Geraldine de Haas, a vivacious vocalist and pioneering jazz impresario in Chicago for over four decades, died of natural causes on July 28, 2026, at Englewood Health Hospital. She was 91. Her son, actor/singer Darius de Haas, announced her passing.
Born Geraldine Wideman, later Bey, on January 16, 1935, in Newark, NJ, she was a founding member of the sibling group Andy and the Bey Sisters, which blended jazz, gospel, and soul. The group recorded for RCA Victor and Prestige, toured Europe, and disbanded in 1967. After moving to Chicago in 1968 with her husband, bassist Edgar de Haas, she became a central figure in the city's jazz scene.
Her most significant contribution came in 1974 when she produced a Duke Ellington tribute concert in Grant Park, which united the Chicago jazz community and evolved into the now-famous Chicago Jazz Festival. As Howard Reich, former Chicago Tribune jazz critic, noted, "The Duke Ellington tribute concert she created in Chicago's Grant Park in 1974 made possible the now-famous Chicago Jazz Festival."
In 1981, de Haas founded Jazz Unites, Inc., a not-for-profit organization to bring 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 efforts earned her numerous awards, including the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Award and a 2010 Jazz Hero Award from the Jazz Journalists Association.
Two-time Grammy-winning vocalist Kurt Elling praised her mentorship, saying, "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.'"
De Haas's impact extended to younger artists, as Chicago vocalist Tammy McCann recalled: "She saw something in me and other young artists and elevated the level of our performance in such a thoughtful way."
Her son Darius de Haas, her daughter Aisha de Haas, and her son-in-law Kyle Rudy survive her. She was preceded in death by her husband Edgar, her brother Andy Bey, and her sister Salome Bey. A celebration of her life will be announced later.
