The music world has lost one of its most distinctive voices.

**Cassandra Wilson, the two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz singer, songwriter and producer, has died at the age of 70.**

Wilson died peacefully at home in her native Jackson, Mississippi, surrounded by family, close friends and her longtime manager, according to a statement announcing her passing.

For listeners who discovered Wilson during her remarkable career, her voice was almost impossible to mistake.

Deep, smoky and soulful, her unmistakable contralto allowed her to move effortlessly between jazz, blues, folk, country and R&B — often transforming familiar songs into something that sounded completely her own.

Her breakthrough years brought enormous critical acclaim. Albums including *Blue Light ’Til Dawn* and *New Moon Daughter* helped redefine what a modern jazz vocalist could sound like.

Wilson ultimately won **two Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album**, for *New Moon Daughter* and *Loverly*.

Her influence extended far beyond awards.

In 2001, *Time* famously described Wilson as **“America’s Best Singer,”** and in 2022 she received one of jazz music’s highest honors when she was named an **NEA Jazz Master**.

Following news of her death, Jackson Mayor John Horhn remembered Wilson as a singular musical voice who carried the musical history and spirit of Mississippi with her throughout her career.

For decades, Cassandra Wilson proved that a singer didn’t need to overpower a song to make people listen.

Sometimes that extraordinary low voice was enough.

And once you heard it, **you knew exactly who was singing.**

Cassandra Wilson was 70.