I'm convinced that one of these years, singer Nancy Wilson will be named a Kennedy Center Honoree. Her artful ability to pull jazz into the pop realm and the peerless way in which she proved that pop was open to African-American interpretation without losing an ounce of pop's appeal was remarkable. Here are seven video clips that remind us why Nancy is special...
Here's Nancy on TV's Jazz Scene USA in 1962, hosted by Oscar Brown Jr....
Here's Nancy on TV's Hollywood Palace in 1964. The camera work here is sensational...
Here's Nancy on TV's I Spy in 1966...
Here's Nancy in 1987 at Carnegie Hall with conductor Masahiko Satoh...
Here's Nancy at the Playboy Jazz Festival in 1991 with Art Farmer on trumpet and Benny Golson on tenor saxophone...
Here's Nancy in 1992 at the Huis Ten Bosch Jazz Festival in Nagasaki, Japan...
And here's Nancy in 2004 with the Boston Pops and John Williams...