Nina Simone is a legendary singer, composer, arranger and pianist. She adhered to jazz classics, but managed to use a variety of performed material. Nina skillfully mixed jazz, soul, pop music, gospel and blues in compositions, recording compositions with a large orchestra.
Fans remember Simone as a talented singer with an incredibly strong character. Impulsive, bright and extraordinary, Nina delighted jazz fans with her voice until 2003. The death of the performer does not interfere with her hits and today sound from various venues and radio stations.
Childhood and youth Eunice Kathleen Waymon
In the state of North Carolina in the small provincial town of Tryon, on February 21, 1933, Eunice Kathleen Waymon (the real name of the future star) was born. The girl was born in the family of an ordinary priest. Eunice recalled that she, along with her parents and sisters, lived in modest conditions.
The only luxury in the house was an old piano. From the age of 3, little Eunice showed interest in a musical instrument and soon mastered playing the piano.
The girl sang with her sisters at the church school. She later took piano lessons. Eunice dreamed of building a career as a pianist. She spent days and nights in rehearsals. At the age of 10, Nina's first professional performance took place in the city library. A dozen caring spectators from the town of Tryon came to watch the game of a talented girl.
Close friends of the family contributed to the fact that the girl received a musical education. Eunice became a student of one of the most prestigious music schools, the Juilliard School of Music. She combined her studies with work. She had to work as an accompanist, because her parents could not provide her with a normal existence.
She managed to graduate with honors from the Juilliard School of Music. Starting her career as a pianist in Atlantic City venues in 1953, she decided to adopt a pseudonym in honor of her beloved actress Simone Signoret.
Nina Simon presented the Duke Ellington collection to music lovers in the early 1960s. The album contains ballads from Broadway musicals. The aspiring star positioned herself not only as a singer, but also as an arranger, actress, and dancer.
The creative path of Nina Simon
Nina Simon from the very beginning of her creative career was highly productive. It's hard to believe, but during her creative career she released 170 albums, including studio and live recordings, on which she performed more than 320 musical compositions.
The first composition, thanks to which Nina gained popularity, was an aria from the opera by George Gershwin. It's about the song I Loves You, Porgy!. Simon covered the composition, and the song performed by her sounded in completely different “shades”.
The singer's discography was replenished with her debut album Little Girl Blue (1957). The collection contained emotional and touching jazz songs, the performance of which she shone later.
In the 1960s, the singer began to collaborate with Colpix Records. Then songs came out that were very close in spirit to Nina Simon. In the mid-1960s, one of the most popular records of the performer's discography was released. Of course, we are talking about the masterpiece album I Put a Spellon You. The disc contained the song of the same name, which became legendary, as well as the undisputed hit Feeling Good.
The version of the African-American spiritual composition Sinnerman deserves special attention. Nina included the presented song in the Pastel Blues disc. The former American president noted that the composition is included in the list of 10 favorite pieces of music.
The original and original creation still sounds in TV shows and movies (“Thomas Crown Affair”, “Miami PD: Vice Department”, “Cellular”, “Lucifer”, “Sherlock”, etc.). It is noteworthy that the track lasts 10 minutes. After the presentation of the disc Wild is the Wind (1966), which included compositions of the pop-soul genre, Nina was given the nickname "priestesses of soul".
Citizenship Nina Simone
The work of Nina Simon borders on social and civic positions. In the compositions, the singer often touched on one of the most sensitive topics, including modern society - the equality of the black people.
The lyrics of the tracks contain references to social and political issues. So, the song Mississippi Goddam became an obvious political composition. The song was written after the assassination of activist Medgar Evers, as well as after an explosion at an educational institution that killed several black children. The text of the composition calls to take the path of the war against racism.
Nina was personally acquainted with Martin Luther King. After they met, the singer was given another nickname - "Martin Luther in a skirt." Simon was not afraid to express her opinion to society. In her compositions, she touched on topics that worried millions of people.
Moving Nina Simone to France
Soon, Nina announced to fans that she could no longer stay in the United States. After some time, she left for Barbados, from where she moved to France, where she lived until the end of her life. From 1970 to 1978 The singer's discography has been replenished with seven more studio albums.
In 1993, Simone presented the last collection of her discography, A Single Woman. Nina has announced that she has no plans to record any more albums. Although the singer did not give up concert activity until the end of the 1990s.
Having become recognized masterpieces, the compositions of Nina Simone remain relevant for the modern listener. Quite often, original cover versions were recorded for the singer's songs.
Nina Simone's personal life
In 1958, Nina Simone married for the first time. The girl had a vivid romance with the bartender Don Ross, which lasted 1 year. Simon did not like to think about her first husband. She talked about the fact that she would like to forget this stage of her life.
The second spouse of the star was the Harlem detective Andrew Stroud. The couple tied the knot in 1961. Nina has repeatedly said that Andrew played a significant role not only in his personal life, but also in becoming an artist.
Andrew was a very thoughtful man. After the wedding, he quit his job as a detective and became Simone's manager. He completely controlled the work of his wife.
In her autobiographical book “I Curse You,” Nina said that her second husband was a despot. He demanded from her full return on stage. Andrew beat a woman. She suffered moral humiliation.
Nina Simone is not entirely sure that Andrew's chosen tactics were correct. However, the woman does not deny that without the support of her second spouse, she would not have reached the heights that she conquered.
The birth of a daughter
In 1962, the couple had a daughter, Liz. By the way, having matured, the woman decided to follow in the footsteps of her famous mother. She performed on Broadway, however, alas, she failed to repeat the popularity of her mother.
Departure to Barbados in 1970 is associated not only with the unwillingness to live in the United States, but also with the divorce proceedings between Simon and Stroud. For some time, Nina even tried to do business on her own. But I quickly realized that this was not her best side. She could not cope with management and money matters. Andrew became the last official husband of the singer.
Fans who want to better understand the biography of the jazz diva can watch the movie What's Up, Miss Simone? (2015). In the film, the director frankly showed the other side of the famous Nina Simone, which has always been hidden from fans and society.
The film contains interviews with relatives and close friends of Simone. After watching the movie, there remains an understanding that Nina was not as unambiguous as the woman tried to show.
Interesting facts about Nina Simon
- The brightest and most unpleasant event of her childhood was the moment when she sang in church. Nina's performance was attended by parents who supported her daughter's undertakings. They took first place in the hall. Later, the organizers approached mom and dad and asked them to make room for white-skinned spectators.
- There is a portrait of Nina Simone in the Grammy Hall of Fame, which takes pride of place.
- Singer Kelly Evans recorded the disc "Nina" in 2010. The collection contains the most popular singles of the "priestess of soul".
- Simon was in trouble with the law. Once she fired a shotgun at a teenager who was playing loudly near the singer's house. The second time she got into an accident and fled the scene, for which she received a fine of $8.
- “Jazz is a white term for black people” is the most famous quote of the “priestess of soul”.
Death of Nina Simone
Over the years, the singer's health deteriorated. In 1994, Simone suffered a nervous breakdown. Nina was so depressed by her condition that she even canceled her performances. The singer could no longer work hard on stage.
In 2001, Simone performed at Carnegie Hall. She could not go on stage without outside help. For the last few years of her life, Nina practically did not appear on stage. She died on April 21, 2003 in France, near Marseille.
