This passing really got to me. In my era, Nancy Wilson set a high standard copied by millions of Black women. In those days, white men held death over Black lives that didn't matter to them. One of the distinctive elements impossible to touch, or harm women like Nancy Wilson was an intangible passed down grandmother to granddaughter...
She was a powerful influence on me as a man, and a musician. Since, my start in music Nancy Wilson was one of my favorite singers in the world and there were only five. But, I have side stepped my grief for a moment. I had a big gig maybe a decade or so ago where she was one of the major artists. My wife wanted to go see her sound check.
I didn't want to. I'd been in many sound checks. But, that wasn't the reason.
When we left the stage I'd been performing we walked to Nancy Wilson's stage. The cats playing with her I was very familiar with, and had admired a long time. After the trio's sound check Nancy Wilson came out for hers. I about passed out. I whispered into Jan's ear, and said, "Jan, that's your only competition. If she beckons consider me gone." ~ Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of the Drum 12/17/18
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Nancy Wilson, June 29, 2007, performs at her Swingin' 70th Birthday party
at Carnegie Hall in New York city. photo by Rick Maiman.
"This is around the time, the only time I shared a venue with Nancy Wilson."
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