I will never forget the first time I heard Nancy Wilson sing “Guess Who I Saw Today,” a jazz standard written by Murray Grand, with lyrics by Elisse Boyd, for Leonard Sillman's Broadway musical revue New Faces of 1952.
It was in 1960 or 1961, and my dad had bought the album, Something Wonderful. We gathered as a family for one of our listening sessions. A new album was always an event: We didn’t have a lot of money, so buying music was, by necessity, strictly budgeted. I was only about 13 at the time, and already had favorite vocalists, but Wilson’s voice was new to me.
What struck me as I was listening for the first time—and still does after having listened to “Guess Who I Saw Today” too many times to count—was the poignant and conversational storytelling that comprises the song. I was too young then to have experienced firsthand the painful feelings evoked by the discovery of a partner’s infidelity. However, I remember being struck by the almost ironic sweetness of Wilson delivering to her spouse the line which ends both the song—“I saw you”—and we imagine, the relationship as well.
I was listening to a local radio station that plays some jazz last week, and after they played “Guess Who,” they announced that Wilson’s birthday is this month. Sure enough, it’s Feb. 20.
So you can guess who I’m listening to today, and I hope you’ll join me.
The opening lyrics of the song are so lovingly concerned.
You're so late getting home from the office.
Did you miss your train?
Were you caught in the rain?
No, don't bother to explain.
Can I fix you a quick martini?
As a matter of fact
I'll have one with you,
For to tell you the truth
I've had quite a day too!
Take a listen:
I was unprepared for the denouement the first time I heard it, and am still amazed that Wilson, with her consummate artistry, was able to refrain from overly dramatic vocal histrionics.
That’s the power, for me, of her rendition.
The waiter showed me to a dark secluded corner
And as my eyes became accustomed to the gloom
I saw two people at the bar who were so in love
That even I could spot it clear across the room
Guess who I saw today, my dear?
I've never been so shocked before
I headed blindly through the door
They didn't see me passing through
Guess who I saw today?
Guess who I saw today?
Guess who I saw today?
I saw you
So where did this talented artist spring from, and how did she hone her vocal chops? Musician Guide has a detailed bio, written by by Laura Hightower.
The oldest in a family of six children, Nancy Wilson was born on February 20, 1937, in the small southern Ohio town of Chillicothe, where she spent many of her formative years and where she attended Burnside Heights Elementary School. Wilson's parents, Olden and Lillian (Ryan) Wilson, were hard-working and raised their children in a close-knit environment. Her mother labored as a domestic, while her father worked in an iron foundry. Throughout her childhood, Wilson, along with her brothers Anthony and Michael and sisters Rita, Brenda, and Karen, often spent summers in the company of their grandmother at her home on Whiskey Run Road just outside of Columbus, Ohio. It was during these extended family get-togethers that Wilson first delighted audiences with her singing. A vocalist who never took part in formal voice training and often referred to her ability as a gift, Wilson realized at the tender age of four that her goal was to sing professionally.
In her hometown of Chillicothe and later in Columbus, where her family moved when Wilson reached her teens, she developed her skills singing in church choirs and emulating the styles of a variety of post-war American music. Some of her favorite musical legends included Nat King Cole, Billy Eckstine, LaVern Baker, Louis Jordan, Dinah Washington, Ruth Brown, and her self-proclaimed greatest influence, "Little" Jimmy Scott. Wilson's own career began to take shape at the age of 15 after she won a local talent contest in Columbus and was awarded her own television series, Skyline Melodies, for a local station. The show, which was also broadcast on local radio, featured Wilson singing phoned-in requests. Even then, her repertoire included a wide range of musical styles, from jazz and big band to the pop, ballad, and torch song categories. In addition to performing on her television/radio show, Wilson started singing live shows everywhere she could at local clubs in and around Columbus
[…]
In the meantime, while performing in Columbus, Wilson made another important connection that helped to build her career when she had the opportunity to sit in with jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, who immediately sensed her enormous potential. Adderley, who would prove a major influence on Wilson's future in the recording business, convinced the talented singer to move away from the pop performance style and emphasize the more sophisticated jazz and ballad material. Taking Adderley's advice, the pair started performing together from time to time and later recorded an album together, 1962's Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley, which was recorded with Adderley's quintet and became a jazz classic.
