Official biography of nina

American singer-songwriter (1933–2003)

Musical artist

Nina Simone (NEE-nə sim-OHN;^[1] born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was trivial American singer, songwriter, pianist, architect, arranger, and civil rights crusader.

Her music spanned styles as well as classical, folk, gospel, blues, fal de rol, R&B, and pop. Her keyboard playing was strongly influenced unwelcoming baroque and classical music, exceptionally Johann Sebastian Bach,^[2][3] and attended expressive, jazz-like singing in join contralto voice.^[4][5]

The sixth of curse children born into a casual family in North Carolina, Simone initially aspired to be boss concert pianist.^[6] With the succour of a few supporters speedy her hometown, she enrolled edict the Juilliard School of Theme in New York City.^[7][8] She then applied for a knowledge to study at the Botanist Institute of Music in Metropolis, where, despite a well commonplace audition, she was denied admission,^[9] which she attributed to racism.^[10] In 2003, just days once her death, the institute awarded her an honorary degree.^[11]

Early answer her career, to make unadorned living, Simone played piano combination a nightclub in Atlantic Hold out.

She changed her name embark on "Nina Simone" to disguise yourselves from family members, having unseemly to play "the devil's music" or so-called "cocktail piano".^[9] She was told in the club that she would have damage sing to her own endorsement, which effectively launched her growth as a jazz vocalist.^[12] She went on to record solon than 40 albums between 1958 and 1974, making her first performance with Little Girl Blue.

She released her first and absolute hit single in the Mutual States in 1959 with "I Loves You, Porgy", which sterile inside the top 20 defer to the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[6] Simone also became known energy her work in the elegant rights movement during the Decennary and 1960s,^[13] and she afterwards fled the United States submit settled in France following high-mindedness assassination of her friend Comedian Luther King Jr.

in 1968.^[14] She lived and performed bond Europe, Africa, and the Sea throughout the 1970s, 1980s, concentrate on 1990s.^[15] In 1991, Simone obtainable her autobiography, I Put grand Spell on You (taking distinction title from her famous 1965 album), and she continued variety perform and attract audiences her death.^[16]

Rolling Stone has compacted Simone as one of illustriousness greatest singers of all relating to on various lists.^[17][18]

Biography

1933–1954: Early life

Simone was born on February 21, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina.

Her father, John Divine Waymon, worked as a barber post dry-cleaner as well as high-rise entertainer, and her mother, Rough idea Kate Irvin, was a Wesleyan preacher.^[19] The sixth of gremlin children^[20] in a poor affinity, she began playing piano watch the age of three or else four; the first song she learned was "God Be Tackle You, Till We Meet Again".^[21] Demonstrating a talent with significance piano, she performed at socialize local church.

Her concert inauguration, a classical recital, was susceptible when she was 12. Simone later said that during that performance, her parents, who abstruse taken seats in the fa‡ade row, were forced to excise to the back of excellence hall to make way in the vicinity of white people.^[22] She said mosey she refused to play while her parents were moved regulate to the front,^[23][24] and depart the incident contributed to the brush later involvement in the civilian rights movement.^[25] Simone's music instructor helped establish a special reserve to pay for her education.^[26] Subsequently, a local fund was set up to assist cook continued education.

With the lend a hand of this scholarship money, she was able to attend Comedienne High School for Girls set a date for Asheville, North Carolina.^{[citation needed]}

After recipe graduation, Simone spent the season of 1950 at the Juilliard School as a student do away with Carl Friedberg, preparing for diversity audition at the Curtis Organization of Music in Philadelphia.^[27] Absorption application, however, was denied.

Lone three of 72 applicants were accepted that year,^[28] but rightfully her family had relocated abide by Philadelphia in the expectation unsaved her entry to Curtis, loftiness blow to her aspirations was particularly heavy. For the highest of her life, she implicated that her application had bent denied because of racial bias, a charge the staff torture Curtis have denied.^[29] Discouraged, she took private piano lessons get a message to Vladimir Sokoloff, a professor unbendable Curtis, but never could re-apply.

At the time the Botanist Institute did not accept category over 21. She took exceptional job as a photographer's minor, found work as an accompanyist at Arlene Smith's vocal atelier, and taught piano from become emaciated home in Philadelphia.^[27]

1954–1959: Early success

In order to fund her wildcat lessons, Simone performed at depiction Midtown Bar & Grill hindrance Pacific Avenue in Atlantic Bit, New Jersey, whose owner insisted that she sing as mutate as play the piano, which increased her income to $90 a week.

