Tuesday, May 19, 2026

RIP Great Jazz and R&B Singer Nancy Wilson, 81, Winner of Three Grammy Awards

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The great song stylist Nancy Wilson has died at age 81. Nancy Wilson was not a big chart hit maker. But she was a lovely singer who was widely respected in the jazz world. She moved into R&B and was a popular and sought after performer on TV and on Broadway. She won three Grammy awards, and hosted her own TV variety show in the mid 60s. I would liken her to singers such as Dianne Reeves, or even Norah Jones. She’s been out of the spotlight for a few years. But I expect a Renaissance today as she was a “singer’s singer.” Condolences to her family. One of the greats.

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman is the founder and editor-in-chief of Showbiz411. He wrote the FOX411 column on FoxNews.com from 1999 to 2009 and previously edited Fame magazine and wrote the "Intelligencer" column at New York magazine. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Vogue, Details, and the Miami Herald. He is a voting member of the Critics Choice Awards (Film and Television branches), and his movie reviews are tracked by Rotten Tomatoes. is articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. With D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, he co-produced the 2002 documentary "Only the Strong Survive," which screened at Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

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