Nina Simone, born Eunice Waymon, was a talented musician who refused to be stereotyped. She faced racial bigotry early on in her career and used her music to address social issues. Simone recorded a series of popular albums in the 1950s and 1960s, and her music enjoyed a resurgence in the 1980s. She passed away in 2003 after a battle with breast cancer.
Often dubbed the High Priestess of Soul, Nina Simone often refused to allow her music to be stereotyped, even though, when pressed, Simone often identified her style as black classical music. Here are some insights into the life and career of Eunice Waymon, who made a lasting impression under the name Nine Simone.
Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933, Nina Simone spent her early years in Tryon, North Carolina as one of eight children. From an early age, she Eunice demonstrated musical ability, especially with the piano. At a young age, she began playing for church and later entered local competitions with great acclaim. One of her loves was classical music. At the age of ten, Simone was ready for her first classical music recital. The event also marked her first stand against racial bigotry. During her performance, her parents were moved from the front row to the back to make room for white patrons. Simone refused to continue with the recital until her parents had been returned to their original places.
After graduating, Waymon moved to Atlantic City and began playing local bars. To protect her parents from knowing that their child was honing her vocal and instrumental skills in an environment considered unacceptable, she created the stage character of Nina Simone. Nina was actually a pet name bestowed on Waymon by a boyfriend, and Simone was chosen as an homage to famous French actress Simone Signoret. By 1954, Simone had established a solid band that included jazz, classical, and blues selections.
The recording world was ready for Nine Simone in the late 1950s. With a small but loyal fan base, Simone caught the attention of record producers, who made her record enough material for an album. A single, “I Loves You Porgy”, was released in 1958 and entered the American Top 40. Shortly after, Simone’s first album was released on the Bethlehem Records label. Titled Little Girl Blue after one of the album’s cuts, the LP sold well. Unfortunately, Simone had sold her rights to the recordings, so all she received for her work was a flat fee of $3000 US Dollars (USD). The album went on to generate over one million dollars in revenue.
However, the buzz about Nina Simone was enough to land her a more lucrative record deal with the larger Colpix Records. In exchange for signing, Simone received full creative control and rights over her work. Between 1959 and 1964, Nina Simone recorded a series of popular albums on Colpix, which greatly enhanced her reputation as both a jazz singer and a jazz musician. The quality of her work attracted a number of young fans across the country, including a young Janis Joplin, who would later cover Simone’s “Little Girl Blue” in 1969.
After leaving Colpix in 1964, Nina Simone became more active in the civil rights movement, adding her voice to many others calling for full integration of society in the United States. While continuing to record, Simone also began singing at rallies and other events that featured a diverse range of activists. Her music also became a means of reaching others about the evils of segregation, using contemporary events such as the Jim Crow laws and the Birmingham church bombing as topics.
Over the next few years, Nina Simone continued to inspire young musicians and social activists. While her recording career slowed after 1974, she continued to release new material until 1993. Her music enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s, leading to re-releases of her works from the 1980s. ‘1950s and ‘1960s. After retiring from performing in the early 1990s, Nina Simone began writing her autobiography, which was published in 1997.
Around the time her biography was published, Nina Simone was diagnosed with breast cancer. Over the next few years, she undertook treatments, but the disease ultimately resulted in her death. Nina Simone died on April 21, 2003, while she was sleeping in her home. Hundreds of admirers attended her funeral service, a fitting tribute to an artist she had given so much during her lifetime.
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