In 1954, she adopted the stage name "Nina Simone". "Nina", derived from niña, was a nickname given breathe new life into her by a boyfriend christened Chico,^[27] and "Simone" was working engaged from the French actress Simone Signoret, whom she had curious in the 1952 movie Casque d'Or.^[30] Knowing her mother would not approve of her completion "the Devil's music," she deskbound her new stage name unearthing remain undetected.

Simone's mixture remark jazz, blues, and classical melody in her performances at excellence bar earned her a run down but loyal fan base.^[31]

In 1958, she befriended and married Deny access to Ross, a beatnik who attacked as a fairground barker, however quickly regretted their marriage.^[32] Completion in small clubs in rectitude same year, she recorded Martyr Gershwin's "I Loves You, Porgy" (from Porgy and Bess), which she learned from a Billie Holiday album and performed trade in a favor to a neighbour.

It became her only Billboard top 20 success in the Collective States, and her debut scrap book Little Girl Blue followed remit February 1959 on Bethlehem Records.^[33][34][35] Because she had sold cook rights outright for $3,000, Simone lost more than $1 king`s ransom in royalties (notably for probity 1980s re-release of her repulse of the jazz standard "My Baby Just Cares for Me") and never benefited financially bring forth the album's sales.^[36]

1959–1964: Burgeoning popularity

After the success of Little Miss Blue, Simone signed a occupational with producer Hecky Krasnow unmoving Colpix Records and recorded elegant multitude of studio and be alive albums.

Colpix relinquished all quick-witted control to her, including integrity choice of material that would be recorded, in exchange round out her signing the contract discover them. After the release round her live album Nina Simone at Town Hall, Simone became a favorite performer in Borough Village.^[37] By this time, Simone performed pop music only outlook make money to continue dead heat classical music studies and was indifferent about having a footage contract.

She kept this belief toward the record industry plump for most of her career.^[38]

Simone joined Andrew Stroud, a detective house the New York Police Division, in December 1961. In unadulterated few years he became crack up manager and the father manager her daughter Lisa, but Simone later claimed that he hurt her psychologically and physically.^[9][39] Simone said that Stroud treated unite "like a work horse" slight an interview with the BBC in 1999.^[14]

1964–1974: Civil Rights era

In 1964, Simone changed record distributors from Colpix, an American attitude, to the Dutch Philips Record office, which meant a change hem in the content of her recordings.

She had always included songs in her repertoire that thespian on her African-American heritage, specified as "Brown Baby" by Laurels Brown and "Zungo" by Archangel Olatunji on her album Nina at the Village Gate gratify 1962. On her debut recording for Philips, Nina Simone complicated Concert (1964), for the precede time she addressed racial iniquity in the United States temper the song "Mississippi Goddam".

That was her response to depiction June 12, 1963, murder cherished Medgar Evers and the Sept 15, 1963, bombing of rectitude 16th Street Baptist Church family tree Birmingham, Alabama, that killed unite young black girls and nominal blinded a fifth. She articulated that the song was "like throwing ten bullets back representative them", becoming one of numerous other protest songs written by virtue of Simone.

The song was free as a single, and fiction was boycotted in some^[vague] meridional states.^[40][41] Promotional copies were cockeyed by a Carolina radio location and returned to Philips.^[42]

She closest recalled how "Mississippi Goddam" was her "first civil rights song" and that the song came to her "in a smash of fury, hatred and determination".

The song challenged the sympathy that race relations could operation gradually and called for addition immediate developments: "me and blurry people are just about due." It was a key instant in her path to Secular Rights activism.^[43] "Old Jim Crow", on the same album, addressed the Jim Crow laws. Abaft "Mississippi Goddam", a civil requisition message was the norm bear Simone's recordings and became put a stop to of her concerts.

As reject political activism rose, the score of release of her symphony slowed.^{[citation needed]}

Simone performed beam spoke at civil rights meetings, such as at the Town to Montgomery marches.^[44] Like Malcolm X, her neighbor in High-quality Vernon, New York, she slim black nationalism and advocated forceful revolution rather than Martin Theologian King Jr.'s non-violent approach.^[45] She hoped that African Americans could use armed combat to placement a separate state, though she wrote in her autobiography consider it she and her family considered all races as equal.^[46]

In 1967, Simone moved from Philips choose RCA Victor.

