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Nancy Wilson RIP


greggery peccary

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Sorry to hear this. I really like the album with Cannonball and was fortunate enough to catch  a 1990s Nancy Wilson performance with a Cannonball alumni group sans the Adderleys (but with George Duke, Walter Booker, Roy McCurdy) playing some of the material. At that time, she was still at the top of her game. Wonderful singer  - RIP.

Edited by sidewinder
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One guy I knew used to say that every time he saw her, she had that magic quality that made you feel she was singing only to you.

My Brother-In-Law was friends with Billy Crystal in high school, and they both convinced the student government and faculty to hire Nancy Wilson to sing at their high school Prom!

RIP.

 

 

 

 

 

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I'm very sorry to hear this.  I have to admit I was late in coming to appreciate Nancy Wilson.  I had to "get" Jimmy Scott first and then I could could go back and re-listen to and "get" Nancy Wilson, if you know what I mean.  But when I fell for her, I fell hard and I have a dozen or so CDs by her.  She maintained her voice well and she sounded good right to her final recording.  She knew when she wanted to retire and when she did, she stayed retired.  I was reading the liner notes to a Ramsey Lewis compilation CD recently, and Mr. Lewis said he had tried coaxing her back to performing a couple of times, but she always said she'd had enough.  I hope she enjoyed every minute of her career and her retirement as well.  Thank you Ms. Wilson, for a trove of beautiful music.  May you Rest in Peace.

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On 12/14/2018 at 3:09 PM, sgcim said:

One guy I knew used to say that every time he saw her, she had that magic quality that made you feel she was singing only to you.

My Brother-In-Law was friends with Billy Crystal in high school, and they both convinced the student government and faculty to hire Nancy Wilson to sing at their high school Prom!

RIP.

 

 

 

 

 

RIP Ms. Wilson. 

Did they hire her?

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As I read the obits, I got interested in her early Dot recordings. Several articles said she recorded for the label before she signed with Capitol. Apparently she did indeed record a single session with Rusty Bryant. I found one tune from that session ("Don't Tell Me") on an old compilation cd I actually had in a pile to sell (2-cd set "Jazz Divas" on Verve), so I took it out of the sale pile (!) and gave it a listen. I think she still shows her gospel roots on that tune, not too surprising since that's what she had been singing before she started her professional career. Apparently, that tune occupied one side of a 45 single with "Foot Stompin'," but the latter doesn't appear to have ever been reissued, nor have four other unissued sides with Bryant (according to Lord) made at the same session. There was a time when all that material might have seen the light of day on cd after the death of the artist, but I doubt that will happen now.

On second listen, I hear more Country and Western than gospel. Definitely not your "standard" Nancy Wilson!

 

gregmo

Edited by gmonahan
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The rarest of combinations...beauty, talent and class.  That voice, if you really listen to it, is remarkable, especially considering that she had no formal training.  Here's one of my favorites performed live on the Arsenio Hall show back in the 90's.  More contemporary for sure, put proving that she could keep up with the times and still deliver.  The last few seconds of this song as she performs it here gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

 

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Billy's father produced jazz shows while he was working at the Commodore Record store with his brother-in-law (Billy's uncle) Milt Gabler.  Billy was named "Face" by Willie the Lion and his production company is called "Face Productions".  He tells a great story about seeing "Shane" with Billie Holiday. 

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