Grammy award winning singer Nancy Wilson, 81, died peacefully at her California home on Thursday after a long illness, her longtime publicist said.
The torch singer of the 1960s called herself a "song-stylist" and resisted being labeled a jazz singer for most of her career because she could cross so many genres.
"She was one of those rare vocalists who could do it all." said her publicist Devra Hall Levy. " Jazz, blues, pop and even funk. She did it all."
Her recording, "How Glad I Am" earned her a Grammy in 1965 for best R&B performance. She later won Grammys in 2005 and 2007 for jazz music, along with a 2004 lifetime achievement award the "Jazz Masters Fellowship," from the National Endowment for the Arts.
