Cassandra Wilson, renowned Grammy-Winning Jazz singer, dies at 70

American jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson, winner of several Grammy Awards, has passed away aged 70.

Cassandra Wilson died on Wednesday at her home in Jackson, Mississippi, her representative Robert Torre said.

In a statement, Torre said Wilson “transitioned peacefully at home, surrounded by family, close friends, and her manager,” describing her as a “legendary jazz artist.”

The statement did not reveal the cause of her death.

Torre added that Wilson’s family and close friends had asked for privacy following her death.

A singer-songwriter and producer, Wilson was celebrated for her rich, expressive contralto voice in a career spanning three decades.

In 1997, the singer received the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance with “New Moon Daughter,” and “Loverly” won the award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2009.

Wilson performed in a leading role in “Blood on the Fields,” a 1997 oratorio by Wynton Marsalis which became the first jazz work to win a Pulitzer Prize.

She also collaborated with saxophonists Steve Coleman, Greg Osby and hip-hop group The Roots.

“I learned so much from her, and I am so sad she has passed away,” musician Jon Batiste wrote in a tribute on social media.

“She had an unmistakable vocal tone, phrasing, and her approach of weaving folkloric, R&B, and diasporic music together with experimental and popular genres had a major impact on me.

“She sounded like the South.”