Nina Simone, both Eunice Kathleen Waymon was born on February 21st, 1933 in Tyron, North Carolina, USA. Nina Simone was an American singer, songwriter, musician, arranger, and a civil rights activist. Her music spanned a. broad range of musical styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel and pop.
1. Overcoming Incredible Odds
Nina was the sixth of eight children born into an extremely poor family. Her mother, Mary Kate Waymon was a Methodist minister and a housemaid. Her father, Rev. John Devan Waymon was a handyman, who at one time owned a dry-cleaning business, but also suffered bouts of ill health. Nina began her musical journey at the age of three or four with help from the church. She played the piano and her first song was “God be with You, Till we meet again”. Simone’s Music teacher helped establish a special education fund that helped pay for her music education and her school.
2. Musical life rooted in Activism
At the tender age of 12, Simone refused to play at her piano recital because her parents were asked to sit at the back of the hall because they were black. From then on, she used her art to take a stand. Manu of her songs, including “Mississippi Goddamn”, “Why (The King of love is Dead)”, and “Young, Gifted and Black” addressed the rampant racial injustices of that era. Unfortunately, her activism wasn’t always welcome. Her popularity diminished; venues didn’t invite her to perform, and radio stations didn’t play her songs. But she pressed on – even after the Civil Rights Movement. In 1997, Simone told Interview Magazine that she addressed her songs to the third world. In her own words: “I’m a real rebel with a cause”.
In the 1960s, Simone added protest songs to her repertoire. She became friends with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X and performed at civil rights demonstrations. Simone even struck up a brief friendship with David Bowie in the mid 1970s, who called her every night for a month to offer his advice and support.
Her popularity grew as she added folk and gospel songs as well as songs by the Bee Gees, Bob Dylan, and Screamin’ by Jay Hawkins (“I Put a Spell on You”) to her repertoire. This was one of Nina Simone’s most popular songs. Angered by American racism, she left the United States in 1973 and lived in Barbados, Africa, and Europe for the rest of her life.
3. Nina Simone’s Music Still being Performed
Rihanna sang a few verses of Simone’s “So What You Gotta Do” on Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo. He’s clearly a superfan: “Blood on the Leaves” and his duet with Jay Z, “New Day”, feature Simone samples as well, along with Lil’ Wayne’s “Dontgetit”. Common’s “Misunderstood” and a host of other tracks.
Nina Revisted…A Tribute to Nina Simone was released along with the Netflix documentary in 2015. On the album, Lauryn Hill, Jazmine Sullivan, Usher, Alice Smith, and more paid tribute to the legend by performing covers of 16 of the best Nina Simone’s songs.
Nina Simone was known for using her musical platform to speak out. “I think women play a major part in opening the doors for better understanding around the world,” the “Strange Fruit” songstress once said. Though she chose to keep her personal life shrouded in secrecy, these facts grant VIP access into a life well-lived and the music that still lives on.
That is why, we have chosen Nina Simone as one of our top 3 favorite musicians featured for our Women’s Day special.
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Sources:
Mentalfloss
Wikipedia
Britannica
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