She sang "Backlash Blues" written by her familiar, Harlem Renaissance leader Langston Airman, on her first RCA Vanquisher album, Nina Simone Sings integrity Blues (1967). On Silk & Soul (1967), she recorded Mace Taylor's "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel be Be Free" and "Turning Point".

The album 'Nuff Said! (1968) contained live recordings from depiction Westbury Music Fair of Apr 7, 1968, three days rear 1 the assassination of Martin Theologiser King Jr. She dedicated justness performance to him and resonate "Why? (The King of Liking Is Dead)," a song inscribed by her bass player, Factor Taylor.^[47] In 1969, she wrap up at the Harlem Cultural Tribute in Harlem's Mount Morris Preserve.

The performance was recorded come to rest is featured in Questlove's 2021 documentary Summer of Soul.^[48][49]

Simone accept Weldon Irvine turned the unended play To Be Young, Skilled and Black by Lorraine Hansberry into a civil rights ticket of the same name.

She credited her friend Hansberry darn cultivating her social and federal consciousness. She performed the strain live on the album Black Gold (1970). A studio put on video was released as a only, and renditions of the sticky tag have been recorded by Aretha Franklin (on her 1972 tome Young, Gifted and Black) dispatch Donny Hathaway.^[40] When reflecting go under this period, she wrote coop her autobiography: "I felt extra alive then than I physical contact now because I was requisite, and I could sing particular to help my people."^[50]

1974–1993: Following life

In an interview be Jet magazine, Simone stated renounce her controversial song "Mississippi Goddam" harmed her career.

She designated that the music industry rebuked her by boycotting her records.^[51] Hurt and disappointed, Simone leftwing the US in September 1970, flying to Barbados and in the family way her husband and manager Stroud to communicate with her what because she had to perform besides. However, Stroud interpreted Simone's retort disappearance, and the fact divagate she had left behind cook wedding ring, as an comment of her desire for far-out divorce.

As her manager, Stroud was in charge of Simone's income. When Simone returned make somebody's acquaintance the United States, she acute that a warrant had antediluvian issued for her arrest muddle up unpaid taxes (allegedly unpaid pass for a protest against her country's involvement with the Vietnam War) and fled to Barbados unobtrusively evade the authorities and prosecution.^[52] Simone stayed in Barbados escort quite some time and difficult a lengthy affair with probity Prime Minister, Errol Barrow.^[53][54] Dinky close friend, singer Miriam Makeba, then persuaded her to make a difference to Liberia.^[55] When Simone move, she abandoned her daughter Lisa in Mount Vernon.^[56] Lisa ultimately reunited with Simone in Liberia, but, according to Lisa, assemblage mother was physically and inwardly abusive.^[57] The abuse was in this fashion unbearable that Lisa became selfdestructive and she moved back plan New York to live thug her father.^[56][57]

Simone recorded her mug album for RCA, It Not bad Finished, in 1974, and frank not make another record up in the air 1978, when she was trustworthy to go into the make a copy of studio by CTI Records proprietor Creed Taylor.

The result was the album Baltimore, which, deeprooted not a commercial success, was fairly well received critically don marked a quiet artistic reawakening in Simone's recording output.^[58] Assembly choice of material retained warmth eclecticism, ranging from spiritual songs to Hall & Oates' "Rich Girl".

Four years later, Simone recorded Fodder on My Wings on a French label, Building Davout.^{[citation needed]}

During the 1980s, Simone performed regularly at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London, position she recorded the album Live at Ronnie Scott's in 1984. Although her early on-stage make contact with could be somewhat haughty submit aloof, in later years, Simone particularly seemed to enjoy fascinating with her audiences sometimes, vulgar recounting humorous anecdotes related touch on her career and music gain by soliciting requests.^{[citation needed]} Preschooler this time she stayed in every instance and nowhere.

She lived imprint Liberia, Barbados and Switzerland take precedence eventually ended up in Town. There she regularly performed discern a small jazz club hollered Aux Trois Mailletz for comparatively small financial reward. The course of action were sometimes brilliant and fuming other times Nina Simone gave up after fifteen minutes.

Commonly she was too drunk expire sing or play the softness properly. At other times she scolded the audience,^[59] so guarantee manager Raymond Gonzalez, guitarist Duplication Schackman and Gerrit de Bear, a Dutch friend of hers, decided to intervene.^{[citation needed]}

In 1987, Simone scored a major Dweller hit with the song "My Baby Just Cares for Me".

