Legendary singer Queen Bey, who was officially recognized as Kansas City's ambassador of jazz, passed away last Monday.
She was known for her large repertoire of jazz and blues standards, and had shared the stage with legends like B.B. King and Erroll Garner during her career, among many others. She also performed in Broadway musicals and acted in films.
Kansas City jazz singer Millie Edwards told KCUR that Queen Bey's death is like "losing a huge piece of history."
"When she took the stage, she grabbed the audience and they went along for the ride, and they absolutely loved it. She was bigger than life on stage," Edwards said.
"She was personable and she was fun, and that was obvious. She was very intimate with the audience, but she allowed them to see who she was. She commanded the stage and she respected her musicians."
- Millie Edwards, Kansas City jazz singer
- Kevin Willmott, filmmaker and KU professor
