Photo: Professor Bop / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Cassandra Wilson has one of the most unmistakable voices in modern jazz, that deep, unhurried contralto that wraps around a lyric like it has all the time in the world. What I love is her refusal to stay in a box: she reimagines Robert Johnson blues, Hank Williams, and even pop tunes as if they were always meant to be sung this slow and this dark. New Moon Daughter is a desert-island record for me, all atmosphere and ache. She made it cool again to let a song breathe instead of showing off, and that quiet confidence is exactly why she earned her NEA Jazz Master title.
Overview
Cassandra Wilson (born December 4, 1955) is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. Known for her distinctive smoky contralto, she blends jazz with blues, folk, and country, achieving acclaim with albums such as Blue Light 'til Dawn and New Moon Daughter. She is a two-time Grammy Award winner and was named an NEA Jazz Master.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Cassandra Wilson
- Name (Japanese)
- カサンドラ・ウィルソン
- Reading
- かさんどら・うぃるそん
- Born
- December 4, 1955 (age 70)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Goat
- Origin
- Jackson, Mississippi, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- Jazz singer / Songwriter / Jazz musician / Recording artist / Singer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Jackson State University
Awards & achievements
- NEA Jazz Masters Award
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Songwriter — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.