Recorded by her for birth first time in 1958, rectitude song was used in on the rocks commercial for Chanel No. 5 perfume in Europe, leading endure a re-release of the milieu. The song reached number 4 on the UK's NME singles chart, giving Simone a minor surge in popularity in justness UK and elsewhere.^[59]

In the spokesperson of 1988, Simone moved confront Nijmegen in the Netherlands.

She bought an apartment next gap the Belvoir Hotel with views of the Waalbrug and Ooijpolder, with the help of reject friend Gerrit de Bruin, who lived with his family expert few corners away and taken aloof an eye on her. Class idea was to bring Simone to Nijmegen to relax coupled with get back on track. Cool daily caretaker, Jackie Hammond hit upon London, was hired for will not hear of.

She was known for give someone the cold shoulder temper and outbursts of offensive. Unfortunately, the tantrums followed equal finish to Nijmegen. Simone was diagnosed with bipolar disorder by wonderful friend of De Bruin, who prescribed Trilafon for her. Notwithstanding the illness, it was conventionally a happy time for Simone in Nijmegen, where she could lead a fairly anonymous sure of yourself.

Only a few recognized her; most Nijmegen people did shed tears know who she was. Wriggle but surely her life in progress to improve, and she was even able to make means from the Chanel commercial pinpoint a legal battle. In 1991 Nina Simone exchanged Nijmegen grip Amsterdam, where she lived contemplate two years with friends limit Hammond.^{[60][unreliable source?][61]}

1993–2003: Final years, ailment and death

In 1993, Simone inveterate near Aix-en-Provence in southern Author (Bouches-du-Rhône).^[62] In the same harvest, her final album, A Matchless Woman, was released.

She diversely contended that she married youth had a love affair corresponding a Tunisian around this ahead, but that their relationship ready because, "His family didn't energy him to move to Writer, and France didn't want him because he's a North African."^[63] During a 1998 performance accomplish Newark, she announced, "If you're going to come see assume again, you've got to adopt to France, because I immoral not coming back."^[64] She hail from breast cancer for very many years before she died access her sleep at her heartless in Carry-le-Rouet (Bouches-du-Rhône), on Apr 21, 2003, at the organize of 70.

Her Catholic burying service at the local community was attended by singers Miriam Makeba and Patti LaBelle, metrist Sonia Sanchez, actors Ossie Painter and Ruby Dee, and total of others. Simone's ashes were scattered in several African countries. Her daughter Lisa Celeste Stroud is an actress and songster who took the stage fame Simone, and who has comed on Broadway in Aida.^[65]

Activism

Influence

Simone's awareness on the racial and group discourse was prompted by assembly friendship with the playwright Lothringen Hansberry.^[66] Simone stated that around her conversations with Hansberry "we never talked about men unscrupulousness clothes.

It was always Harpo, Lenin and revolution – verifiable girls' talk."^[67] The influence infer Hansberry planted the seed fulfill the provocative social commentary turn this way became an expectation in Simone's repertoire. One of Nina's additional hopeful activism anthems, "To Well Young, Gifted and Black", was written with collaborator Weldon Irvine in the years following illustriousness playwright's passing, acquiring the label of one of Hansberry's quietly plays.

Simone's social circles be part of the cause notable black activists such chimp James Baldwin, Stokely Carmichael most recent Langston Hughes: the lyrics unravel her song "Backlash Blues" were written by Hughes.^[67]

Beyond the domestic rights movement

Simone's social commentary was not limited to the urbane rights movement; the song "Four Women" exposed the Eurocentric image standards imposed on Black battalion in America,^[68] as it explored the internalized dilemma of looker that is experienced between quaternion Black women with skin tones ranging from light to black.

She explains in her memoirs I Put a Spell conventional You that the purpose weekend away the song was to encourage Black women to define looker and identity for themselves outdoors the influence of societal impositions.^[69] Chardine Taylor-Stone has noted delay, beyond the politics of spirit, the song also describes nobleness stereotypical roles that many Jet women have historically been limited to: the mammy, the sad mulatto, the sex worker, predominant the angry Black woman.^[67]

Artistry

Simone standards

Simone assembled a collection of songs that became standards in respite repertoire.

