Geraldine de Haas, a beloved singer and pioneering jazz impresario who profoundly shaped Chicago's jazz scene for over four decades, died of natural causes on July 28, 2026, at Englewood Health Hospital. She was 91. Her son, actor and singer Darius de Haas, announced her passing.
De Haas first gained international acclaim as a member of the sibling group Andy and the Bey Sisters, alongside her brother Andy and sister Salome. The trio, active in the 1950s and 1960s, blended jazz, gospel, and soul in a way that foreshadowed later vocal groups like The Manhattan Transfer and Take 6. They recorded three albums for RCA Victor and Prestige and toured Europe for 16 months, performing at the Paris Blue Note and even appearing in the Chet Baker documentary Let's Get Lost.
After the group disbanded in 1967, de Haas married bassist Edgar de Haas and moved to Chicago in 1968. There, she transitioned from performer to producer and advocate. In 1974, following Duke Ellington's death, she organized a tribute concert in Grant Park that united the city's jazz community and eventually evolved into the renowned Chicago Jazz Festival. Howard Reich, former Chicago Tribune jazz critic, called her "one of the most inspired and influential impresarios that Chicago – and jazz itself – has ever had."
De Haas founded Jazz Unites, Inc. in 1981, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing jazz to the public, and served as its CEO. She also worked as Director of Performing Arts and Access Programs for the Illinois Arts Council from 1983 to 1993. Her efforts earned her numerous accolades, including the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Chicago Jazz Magazine, and a 2010 Jazz Hero Award from the Jazz Journalists Association.
Two-time Grammy-winning vocalist Kurt Elling remembered de Haas as a mentor who "welcomed and encouraged me in my early years." Chicago vocalist Tammy McCann echoed this sentiment: "She saw something in me and other young artists and elevated the level of our performance in such a thoughtful way."
De Haas's dedication to making jazz accessible was her driving force. As she once said, "The key for me was to bring the best of the world to our community." Her legacy will continue to inspire generations of jazz lovers and artists.
