Nancy Wilson, a renowned jazz singer, was born on February 20, 1937, in Chillicothe, Ohio, to Olden Wilson, an iron-worker, and Lillian Ryan, a domestic servant. She was the first of six children and grew up surrounded by music, with her father's love of records playing a significant influence on her development as a young girl. By the age of four, Nancy knew she was destined to be a singer, and she honed her talent by singing in the church choir.
Her early life was marked by numerous performances, including winning a TV talent show at the age of 15 and appearing regularly on the TV show "Skyline Melodies" while still in high school. She began working in nightclubs at the same age and quickly made a name for herself in the music industry.
After graduating from high school, Nancy attended Central State College for one year before dropping out to pursue a career in music. She recorded her first record with Rusty Bryant's Carolyn Club Big Band in 1956 and toured with the group until 1958. During this time, she made her first recording with Dot Records.
Cannonball Adderley played a significant role in Nancy's early career, advising her to move to New York to further her career. She relocated to the Big Apple in 1959 and quickly landed a job singing at The Blue Morocco Nightclub on Boston Road in The Bronx. Her performances caught the attention of Adderley's agent, who signed her to a contract with Capitol Records in 1960.
Nancy's debut single, "Guess Who I Saw Today," was released in 1960, and her subsequent records were met with great success. Initially focusing on rhythm and blues, she later moved away from R&B and embraced jazz and torch songs under Adderley's influence.
Her 1962 collaboration with Adderley, "Nancy Wilson and Cannonball Adderley," helped propel her to the top, and she had her breakout hit, "Tell Me the Truth," in 1963. This led to a gig at New York's Coconut Grove, the premier nightclub in America, and cemented her status as a star.
Nancy's music continued to chart well throughout the 1960s, with her 1964 song "(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am" reaching #11 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. She eventually charted 11 songs in the Hot 100 and placed four albums in Billboard's Top LP charts between March 1964 and June 1965.
Nancy won her first Grammy Award in 1964 for best R&B recording for her LP "How Glad I Am." She continued to record music into the 21st century, winning Best Jazz Vocal Grammy Awards for her albums "R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal)" (2005) and "Turned to Blue" (2007). She retired from live performances in 2011.
In addition to her music career, Nancy also had a successful acting career, making numerous appearances on American TV and even starring in her own one-off BBC special, "The Nancy Wilson Show," in 1966. The special was later turned into a soundtrack album.
Nancy was married twice, first to drummer Kenny Dennis from 1960 to 1970, with whom she had one child. She then married Presbyterian minister Wiley Burton in 1973, and they were married for 35 years until his death in 2008, having two children together.
