Nina Simone
Nina Simone is an African American musical artist and civils right activist. She was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon, on February 21, in 1933. Simone grew up in Tryon, North Carolina. Her mother, Mary Kate Irvin was preacher at a methodist church and a housekeeper. While her father was a barber, dry cleaner, and an entertainer. Her home was filled with music and her mother encouraged her musical pursuits. Simone was born the sixth child out of eight. Although she grew up in a poor family, she began playing the piano at the age of three. She performed the song “God Be With You, Till We Meet Again,” at her local church. Simone had her first concert debut at the age of 12. During her performance, her parents were removed from the front row in place of white folk. Simone refused to continue playing until her parents were placed back in their seats. This was the beginning of her activism.
Simone was such a good pianist; a local fund was established to fund her education. She attended Allen High School for Girls, in Asheville, North Carolina. During the summer of 1950 Simone spent time at the Juilliard School as a student of Carl Friedberg. There she prepared an audition at Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, her application was denied due to racial prejudice. She did not stay down for long, instead she took private lessons with Vladimir Sokoloff, whom was a professor at Curtis. She figured she could reapply but found out she couldn’t as they didn’t take students over age 21. Following her lessons, she took a job performing in Atlantic City and Philadelphia areas playing the piano in bars. Nervous that her mother wouldn’t accept her work, she created the stage name Nina Simone.
Simone signed a deal with Bethlehem Records and released her debut album, “Little Girl Blue,” in 1958. The money she made from her first album she used to invest in herself and sought classical training. She eventually relocated to New York City, where she married her second husband Andrew Stroud, who became her manager. Simone often performed at festivals and cabarets. People often labeled her a jazz vocalist, although her training suggested otherwise. Simone considered herself a folk singer, with multiple incorporated styles like the blues, gospel, and pop. Her piano style is closely connected with classical style, as that is the genre she was trained in. She often performed in New York City’s Greenwich Village, where she interacted with intellectuals like James Baldwin and Langston Hughes.
Simone’s interactions with intellectuals of such caliber allowed her to connect with African Americans that had a desire to connect to their African heritage. They traveled to the American Society of African Culture conference (1961), in Lagos, Nigeria. Following this trip Simone began to use her music to speak out against racism and discrimination. She performed benefit concerts for civil rights groups like C.O.R.E and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.
Simone used her music to protest the unjust acts that happened to black people during those times. For example, in 1964 after the bombing of the Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and the assassination of Medgar Evers, she released the song “Mississippi Goddam.” This song harmed her career as the music industry began to boycott her music. Simone eventually left the U.S relocating to south France, due to a lack of faith in the racial climate changing. Simone died in her sleep April 21, 2003, to breast cancer. A couple of days before her death Simone received an honorary degree from the Curtis Institute of Music.
Thank you, Nina Simone for your contributions to the culture!