Wilson, Nancy

Wilson, Nancy, American singer; b. Chillicothe, Ohio, Feb. 20, 1937. She developed musically at an early age, singing in choirs and dance bands as a teenager in Columbus, Ohio. In 1956 she joined Rusty Bryant’s Carolyn Club Band and made her first recordings for Dot Records. Her next collaboration was with Cannonball Adder ley in 1959. Still hooked on straight-ahead jazz, she recorded her first hit with Adderley, “Save Your Love for Me,” in 1962. From there she picked up a more pop-oriented style and a new momentum, putting 33 albums on the charts between 1962 and 1977. Some of the hit songs from that period include “Peace of Mind,” “Don’t Come Running Back to Me,” “Face It Girl, It’s Over,” and “Now I’m a Woman.” Her “How Glad I Am” won a Grammy for Best R&B Song in 1964. In 1983 she won a song festival award in Tokyo and recorded five albums for Japanese labels over the next few years. During that time she also made one pop record in the U.S., The Two of Us, with Ramsey Lewis.

Discography

Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley (1961); Yesterday’s Love Songs, Today’s Blues (1963); Welcome to My Love (1967); Lush Life (1967); But Beautiful (1969); The Two of Us (1984); Keep You Satisfied (1986); Forbidden Lover (1987); Nancy Now! (1988); Lady with a Song (1990); I Wish You Love (1992); Love, Nancy (1994); Spotlight on Nancy Wilson (1995); Ballads, Blues, and Big Bands: The Best of Nancy Wilson (1996); If I Had My Way (1997); Greatest Hits (1999).

—Norene Cashen