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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZWILSON, Nancy(b 20 February 1937, Chillicothe OH; d 13 December 2018, Pioneertown CA) Perennially popular singer handling all kinds of material with strong jazz qualities of phrasing, feeling, and good intonation. She preferred to be called a song stylist rather than a jazz singer, finding the lyrics the most important part, and telling a story with each song. She came along at the end of the Big Band Era, when jazz and popular music were the same thing, and kept that flame alive for fans until she began to slow down in 2004. She toured with the Rusty Bryant band '56-8, first recorded with that band for Dot '56. To NYC '59; she signed with Capitol, began making albums like The Swingin's Mutual with George Shearing. Twenty-nine chart LPs '62-71 included top ten albums Yesterday's Love Songs, Today's Blues (arranged by Gerald Wilson, no relation), Today, Tomorrow, Forever, How Glad I Am, Today -- My Way '64-5. Other hit LPs were Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley '62, The Nancy Wilson Show! (live at the Coconut Grove) '65. Lush Life '67 had arrangements by Billy May, Oliver Nelson, Sid Feller; reissued as The Right To Love '71 it charted again in USA, then under the first title in UK '84. Nancy -- Naturally '67 was arranged by May. She had nine Hot 100 singles '63-71, only '(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am' '64 reaching the top 40 (no. 11). She was always a popular club and cabaret artist, well-known for her live act, saying that people want to see a song as well as hear it. She came back to the top 200 LPs each year '74-7. She left Capitol and charted again '84 with The Two Of Us with Ramsey Lewis on Columbia; Keep You Satisfied '86 was also on that label; a CD edition was on Denon, which also issued I'll Be A Song, Godsend and YaKsa (the latter a contribution to a Japanese movie soundtrack with Toots Thielemans). A Lady With A Song; Love, Nancy; and If I Had My Way were also on Columbia. She was a hard worker in the studio, making nearly 70 albums and winning three Grammies: Best R&B Performance on How Glad I Am '65 on Capitol (the title track was her biggest hit single), Best Jazz Vocal Album R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal) 2005 and Turned To Blue 2007, both on MCG Jazz (Manchester Craftsmen's Guild). She was also an actor, appearing in TV series, and especially enjoyed doing comedy on the Carol Burnette show. Among her many awards and honors from the NAACP, the NEA etc. was an honorary doctorate from Juilliard in 2012. |