Geraldine de Haas, a celebrated vocalist and pioneering jazz impresario who shaped Chicago's jazz scene for over four decades, died on July 28, 2026, at Englewood Health Hospital. She was 91. Her son, actor and singer Darius de Haas, confirmed the news, attributing her death to natural causes.
De Haas first gained international acclaim as a member of Andy and the Bey Sisters, a family trio that blended jazz, gospel, and soul in the 1950s and 1960s. The group, which included her sister Salome and brother Andy, recorded three albums for RCA Victor and Prestige, and toured Europe for 16 months, performing at the Paris Blue Note and appearing in a jam session with Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Clarke. Their innovative sound foreshadowed groups like The Manhattan Transfer and Take 6.
After the group disbanded in 1967, de Haas moved to Chicago with her husband, bassist Edgar de Haas, who had worked with Miles Davis and other jazz luminaries. While raising a family, she became deeply involved in the city's cultural life, performing in stage productions and eventually turning to producing. In 1974, following Duke Ellington's death, she organized a tribute concert in Grant Park that united the Chicago jazz community and evolved into the now-famous Chicago Jazz Festival. According to Howard Reich, former Chicago Tribune jazz critic, "That de Haas also was a world-class singer who could spin and stretch a melody line a la Sarah Vaughan made her a Chicago treasure wherever she performed."
De Haas's impact extended beyond producing. In 1981, she founded Jazz Unites, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to bringing jazz to the public. She also served as Director of Performing Arts and Access Programs for the Illinois Arts Council from 1983 to 1993. Her mentorship touched many artists, including Grammy-winning vocalist Kurt Elling, who recalled, "In her gracious way, and by the example of her own performances, she showed me how to carry myself on stage, how to work with instrumentalists, how to connect with audiences, and how to sing 'the real thing.'"
Throughout her career, de Haas received numerous honors, 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. Her work was driven by a belief in jazz as a unifying force. "The key for me was to bring the best of the world to our community," she said. "People need to see what we have given to this world. That's the only reason why I work."
De Haas's legacy is one of advocacy and accessibility, ensuring that jazz reached diverse audiences. Her contributions helped establish Chicago as a premier jazz city, and her influence will continue through the festival she helped create and the artists she inspired. She is survived by her son Darius, daughter Aisha, and son-in-law Kyle Rudy. A celebration of her life will be announced later.
