Song stylist Nancy Wilson was born in Chillicothe, Ohio on February 20, 1937. Her career spanned from the mid-1950s until her retirement in the early 2010s. During that time she received seven Grammy nominations and won three times.

Wilson developed her singing skills in church choirs and at West High School in Columbus, Ohio. She won a talent contest in Columbus and was rewarded with a role as host of a local television program. In 1959 she moved to New York City to pursue a career in music at the suggestion of saxophonist “Cannonball” Adderley. After only a month in the Big Apple Wilson landed a regular gig at The Blue Morocco club where she sang four nights a week.

The following year Nancy Wilson was signed by Capitol Records where her first single was so successful that the label released five albums featuring her over the next two years. Her 1963 single Tell Me the Truth was popular enough to garner her a gig at The Coconut Grove in 1964. This performance led to nationwide recognition and critical acclaim. Wilson’s popularity grew to the point that she became the host of her own television program, The Nancy Wilson Show, on NBC during the 1967-1968 season. Wilson appeared regularly on television during this period as both a singer and as an actress.

Wilson made 33 albums between 1960 and 2006 and was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2004. Nancy Wilson passed away after a long illness in 2018 at the age of 81.

Here is a link to part of her performance at the 1987 Newport Jazz Festival:

"YOU DON'T KNOW"