Nancy King, a pioneering jazz vocalist revered for her remarkable scat singing abilities and dynamic vocal range, died on August 5, 2025, at the age of 85.
Born Nancy Whalley on June 15, 1940, outside Eugene, Oregon, King was raised by musical parents who nurtured her artistic talents from an early age. Her journey in jazz began at the University of Oregon in 1959, where she performed alongside future jazz luminaries Ralph Towner and Glen Moore, though her enrollment was cut short in 1960 due to her civil rights activism.
King relocated to San Francisco in the early 1960s, quickly establishing herself in the vibrant jazz scene where she performed at the renowned Jazz Workshop. For two years, she headlined Monday nights with saxophonist Sonny King’s band, whom she later married. Their partnership produced three sons before his death in 1983, after which she raised them largely as a single mother.
Despite her extraordinary talent, King’s recording career started relatively late with her first album “First Date” released in 1979. Her decision to prioritize family over extensive touring in the early 1970s, settling in Eugene, Oregon, partially explains why her remarkable voice remained somewhat unknown to mainstream audiences. During her early career, King performed alongside jazz legends like Pharoah Sanders and Miles Davis.
Throughout her career, King earned critical acclaim for her improvisational prowess and emotional nuance. Guitarist Herb Ellis once called her “the greatest living jazz singer” in 1986. Her technical abilities were legendary – she could leap octaves effortlessly, scatter syllables with remarkable precision, and build momentum while maintaining expressive control. Her performances with bass virtuosos like Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar helped solidify her reputation among jazz musicians. Throughout her life, King maintained excellent vocal health by employing proper breath control and diaphragmatic singing techniques that allowed her to perform well into her senior years. Her attention to vocal resonance during practice sessions contributed significantly to her distinctive tone and remarkable longevity as a performer.
King received two Grammy nominations, for “Live At Jazz Standard With Fred Hersch” (2006) and “Porter Plays Porter” (2017). She maintained a lifelong commitment to the Portland jazz scene, teaching at Portland State University and collaborating extensively with pianist Steve Christofferson beginning in 1978.
The city of Portland honored her contributions with Nancy King Day on February 22, 2008, and a Jazz Master Award in 2013. Despite her cult status among jazz aficionados worldwide, King remained largely under-recognized by mainstream audiences – a reflection of jazz’s often overlooked treasures.
