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Photo of Nancy Wilson

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty

Grammy award-winning jazz musician Nancy Wilson has died, her manager has confirmed. She was 81.

Wilson died peacefully in her sleep after battling a long illness in her home in Pioneertown, a California desert community near Joshua Tree National Park. Influenced by the likes of Dinah WashingtonNat “King” Cole and others, Wilson established herself as a jazz legend who could cover multiple genres effortlessly.

She released eight albums that reached the Top 20 on the Billboard charts. She’s best known for the song, “Guess Who I Saw Today” and  the 1964 hit “(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am.” Through her lengthy career, Wilson won three Grammy awards, her first coming in 1965 for Best R&B Performance with “How Glad I Am” and her other two wins coming in 2005 and 2007 respectively, both for Best Vocal Jazz Album.

She retired from touring in 2011. Our condolences.

Jazz Legend And Grammy Award Winner Nancy Wilson Dies At 81  was originally published on myhoustonmajic.com