Nancy Wilson

Nancy Wilson blurs the line between jazz singer and pop singer, preferring to be called a “song stylist.” Born in Chillicothe, Ohio, on February 20, 1937, she is younger than Elvis, Little Richard and Esther Phillips, and only a year older than Etta James and Tina Turner. Yet, stylistically speaking, she is worlds away from these rhythm rocking contemporaries. Nancy is more like an earlier generation of vocalists such as Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan or Billy Eckstine.

At 15, after appearing at a talent show in Columbus, Ohio, Nancy was given her own twice-a-week television show, Skyline Melodies. She worked at the Carolina Club on Prom Night and six months later with the house band. Cannonball Adderley once told her, “If you ever come to New York give me a call.” He was managed by John Levy,

When Nancy Wilson arrived in New York City in 1959, she knew what she wanted: to launch a national singing career with John Levy as her manager and Capitol as her record label. She got what she wanted and the rest, as they say, is history. “What I heard that night,” recalled Capitol A&R man Dave Cavanaugh, “was the nasal quality of Dinah [Washington] and the tear of Billie [Holiday]. I signed her immediately.”

An early single, 1961’s “Guess Who I Saw Today,” a marvel of sophistication given the teen tenor of the times, became a staple on jazz radio and in black juke box locations throughout urban America. An album in 1962, Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley, further raised her jazz profile and provided her with a second juke box hit, an edited-for-45 version of Buddy Johnson’s “Save Your Love For Me.” She also paid tribute to her idol, Little Jimmy Scott, with a much-loved version of “When Did You Leave Heaven.” Nancy’s highest charting Capitol singles, the GRAMMY® Award-winning “(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am” (#11 Pop, 1964) and “You’re As Right As Rain” (#10 R&B, 1974), are highlights in the total of 20 Pop and/or R&B-charting singles for Capitol.

The two albums which made Nancy Wilson a household name were Broadway My Way and Hollywood My Way, which are just what the titles imply, current and old tunes from the Great White Way and Tinseltown. Broadway’s standout track was Irving Berlin’s “You Can Have Him,” from Miss Liberty. Nancy the actress wrings every drop of irony out of Berlin’s heartbreakingly ironic lyric. The hit from Hollywood was the aforementioned “When Did You Leave Heaven,” the Richard Whiting-Walter Bullock gem from the movie Sing Baby Sing. Both albums came out in 1963 and are part of an extraordinary output of 37 original albums total in her 20 years with the label.

After countless television guest appearances, NBC gave Nancy her own network series, The Nancy Wilson Show, for which she won an Emmy® Award for the 1967-68 season. She also performed on shows like The Andy Williams Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Flip Wilson Show, and, over the years, either as herself or in the occasional acting role, on TV series like I Spy, Room 222, Hawaii Five-O, Police Story, The Cosby Show, Soul Food, New York Undercover and, lately, Moesha and The Parkers.

After years with Capitol, during many of which she was second in sales only to the Beatles, surpassing even Sinatra, Peggy Lee, the Beach Boys and early idol Nat King Cole, the business had changed and Nancy felt a new label might bring about a fresh start. So she moved to Columbia, where, despite her usual high aesthetic standards, she found it impossible to compete, sales-wise, with increasingly teen-oriented acts.

One of the more interesting albums from her later period came about in 1991, when singer Barry Manilow was given a sheath full of lyrics written by the late Johnny Mercer which the great songwriter had never put to music. Manilow added melodies and chose Nancy to sing the resultant songs.

In 1995, when National Public Radio (NPR) was looking for an articulate voice with both name value and jazz credibility to host their “Jazz Profiles” series, Nancy was the obvious choice. Not only did she know the music, but she knew the artists personally. Her first profile for this program was the 75th birthday tribute to Charlie Parker.

In the late 1990s, Nancy teamed up with MCG Jazz, a non-profit, independent, specialty record label, to record her only Christmas album, A Nancy Wilson Christmas, released for the 2001 holiday season.

Nancy gave the world of music anther gift on August 25, 2004, R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal). Her second MCG Jazz release features compositions never before recorded in her 50 plus years in the music business and special guests ranging from R&B star Kenny Lattimore to jazz legends George Shearing, Toots Thielemans and Phil Woods. R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal) won the 2004 GRAMMY® Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. That was followed by one last recording, Turned To Blue, that won yet another Grammy for 2006.

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New Releases and Birthday Shoutouts To Nancy Wilson and Nina Simone

by Mary Foster Conklin
March 1, 2021

This broadcast includes new releases from vocalists Jacqui Naylor and Mark Winkler with pianist David Benoit plus birthday shout outs to Nina Simone, Nancy Wilson, Nicole Mitchell, Sara Caswell, Elsa Nilsson, Carmen Sandim and Dena DeRose, among others. Thanks for listening and please support all of these fine musicians and buy their recordings through this time of lockdown. Playlist Chris Pattishall “Pisces" from Zodiac (Self released) 00:00 Roseanna Vitro “Life's Journey (Pavilion)" from Clarity, Music of Clare Fischer ...

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Profile

Nancy Wilson: Turns to Blue

by Andrew Velez
June 13, 2007

..Last night FM radio was on R&B and it was 'Ready Or Not'. ...I was just by myself dancing. And it was oh, my! ...I came out of R&B. ...That's why when people try to put me in a box, like no! There are certain songs I hear, like The Stylistics--oooooh! ... 'You Make Me Feel Brand New' ...my husband and I, that was our song! Reminiscing is the svelte, statuesque (5' 8 ½ ) and still ...

