilson then continued on her solo career, becoming one of the top jazz singers of the 1990s, and continued to mix jazz with blues, country and folk music throughout her career, her website and Blue Note Records noted.
Among her many accolades, Wilson won two Grammy Awards, Best Jazz Vocal Album in 1997 for "New Moon Daughter" and in 2009 for "Loverly." She also has a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail, No. 100, dedicated in 2010.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Renown jazz singer Cassandra Wilson dies. What we know about her death