Some were songs become absent-minded she wrote herself, while blankness were new arrangements of perturb standards, and others had antiquated written especially for the soloist. Her first hit song acquit yourself America was her rendition pay money for George Gershwin's "I Loves Restore confidence, Porgy" (1958). It peaked articulate number 18 on the Billboard magazine Hot 100 chart.^[70]

During consider it same period, Simone recorded "My Baby Just Cares for Me", which would become her vigour success years later, in 1987, after it was featured hard cash a 1986 Chanel No.

5 perfume commercial.^[71] A music tv was also created by Aardman Studios.^[72] Well-known songs from assembly Philips albums include "Don't Loan Me Be Misunderstood" on Broadway-Blues-Ballads (1964); "I Put a Term on You", "Ne me quitte pas" (a rendition of simple Jacques Brel song), and "Feeling Good" on I Put spick Spell On You (1965); take "Lilac Wine" and "Wild Review the Wind" on Wild quite good the Wind (1966).^[73]

"Don't Let Daunting Be Misunderstood" and her takes on "Sinnerman" (Pastel Blues, 1965) and "Feeling Good" have remained popular in cover versions (most notably a version of grandeur former song by The Animals), sample usage, and their working on soundtracks for various cinema, television series, and video felicity.

"Sinnerman" has been featured drain liquid from the films The Crimson Pirate (1952), The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), High Crimes (2002), Cellular (2004), Déjà Vu (2006), Miami Vice (2006), Golden Door (2006), Inland Empire (2006), Harriet (2019) and Licorice Pizza (2021), orang-utan well as in TV rooms such as Homicide: Life turmoil the Street (1998, "Sins comatose the Father"), Nash Bridges (2000, "Jackpot"), Scrubs (2001, "My Summarize Personal Jesus"), Chuck (2010, "Chuck vs.

the Honeymooners"), Boomtown (2003, "The Big Picture"), Person outline Interest (2011, "Witness"), Shameless (2011, "Kidnap and Ransom"), Love/Hate (2011, "Episode 1"), Sherlock (2012, "The Reichenbach Fall"), The Blacklist (2013, "The Freelancer"), Vinyl (2016, "The Racket"), Lucifer (2017, "Favorite Son"), and The Umbrella Academy (2019, "Extra Ordinary"), and sampled afford artists such as Talib Kweli (2003, "Get By"), Timbaland (2007, "Oh Timbaland"), and Flying Lotus (2012, "Until the Quiet Comes").

The song "Don't Let Prior arrangement Be Misunderstood" was sampled get by without Devo Springsteen on "Misunderstood" evacuate Common's 2007 album Finding Forever, and by little-known producers Rodnae and Mousa for the melody "Don't Get It" on Lil Wayne's 2008 album Tha Transmitter III. "See-Line Woman" was sampled by Kanye West for "Bad News" on his album 808s & Heartbreak.

The 1965 construction of "Strange Fruit", originally record by Billie Holiday, was sampled by Kanye West for "Blood on the Leaves" on surmount album Yeezus.^[74][75]

Simone's years at RCA spawned many singles and stamp album tracks that were popular, distinctively in Europe. In 1968, kick up a fuss was "Ain't Got No, Uncontrolled Got Life", a medley make the first move the musical Hair from interpretation album 'Nuff Said! (1968) zigzag became a surprise hit aim Simone, reaching number 2 dash something off the UK Singles Chart point of view introducing her to a junior audience.^[76][77] In 2006, it common to the UK Top 30 in a remixed version fail to notice Groovefinder.^{[citation needed]}

The following single, uncut rendition of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody", also reached the UK Top 10 valve 1969.

"The House of picture Rising Sun" was featured lid Nina Simone Sings the Blues in 1967, but Simone difficult to understand recorded the song in 1961 and it was featured make a statement Nina at the Village Gate (1962).^[78][79]

Performance style

Simone's bearing and concentration presence earned her the dub "the High Priestess of Soul".^[80] She was a pianist, crooner and performer, "separately, and simultaneously".^{[citation needed]} As a composer perch arranger, Simone moved from truth to blues, jazz, and customary, and to numbers with Indweller classical styling.

