Geraldine de Haas, a vivacious vocalist and pioneering jazz impresario in Chicago, died of natural causes on July 28, 2026, at Englewood Health Hospital, her son Darius de Haas announced. She was 91. Although she was part of the acclaimed sibling group Andy and the Bey Sisters in the 1950s and 1960s, it was her tireless work as a jazz presenter, producer, and advocate that extended her influence across generations in the Windy City.
"Geraldine de Haas was one of the most inspired and influential impresarios that Chicago – and jazz itself – has ever had. The Duke Ellington tribute concert she created in Chicago's Grant Park in 1974 made possible the now-famous Chicago Jazz Festival," said Howard Reich, Emmy Award-winning author and 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. Chicago's cultural life would have been much diminished were it not for de Haas' tireless and selfless efforts on behalf of America's original art form, jazz."
Born Geraldine Wideman, later Bey, on January 16, 1935, in Newark, NJ, she was the seventh of nine children. A graduate of West Side High School, she co-founded Andy and the Bey Sisters with her sister Salome and brother Andy. Their first major gig was at Miami's Cotton Club in 1957, and they were managed by Newport Jazz Festival founder George Wein. The group's sophisticated blend of jazz and soul foreshadowed later ensembles like The Manhattan Transfer and Take 6. They recorded three albums for RCA Victor and Prestige: Andy and the Bey Sisters, Now! Hear!, and 'Round Midnight. Their 16-month European tour included performances at the Paris Blue Note and a jam session with Kenny Clarke and Dizzy Gillespie, filmed by Roger Vadim and featured in the Chet Baker film Let's Get Lost. The group disbanded in 1967.
After the tour, Bey met Indonesian-born, Netherlands-raised bassist Edgar de Haas, who had performed with Chet Baker and Miles Davis. They married and moved to Chicago in 1968, where Edgar worked as house bassist at the Jazz Showcase. While raising a family, Geraldine joined the Free Street Theater and performed in productions including Hair and Showboat. In the early 1970s, she began producing jazz events. When Duke Ellington died in 1974, she produced an influential tribute at Grant Park that united the jazz community and evolved into the Chicago Jazz Festival. As she told PBS's Chicago Tonight, "they saw where many people from every corner of this city gathered to hear this wonderful music."
Two-time Grammy winner Kurt Elling said, "I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend and mentor, Geraldine de Haas. As much as anyone of stature on the Chicago scene, she welcomed and encouraged me in my early years. 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.' Her extraordinarily soulful recordings with her sister Salome and her brilliant brother Andy Bey are essential listening for any true connoisseur of jazz singing."
In 1980, Mrs. de Haas earned a B.A. in music education from Chicago State University. In 1981, she founded Jazz Unites, Inc., a not-for-profit organization to bring jazz to the public. She served as its CEO and President, and produced festivals including the 1983 South Shore Jazz Festival. She also served as Director of Performing Arts and Access Programs for the Illinois Arts Council from 1983 to 1993. Her awards included The Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Award, a 2010 Jazz Hero Award from the Jazz Journalists Association, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Chicago Jazz Magazine.
Chicago vocalist Tammy McCann remarked, "We have lost someone so extraordinarily special. Geraldine de Haas made an impact in Chicago that will reverberate for years to come. She saw something in me and other young artists and elevated the level of our performance in such a thoughtful way. Her outstanding talents soared without an ounce of ego or competition, only collaboration and excellence."
In 2013, de Haas and her husband moved to Lambertville, NJ. She is survived by her son Darius, daughter Aisha, and son-in-law Kyle Rudy. She was preceded in death by her husband Edgar, brother Andy Bey, and sister Salome Bey. For Mrs. de Haas, the main imperative was to expose jazz to everyone. As she told The H30 Art of Life TV show, "The key for me was to bring the best of the world to our community. People need to see what we have given to this world. That's the only reason why I work."
