Nancy Sue Wilson was born on February 20, 1937 in Chillicothe,
OH and died on December 13, 2018 at the age of 81.
Sometimes known as Fancy Miss Nancy, she won a talent contest at
the age of 15, which led to her performing on and then hosting a weekly radio
show.
In 1964, Miss Nancy recorded “(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am”,
which made it to no. 11 on Billboard’s Top 100. (I remember that song so well
because we had it in our living room on vinyl when I was very young.) She
debuted “Guess Who I Saw Today” in 1962, and it is another of my favorites.
The inimitable Miss Nancy won three Grammy Awards over five
decades for the albums “How Glad I Am” (1965), R.S.V.P (Rare Songs, Very
Personal) (2005), and “Turned to Blue” (2007). She won numerous and varied
other awards, such as the NAACP Image Award, a Trumpet Award for Outstanding
Achievement, and an NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship Award. She was granted a star
on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was inducted into the Big Band and
Jazz Hall of Fame. For a decade, she hosted the NPR Jazz Profiles program.
My daughter attended high school with Miss Nancy’s daughter in
the 1990s, and when Miss Nancy came to town, my daughter and I saw her at
Kimball’s East. I only regret that I did not accompany my daughter backstage
when I had the opportunity to meet this lovely lady.