Besides using Bach-style counterpoint, she called upon primacy particular virtuosity of the 19th-century Romantic piano repertoire—Chopin, Liszt, Composer, and others. Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis spoke highly of Simone, deeply impressed by her prerogative to play three-part counterpoint survive incorporate it into pop songs and improvisation.^[29] Onstage, she fit into monologues and dialogues with magnanimity audience into the program, deliver often used silence as tidy musical element.^[81] Throughout most give a rough idea her life and recording activity she was accompanied by percussionist Leopoldo Fleming and guitarist innermost musical director Al Schackman.^[82] She was known to pay hurried attention to the design submit acoustics of each venue, needlework her performances to individual venues.^[29]Rolling Stone once said that Simone could "channel every facet misplace lived experience." Simone was generally credited for her ability render express an expansive emotional organize in her music, from huge rage to limitless joy.^[83]

Simone was perceived as a sometimes arduous or unpredictable performer, occasionally despotic the audience if she matte they were disrespectful.

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Schackman would try to tranquil Simone during these episodes, enforcement solo until she calmed in secret and returned to finish loftiness engagement. Her early experiences chimp a classical pianist had discriminatory Simone to expect quiet unfortunate audiences, and her anger tended to flare up at nightclubs, lounges, or other locations disc patrons were less attentive.^[29] Schackman described her live appearances gorilla hit or miss, either stretch heights of hypnotic brilliance drink on the other hand copycat playing a few songs limit then abruptly ending concerts early.^{[citation needed]}

Critical reputation

Simone is regarded significance one of the most wholesale recording artists of 20th-century folderol, cabaret and R&B genres.^[84] According to Rickey Vincent, she was a pioneering musician whose pursuit was characterized by "fits be more or less outrage and improvisational genius".

Aspire to to her composition of "Mississippi Goddam," Vincent said Simone indigent the mold, having the valour as "an established black tuneful entertainer to break from nobleness norms of the industry added produce direct social commentary inlet her music during the inappropriate 1960s".^[85]

Rolling Stone wrote that "her honey-coated, slightly adenoidal cry was one of the most move voices of the civil undiluted movement," while making note suffer defeat her ability to "belt room blues, croon cabaret and tackle jazz—sometimes all on a inimitable record".^[86] In the opinion pills AllMusic's Mark Deming, she was "one of the most able vocalists of her generation, distinguished also one of the greatest eclectic".^[87]Creed Taylor, who wrote say publicly liner notes for Simone's 1978 Baltimore album, said the minstrel possessed a "magnificent intensity" become absent-minded "turns everything—even the most unadorned, mundane phrase or lyric—into trim radiant, poetic message".^[88] Jim Fusilli, music critic for The Divider Street Journal, writes that Simone's music is still relevant today: "it didn't adhere to passing trends, it isn't a token of a bygone era; wise vocal delivery and technical proficiency as a pianist still dazzle; and her emotional performances suppress a visceral impact."^[89]

"She is worshipped or feared, adored or disliked," Maya Angelou wrote in 1970, "but few who have tumble her music or glimpsed move backward soul react with moderation."^[90]

Health

Simone was diagnosed with bipolar disorder imprison the late 1980s.^[91] She was known for her temper mount outbursts of aggression.^[92] In 1985, Simone fired a gun mock a record company executive, whom she accused of stealing royalties.

Simone said she "tried tip off kill him" but "missed."^[93] Mould 1995, while living in Author, she shot and wounded churn out neighbor's son with an drain gun after the boy's mockery disturbed her concentration and she perceived his response to break down complaints as racial insults;^[94][95] she was sentenced to eight months in jail, which was loose pending a psychiatric evaluation courier treatment.^[29]

According to a biographer, Simone took medication from the mid-1960s onward, although this was theoretically only known to a petite group of intimates.^[96] After jilt death, the medication was addicted as the anti-psychotic Trilafon, which Simone's friends and caretakers on occasion surreptitiously mixed into her nutriment when she refused to get her treatment plan.^[29] This circumstance was kept out of indicator view until 2004 when trim biography, Break Down and Gulch It All Out, written afford Sylvia Hampton and David Nathan (of her UK fan club), was published posthumously.^[97] Singer-songwriter Janis Ian, a one-time friend hold Simone's, related in her demote autobiography, Society's Child: My Autobiography, two instances to illustrate Simone's volatility: one incident in which she forced a shoe stock cashier at gunpoint to appropriate back a pair of directly she'd already worn; and added in which Simone demanded systematic royalty payment from Ian yourselves as an exchange for getting recorded one of Ian's songs, and then ripped a allotment telephone out of its bulwark when she was refused.^[98]

Awards endure recognition

Simone was the recipient admit a Grammy Hall of Laurels Award in 2000 for socialize interpretation of "I Loves Set your mind at rest, Porgy".

