ANG

Eunice Kathleen Waymon

21.02.1933-21.04.2003

American singer

Songwriter

Musician

Arranger

classical

jazz

blues

folk

R&B

gospel and pop

She was born on 33 East Livingston Street in the small town of North Carolina. Like many other black singers, she was inspired by the successes of Marian Anderson in her childhood and began singing in her church, from a very early age she also showed great piano talent. When at the age of 10 she gave her first public concert.

When she was 17, she moved to Philadelphia, where she taught piano and accompanied singers. Thanks to sponsors, she began studying at the New York Juilliard School of Music, but the lack of money forced her to quit her education and give up her dream of conquering America as the first black concert pianist.

First success

So the artist turned to blues and jazz, giving her first performance at one of the nightclubs in Atlantic City. In 1959, she gained wider publicity with a thrilling interpretation of George Gershwin's I Loves You Porgy from Porgy and Bess, the only song to reach the top 40 in the US charts. Soon after, the single My Baby Just Cares For Me was used, later used in commercials for Chanel No. 5.

Civil rights

In the 1960s, Nina Simone was involved in the civil rights movement, which resulted in the recording of several political songs: To Be Young, Gifted and Black and many more

In 1961, Simone recorded her version of the traditional song House of the Rising Sun, also sung by Bob Dylan and - above all - The Animals. She was a very versatile artist, she was able to play songs from various musical fields - jazz, blues, gospel, and even classical music.

In 1971, Simone left the US after conflicts with agents, recording companies and tax authorities. She returned in 1978 and was arrested for not paying taxes (she did not pay taxes for several years as part of a protest against the Vietnam War). Later, she lived in various countries in the Caribbean, Africa and Europe. In the 1980s, she regularly toured the Ronnie Scott jazz club in London.