Sheila Jordan, a pioneer of bebop, scat jazz singing, and bass-voice duos, has died.
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Jordan passed away peacefully on Monday in New York City, her daughter, Tracey Jordan, announced in an Instagram post. She was 96.
“Her friend Joan Belgrave was playing her a bebop tune called Bill for Bennie, by her late husband Marcus Belgrave…my mom fell asleep listening to the music she loved and helped define,” Tracey wrote alongside a snapshot of her holding her mother’s hand.
“Thank you for your support and generosity. The money raised on her GoFundMe page will be used to pay off medical debt and secure a plot for her at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Jazz Corner…a memorial service will be planned in the future at Saint Peter’s Church in New York City. Love, Tracey,” she added.
Jordan, named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2012, is known for her vocal talent and (perhaps underappreciated) long career. She began in Detroit jazz clubs in the 1940s, where saxophonist Charlie Parker praised her exceptional ability to identify and sing instrumental jazz notes, calling her ears “million-dollar ears.”
According to The New York Times obituary, Sheila Jordan moved to New York City in 1951. She married Duke Jordan, Parker’s pianist, whom she had been dating in Detroit. Their daughter, Tracy Jordan, was born in 1955. However, the couple divorced in the early 1960s, around the time Sheila released her debut album, Portrait of Sheila, on Blue Note Records.
Sheila Jordan Released a New Album Earlier in 2025
She spent decades performing with jazz legends like Parker and Charles Mingus. Meanwhile, she raised her daughter as a single mother and worked in advertising. Once her daughter was in college, her music career took off, with regular album releases starting in the late 1970s and performances continuing until recently.
Her latest album, Portrait Now, was released earlier this year. She has also been a featured vocalist on albums by Carla Bley, George Gruntz, Bob Moses, and Roswell Rudd. Additionally, she has taught jazz vocal workshops at the City College of New York and other institutions.
She is survived by her daughter, Tracey J. Jordan, a music executive with experience at Motown, Arista Records, SiriusXM, MTV, and DePasse-Jones Entertainment.