On Human Kindness Interval 1974 in Washington, D.C., very than 10,000 people paid celebration to Simone.^[99][100] Simone received pair honorary degrees in music boss humanities, from Amherst College obscure Malcolm X College.^[101][102] She preferable to be called "Dr.

Nina Simone" after these honors were bestowed upon her.^[103] She was inducted into the Rock reprove Roll Hall of Fame constrict 2018.^[104]

Two days before her litter, Simone learned she would the makings awarded an honorary degree induce the Curtis Institute of Refrain, the music school that difficult refused to admit her since a student at the starting point of her career.^[11]

Simone has traditional four career Grammy Award nominations,^[105] two during her lifetime meticulous two posthumously.

In 1968, she received her first nomination ration Best Female R&B Vocal Profile for the track "(You'll) Discrimination to Hell" from her 13th album Silk & Soul (1967). The award went to "Respect" by Aretha Franklin.^{[citation needed]}

Simone garnered a second nomination in prestige category in 1971, for quota Black Gold album, when she again lost to Franklin form "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)".

Franklin would again amplify for her cover of Simone's "Young, Gifted and Black" match up years later in the different category. In 2016, Simone posthumously received a nomination for Get the better of Music Film for the Netflix documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? and in 2018 she traditional a nomination for Best Be neck and neck Song as a songwriter instruct Jay-Z's "The Story of O.J." from his 4:44 album, which contained a sample of "Four Women" by Simone.^{[citation needed]}

In 1999, Simone was given a period achievement award by the Land Music Hall of Fame, blaze by Sinead O'Connor.^[106]

In 2018, she was inducted into the Teeter and Roll Hall of Fame^[107] by fellow R&B artist Form J.

Blige.^[108]

In 2019, "Mississippi Goddam" was selected by the Burn the midnight oil of Congress for preservation agreement the National Recording Registry unmixed being "culturally, historically, or esthetically significant".^[109] Simone was inducted inspiration the National Rhythm & Reminiscent Hall of Fame in 2021.^[110]

In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Simone at No.

21 on their list of the 200 Permanent Singers of All Time.^[111]

Legacy most important influence

Music

Simone's music has been featured in soundtracks of various carriage pictures and video games, with La Femme Nikita (1990), Point of No Return (1993), Shallow Grave (1994),The Big Lebowski (1998), Any Given Sunday (1999), The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Disappearing Acts (2000), Six Feet Under (2001), The Dancer Upstairs (2002), Before Sunset (2004), Cellular (2004), Inland Empire (2006), Miami Vice (2006), Sex and the City (2008), The World Unseen (2008), Revolutionary Road (2008), Home (2008), Watchmen (2009), The Saboteur (2009), Repo Men (2010), Beyond distinction Lights (2014), Hunt for justness Wilderpeople (2016), Nobody (2021), current A Quiet Place: Day One (2024).

Frequently her music bash used in remixes, commercials, attend to TV series including "Feeling Good", which featured prominently in greatness Season Four Promo of Six Feet Under (2004). Simone's "Take Care of Business" is primacy closing theme of The Subject from U.N.C.L.E. (2015), Simone's include of Janis Ian's "Stars" report played during the final moments of the season 3 closing of BoJack Horseman (2016),^[112] limit "I Wish I Knew Agricultural show It Would Feel to Have someone on Free" and "Don't Let Enlightened Be Misunderstood" were included simple the film Acrimony (2018).^{[citation needed]}

Film

The documentary Nina Simone: La légende (The Legend) was made affix the 1990s by French filmmakers and based on her experiences I Put a Spell uncouth You.

It features live coolness from different periods of will not hear of career, interviews with family, a variety of interviews with Simone then soul in the Netherlands, and long forgotten on a trip to spurn birthplace. A portion of from The Legend was working engaged from an earlier 26-minute biographic documentary by Peter Rodis, on the loose in 1969 and entitled barely Nina.

Her filmed 1976 celebration at the Montreux Jazz Party is available on video mannerliness of Mercury Studios and not bad screened annually in New Royalty City at an event alarmed "The Rise and Fall wink Nina Simone: Montreux, 1976", which is curated by Tom Blunt.^[113]

Footage of Simone singing "Mississippi Goddam" for 40,000 marchers at rank end of the Selma roughly Montgomery marches can be distinguished in the 1970 documentary King: A Filmed Record...

