Anniversary of Nina Simone's Death

“There's no excuse for the young people not knowing who the heroes and heroines are or were” - Nina Simone

(Nina Simone)

Nina Simone born as Eunice Kathleen Waymon in Tyron, North Carolina, USA on February 21st, 1933. At 3 years old she began to play the piano. After high school she moved to New York City, NY and enrolled in Juilliard School of Music.

(Nina Simone’s graduation picture)

To pay for her classes she performed at the Midtown Bar & Grill on Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City, NJ. In 1954 she adopted the name Nina Simone, “Nina” being a nickname a boyfriend gave her and “Simone” from the French actress Simone Signoret. Simone mixed the sounds of Jazz, Blues and Classical music while playing. In 1958 she was married but she quickly regretted the marriage. In 1958 she released her 1st album “Little Girl Blue”.

(Nina Simone on her 1st album “Little Girl Blue” (1958))

In 1959 Simone signed with Colpix records. She released her live album “Nina Simone at Town Hall” in 1959. In 1961 Simone remarried and her husband later became her manager. In 1964 she signed with Philips records. Her debut album for her new record label “Nina Simone in Concert” was released in 1964 and on this album she addressed the racial inequality in the United States with the song "Mississippi Goddam", her response to the murder of Medgar Evers and the bombing of a church in Birmingham, AL that killed four pre-teen black girls and partially blinded a fifth girl.

(Simone performing in 1964)

This song was boycotted in several southern states. Another song on the album “Old Jim Crow” addressed the Jim Crow laws of the US that segregated colored people from using facilities designated for White people. Simone performed and spoke at many civil rights meetings, such as at the Selma to Montgomery marches.

(Simone performing at the Selma to Montgomery march)

Simone advocated violent revolution and self defense during the civil rights period. She hoped that African Americans could, by armed combat, form a separate state. In 1967 she again changed record labels, now signing for RCA Victor. She sang "Backlash Blues", written by her friend Langston Hughes on her first RCA album called “Nina Simone Sings the Blues” (1967). With Weldon Irvine, Simone turned the late Lorraine Hansberry's unfinished play To Be Young, Gifted and Black into a civil rights song in 1969.

(Simone in 1969)

In 1970 Simone had been issued a warrant for her arrest for unpaid taxes. She left to Barbados to evade prosecution. She performed regularly in London, England during the 1980’s.

(Simone performing in 1982)

Simone then moved to Liberia and later to Switzerland and The Netherlands. In 1992 she settled in Carry-le-Rouet, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. Also in 1992 she published her autobiography called I Put a Spell on You. In 1993 she released her last album “A Single Woman”.

(Simone in 1993)

In the late 1990’s Simone was diagnosed with breast cancer. On April 21st, 2003 Simone died in her sleep. She was 70 years old. Today is the 13th anniversary of her death. Take time to remember this great musical artist today.

Albums by Nina Simone

• “Little Girl Blues” (1958)
• “Nina Simone and Her Friends” (1959)
• “The Amazing Nina Simone” (1959)
• “Nina Simone at Town Hall” (1959)
• “Nina Simone at Newport” (1960)
• “Forbidden Fruit” (1960)
• “Nina at the Village Gate” (1962)
• “Nina Simone Sings Ellington” (1962)
• “Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall” (1963)
• “Folksy Nina” (1964)
• “Nina Simone in Concert” (1964)
• “Broadway-Blues-Ballads” (1964)
• “I Put a Spell on You” (1965)
• “Sincerely Nina” (1965)
• “Pastel Blues” (1965)
• “Nina Simone with Strings” (1966)
• “Let it All Out” (1966)
• “Wild is the Wind” (1966)
• “High Priestess of Soul” (1967)
• “Nina Simone Sings the Blues” (1967)
• “Silk & Soul” (1967)
• “‘Nuff Said!” (1968)
• “Nina Simone and Piano” (1969)
• “To Love Somebody” (1969)
• “A Very Rare Evening” (1969)
• “Gifted & Black” (1970)
• “Black Gold” (1970)
• “Here Comes the Sun” (1971)
• “Emergency Ward” (1972)
• “Sings Billie Holiday-Lady Sings the Blues” (1972)
• “Live at Berkeley” (1973)
• “Gospel According to Nina Simone” (1973)
• “It is Finished” (1974)
• “Baltimore” (1978)
• “The Rising Sun Collection” (1980)
• “Fodder on My Wings” (1982)
• “Backlash” (1984)
• “Nina’s Back” (1985)
• “Live & Kickin” (1985)
• “Let It Be Me” (1987)
• “Live at Ronnie Scott’s” (1987)
• “ A Single Woman” (1993)

Books by Nina Simone

• I Put a Spell on You (1992)

Videos of Nina Simone

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVQjGGJVSXc  “Nina Simone - Mississippi Goddam”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BTNjeKqpEk  “Nina Simone - Revolution”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3OIfuVpocU  “Nina Simone - To Be Young, Gifted and Black”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3ClwX7oyXk  “Nina Simone: That Blackness”