Wilson tells her own story in a five-part interview with Marc Myers at JazzWax. Additionally, The History Makers has an in-depth video (with transcripts!) for an interview conducted on Nov. 15, 2007. According to what she told Myers, her friendship with Cannonball Adderley began after she met him for the first time in 1958, and led to their groundbreaking album.
It’s far too difficult for me to pick a favorite from the album’ I love the whole thing, so I’ll just post the cut that garnered the most kudos from the jazz-buying public.
Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, we get a chance to see and hear a 25-year-old Wilson on the television series Jazz Scene USA, hosted by Black political singer-poet-songwriter-actor-activist Oscar Brown Jr.
Wilson’s conversational storytelling style carried over into silky interpretations of more show tunes, on her Broadway My Way album. Consider her take on “You Can Have Him.”
It’s very different from how the song was handled by Nina Simone. (I love both, how about you?)
Though Wilson’s music wasn’t overtly political, she, like many other Black artists of her time, was a strong supporter of the civil rights movement and the organizations that aided the Black community in that fight.
In 1986, Wilson made it to #8 on the Billboard Jazz Charts with the R&B album Forbidden Lover, and the song of the same name. Though several jazz critics gave it a thumbs down, R&B stations gave it a lot of airplay and Wilson’s fans—old and new—rushed to buy it.
“Forbidden Lover” the song is a duet with Carl Anderson, of Jesus Christ Superstar fame.
I love when YouTube offers the chance to view live concerts by the artists featured here in their entirety, and this one, at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1987 (set list), is no exception. It’s a superb example of both Wilson’s artistry and her rapport with her audience.
In 1988, at the 20th NAACP Image Awards, the award for Outstanding Jazz Artist went to Ella Fitzgerald. Wilson and Al Jarreau did the vocal honors for Ella.
In addition to her decades-long career in music, Wilson also branched out into acting, appearing in numerous television shows from the 1960s to the 1990s, including the short-lived The Sinbad Show.
In 2008, Wilson was hospitalized with a collapsed lung, and in 2011, she gave her final musical performance in the state that made her great.
Legendary jazz song stylist Nancy Wilson makes one thing crystal clear: If she's going to do something, she wants to do it right. She began her career embracing that standard, and now she's set to end it in the same way.
The three-time Grammy Award winner recently confirmed that after 60 years, she will perform on a public stage for the last time at Ohio University, giving her final show in the same state that she gave her first. According to Wilson, her idea was to come full-circle: “I'm not going to be doing it anymore, and what better place to end it than where I started—in Ohio."
Nancy Wilson passed on Dec. 13, 2018, and obituaries were written for her around the globe. I was particularly moved by these words, from her good friend and California congresswoman, Rep. Maxine Waters.
“I am heartbroken by the passing of my beloved friend, the legendary Nancy Wilson. Nancy was a ‘song stylist’ without peer. Her unmatched mastery of numerous genres of music, including jazz, R&B, gospel, blues, soul and pop, has etched her name in history as one of the most ‘formidable’ vocalists of all time.
[...]
“Anyone who knew Nancy understood how deeply she cared for our community, and how committed she was to using her voice to make a difference. We could always count on Nancy to perform for special causes like HIV/AIDS or in support of political leaders. Whenever and wherever we needed her, Nancy would be right there.
“The incomparable Nancy Wilson. A musical genius, trailblazer, and hero who was loved and adored by so many. I join the world in mourning the loss of this extraordinary musical icon, and I consider it a blessing to have the privilege of calling her a cherished friend. My thoughts and prayers are with her three children, Kacy, Samantha, and Sheryl, five grandchildren, relatives and friends during this difficult time.
“Though she is no longer with us, she will forever be remembered in hearts as our ‘Classy, Miss Nancy.’”
We miss you, Classy Miss Nancy. It may be your birthday, but we thank you for the gifts you left us.
I’ll see you in the comments for even more Nancy Wilson, and look forward to hearing your favorites from a career spanning over half a century.