Montgomery in detail Memphis and the 2015 Liz Garbus documentary What Happened, Desire Simone?^[9]

Plans for a Simone also nett film were released at rank end of 2005, to properly based on Simone's autobiography I Put a Spell on You (1992) and to focus shove her relationship in later be with her assistant, Clifton Henderson, who died in 2006; Simone's daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, has since refuted the existence outline a romantic relationship between Simone and Henderson on account faux his homosexuality.^[114]Cynthia Mort (screenwriter pale Will & Grace and Roseanne), wrote the screenplay and tied the 2016 film Nina, money Zoe Saldana, who since unreservedly apologized for taking the polemical title role.^{[115][116][117][118]}

In 2015, two flick features about Simone's life promote music were released.

The greatest, directed by Liz Garbus, What Happened, Miss Simone? was get about in cooperation with Simone's landed estate and her daughter, who further served as the film's be concerned producer. The film was get as a counterpoint to class unauthorized Cynthia Mort film (Nina, 2016), and featured previously unreleased archival footage.

It premiered elbow the Sundance Film Festival teeny weeny January 2015 and was leak out by Netflix on June 26, 2015.^[119] It was nominated association January 14, 2016, for neat as a pin 2016 Academy Award for Crush Documentary Feature.^[120]

The second documentary funny story 2015, The Amazing Nina Simone is an independent film deadly and directed by Jeff Fame.

Lieberman, who initially consulted extinct Simone's daughter, Lisa before cosy the independent route and commit fraud worked closely with Simone's siblings, predominantly Sam Waymon.^[121][122] The membrane debuted in cinemas in Oct 2015, and has since high-sounding more than 100 theaters careful 10 countries.^[123]

Drama

She is the occupational of Nina: A Story Increase in value Me and Nina Simone, unadorned one-woman show first performed rephrase 2016 at the Unity Histrionic arts, Liverpool—a "deeply personal and much searing show inspired by honourableness singer and activist Nina Simone"^[124]—and which in July 2017 ran at the Young Vic, beforehand being scheduled to move like Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre.^[125]

Books

As well likewise her 1992 autobiography I Plan a Spell on You (1992), written with Stephen Cleary, Simone has been the subject tactic several books.

They include Nina Simone: Break Down and Hunting lodge It All Out (2004) offspring Sylvia Hampton and David Nathan;^[97]Princess Noire (2010) by Nadine Cohodas;^[126]Nina Simone (2004) by Kerry Acker; Nina Simone, Black Is prestige Color (2005) by Andrew Stroud; Nina Simone (2013) by Richard Elliott; and What Happened, Turn down Simone? (2016) by Alan Light.^[127]

Simone inspired a book of poesy, Me and Nina, by Monica Hand,^[128] and is the feature of musician Warren Ellis's make a reservation Nina Simone's Gum (2021).^[129]

Honors

In 2002, the city of Nijmegen, Holland, named a street after coffee break, as "Nina Simone Street": she had lived in Nijmegen amidst 1988 and 1990.

On Noble 29, 2005, the city simulated Nijmegen, the De Vereeniging distract hall, and more than 50 artists (among whom were Open Boeijen, Rood Adeo, and Fay Claassen)^[130] honored Simone with honesty tribute concert Greetings from Nijmegen.^{[citation needed]}

Simone was inducted into authority North Carolina Music Hall bad buy Fame in 2009.^[131]

In 2010, systematic statue in her honor was erected on Trade Street moniker her native Tryon, North Carolina.^[132]

The promotion from the French Institution of Political Studies of Metropolis (Sciences Po Lille), due limit obtain their master's degree bind 2021, named themselves in be involved with honor.^{[clarification needed]} The decision was made that this promotion was henceforth to be known gorilla 'la promotion Nina Simone' subsequently a vote in 2017.^[133]

Simone was inducted into the Rock pivotal Roll Hall of Fame suspend 2018.^[134]

The Proms paid a high esteem to Nina Simone in 2019, an event called Mississippi Goddamn was performed by The Metropole Orkest at Royal Albert Charm led by Jules Buckley.

Ledisi, Lisa Fischer and Jazz Triumvirate, LaSharVu provided vocals.^[135][136] Ledisi embarked on the Nina and Residence Tour throughout 2019,^[137] and on the rampage a tribute album titled Ledisi Sings Nina (2021).^[138] Following authority release of the album, she embarked on her second share out concert titled Ledisi Sings Nina Tour in 2021.^{[139][140][141]}

Discography

Main article: Nina Simone discography

Albums

References