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Album Review

Nancy Wilson: Turned To Blue

Read "Turned To Blue" reviewed by Andrew Velez

by Andrew Velez
February 22, 2007

Call Nancy Wilson an old fashioned singer. She sings on key. You can understand every lyric. There's no trickery, just putting the song out there straight ahead. Her careful considerations of what she's singing result in a crispy heat that resides in the domain of the peerless Carmen McRae's elegant “less is more style. This Grammy-nominated set follows up Wilson's 2005 Grammy-winning R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs Very Personal). She brands songs with her own tough-edged warmth. Durham & ...

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Album Review

Nancy Wilson: Turned To Blue

Read "Turned To Blue" reviewed by Jeff Winbush

by Jeff Winbush
August 18, 2006

One of the hardest things for a fan to do is watch a premier athlete or entertainer begin to falter and show the first signs that age has begun to compromise their talent. It was saddening to watch Muhammad Ali unable to fend off Larry Holmes. It was troubling to watch the great Michael Jordan being schooled by Allen Iverson. Now it is becoming obvious than in the sunset of her career, Nancy Wilson isn't quite the vocalist she once ...

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Album Review

Nancy Wilson: Turned To Blue

Read "Turned To Blue" reviewed by Dr. Judith Schlesinger

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
August 17, 2006

This recording is like heirloom silver: finely etched and gleaming with a rich and mellow sheen. Its many delights include top-level players, excellent arrangements and production values, and a variety of configurations from a smoking all-star big band to intimate quartets. There are also great solo turns by the likes of John Clayton, James Moody, Bob Mintzer, Hubert Laws, Tom Scott, Dave Samuels, Andy Narrell and Billy Taylor.Then there's the introduction of splendid new material, including a great ...

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Album Review

Nancy Wilson: R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal)

Read "R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal)" reviewed by Woodrow Wilkins

by Woodrow Wilkins
January 10, 2005

As she says in her opening line, “Some things are worth waiting for," Nancy Wilson presents a collection of vintage jazz that is well worth the wait. Listening to RSVP (rare songs, very personal) is like finally popping the cork to a prized bottle after decades of anticipation.Joined by Toots Thielemans on harmonica and saxman Phil Woods, Wilson delivers a charming opener, “An Older Man Is Like an Elegant Wine," a title that not only expresses admiration for ...

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Album Review

Nancy Wilson: R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal)

Read "R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal)" reviewed by Jim Santella

by Jim Santella
September 18, 2004

As Nancy Wilson sings about having her troubles evaporate, she must surely realize that her music has had that effect on us for ages. Just one listen, and we know. Her performances rescue us from our daily doldrums and elevate our mood for keeps.In late 2002 and early 2003, she recorded with different ensembles at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild in Pittsburgh. Her intimate studio performances are some of the best ever.She works with strings, big bands, ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nancy Wilson

Source: Michael Ricci
February 20, 2023

All About Jazz is celebrating Nancy Wilson's birthday today!

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nancy Wilson

Source: Michael Ricci
February 20, 2022

All About Jazz is celebrating Nancy Wilson's birthday today!

Nancy Wilson’s musical style is so diverse that it is hard to classify. Over the years her repertoire has included pop style ballads, jazz and blues, show tunes and well known standards. Critics have described her as “a jazz singer,” “a blues singer,” “a pop singer,” and “a cabaret singer.” Still others have referred to her as “a storyteller,” “a professor emeritus of body language,” “a consummate actress,” and “the complete ...
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Video / DVD

Live Nancy Wilson Clips in the '60s

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
December 15, 2021

Want to hear something freaky? Last night I had a sudden urge to watch newly uploaded videos of Nancy Wilson and share them with you today. When I went onto her Wikipedia page after writing my post, I realized she had died on December 13 three years ago to the date. Why I had the urge to re-visit Miss Nancy on the anniversary of her passing is beyond me. Something in the stars. Or a warm whisper from Miss Nancy ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nancy Wilson

Source: Michael Ricci
February 20, 2021

All About Jazz is celebrating Nancy Wilson's birthday today!

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nancy Wilson

Source: Michael Ricci
February 20, 2020

All About Jazz is celebrating Nancy Wilson's birthday today!

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nancy Wilson

Source: Michael Ricci
February 20, 2019

All About Jazz is celebrating Nancy Wilson's birthday today!

Place ...
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Obituary

Nancy Wilson: 1937-2018

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
December 15, 2018

Nancy Wilson, a sassy and sultry jazz-pop singer with extraordinary vocal and visual performing talents who emerged in 1959 just as the pop charts were starting to be dominated by soft Brazilian voices, vocal harmonies by beach bands, British invaders and back-beat soul from Detroit and Memphis, died yesterday. She was 81. Nancy was first and foremost a superb story-singer who let songs run through her and whose face and voice perfectly expressed the elation or pained determination detailed in ...
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Obituary

Nancy Wilson Is Gone

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
December 15, 2018

Sorry to hear of the passing of Nancy Wilson. She was 81 and died yesterday at her home north of Los Angeles in the California desert community of Pioneertown. The singer achieved fame in the 1960s after Cannonball Adderley heard her in a Columbus, Ohio, club and recommended her to Capitol Records. An album she made with Adderley and his quintet became one of her most popular and has remained so for decades. Nearly as successful was her album with ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Nancy Wilson

Source: Michael Ricci
February 20, 2018

All About Jazz is celebrating Nancy Wilson's birthday today!

Place ...
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Video / DVD

Videos: Nancy Wilson in '66

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
January 26, 2018

At her vocal peak in 1966, Nancy Wilson was the very picture of grace and artistic command. Her jazzy vocal style added a soulful flavor to pop songs of the day and her range and phrasing were masterful. Today, as great as her albums are, they don't give you the full scope of what makes Nancy special. To fully appreciate her gifts, you have to see Nancy in action. One can only imagine what she was like in '66 at ...
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