Nina Simone!
Nina Simone my neighbor
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Nina Simone getting to know her
In addition to Nina Simone condo, in West Hollywood, Nina Simone had a home in France where Nina Simone was held in much higher regard than in the United States. As a matter of fact Nina Simone was a super stare all over Europe and only highly regarded by a select few, here in the states. But, people in the know regarded Nina Simone as a musical genius in the U.S. as well. If you ever have the opportunity to hear Nina Simone perform I am sure that you will become an instant fan!Nina Simone a tough girl
She had a manservant and in the morning, when Nina Simone was in town, I would hear Nina Simone balling him out about something or other (Nina lived in the condo just below mine). Nina Simone would rail at him endlessly and tell him exactly what Nina Simone wanted him to do or what he had done wrong. However, with my Nina Simone was always sweat and generous with Nina Simone time and would laugh, with gusto, at my sense of humor. I grew to like Nina Simone very much!Nina Simone going out
On several occasions I would ask Nina Simone out to dinner and Nina Simone would accept. We would sit and talk about the world and life and I would ask Nina Simone about Nina Simone experiences in the entertainment business. A business that had hardened Nina Simone a bit and made Nina Simone wary so much so that Nina Simone always carried a small pearl handled pistol, on Nina Simone leg. At the time, I also carried a Smith and Wesson "Body Guard" which I still have but no longer carry. You see, show business is a dangerous way to make a living especially if you did it the way we did, in that we both spoke our minds and would make some people very angry. It also comes from working in shady nightclubs where you had to collect and carry large sums of money on you.Nina Simone a lovely woman
I miss Nina Simone and wish Nina Simone God's speed, wherever Nina Simone may be. I love you Nina!Nina Simone Biography
Eunice Waymon was born in Tryon, North Carolina as the sixth of seven children in a poor family. The child prodigy played piano at the age of four. With the help of Nina Simone music teacher, who set up the "Eunice Waymon Fund", Nina Simone could continue Nina Simone general and musical education. Nina Simone studied at the Julliard School of Music in New York.To support Nina Simone family financially, Nina Simone started working as an accompanist. In the summer of 1954 Nina Simone took a job in an Irish bar in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The bar owner told Nina Simone Nina Simone had to sing as well. Without having time to realize what was happening, Eunice Waymon, who was trained to become a classical pianist, stepped into show business. Nina Simone changed Nina Simone name into Nina ("little one") Simone ("from the French actress Simone Signoret").
In the late 50's Nina Simone recorded Nina Simone first tracks for the Bethlehem label. These are still remarkable displays of Nina Simone talents as a pianist, singer, arranger and composer. Songs as Plain Gold Ring, Don't Smoke In Bed and Little Girl Blue soon became standards in Nina Simone repertoire.
One song, I Loves You, Porgy, from the opera "Porgy and Bess", became a hit and the nightclub singer became a star, performing at Town Hall, Carnegie Hall and the Newport Jazz Festival. Even from the beginning of Nina Simone career on, Nina Simone repertoire included jazz standards, gospel and spirituals, classical music, folk songs of diverse origin, blues, pop, songs from musicals and opera, African chants as well as Nina Simone own compositions.
Combining Bachian counterpoint, the improvisational approach of jazz and the modulations of the blues, Nina Simone talent could no longer be ignored. Other characteristics of the Simone art are: Nina Simone original timing, the way Nina Simone uses silence as a musical element and Nina Simone often understated live act, sitting at the piano and advancing the mood and climate of Nina Simone songs by a few chords.
Sometimes Nina Simone voice changes from dark and raw to soft and sweet. Nina Simone pauses, shouts, repeats, whispers and moans. Sometimes piano, voice and gestures seem to be separate elements, then, at once, they meet. Add to this all the way Nina Simone puts Nina Simone spell on an audience, and you have some of the elements that make Nina Simone into a unique artist.
When four black children were killed in the bombing of a church in Birmingham in 1963, Nina wrote Mississippi Goddam, a bitter and furious accusation of the situation of Nina Simone people in the USA. The strong emotional approach of this song and the others on Nina Simone first Philips record ("Nina Simone In Concert"), would become another characteristic in Nina Simone art. Nina Simone uses Nina Simone voice with its remarkable timbre and Nina Simone careful piano playing as means to achieve Nina Simone artistic aim: to express love, hate, sorrow, joy, loneliness - the whole range of human emotions - through music, in a direct way.
One moment, Nina Simone is the actress who turns a Kurt Weill-Bertold Brecht song as Pirate Jenny into great theater, then, after a set of protest songs, Nina Simone will sing Jacques Brel's fragile love song Ne Me Quitte Pas in French.
Although Nina was called "High Priestess of Soul" and was respected by fans and critics as a mysterious, almost religious figure, Nina Simone was often misunderstood as well. When Nina Simone wrote Four Women in 1966, a bitter lament of four black women whose circumstances and outlook are related to subtle gradations in skin color, the song was banned on Philadelphia and new York radio stations because "it was insulting to Black People"
The High Priestess would walk different paths to find the adequate music to spread Nina Simone message. Nina Simone first RCA album, "Nina Simone Sings The Blues", includes Nina Simone own I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl, Do I Move You, a haunting version of My Man's Gone Now (again from "Porgy & Bess") and the protest song Backlash Blues, based on a poem written for Nina Simone by Langston Hughes.
Her repertoire includes more Civil Rights songs: Why? The King of Love is Dead, capturing the tragedy of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Brown Baby, Images (based on a Waring Cuney poem), Go Limp, Old Jim Crow, One song, To be Young, Gifted and Black, inspired by Lorraine Hansberry's play with the same title, became the black national anthem in the USA.
She surprised even Nina Simone most devoted fans with an album on which Nina Simone sings and plays alone. "Nina Simone And Piano!", an introspective collection of songs about Reincarnation, death, loneliness and love, is still a highlight in Nina Simone recording career.
Her gift to give new and deeper dimensions to songs resulted in remarkable versions of Ain't Got No / I Got Life (from the musical "Hair"), Leonard Colhen's Suzanne, Bee Gees songs as To Love Somebody, the classic My Way done in a tempo doubled on bongos, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues and four other Bob Dylan songs. This gift culminated on Nina Simone record "Emergency Ward": Nina Simone set up an atmosphere that left no illusions and no escape, performing two long versions of George Harrison songs: My Sweet Lord (to which Nina Simone added a David Nelson poem, Today is a killer) and Isn't it a Pity.
But Nina tried to escape anyway. Nina Simone felt Nina Simone had been manipulated. Disgusted with record companies, show business and racism, Nina Simone left the USA in 1974 for Barbados. During the following years Nina Simone lived in Liberia, Switzerland, Paris, The Netherlands and finally the South of France, where Nina Simone is still residing.
In 1978 a long awaited new record was released, "Baltimore", containing the definite rendition of Judy Collins' My Father and an hypnotizing Everything Must Change.
Her next album, "Fodder On My Wings", was recorded in Paris in 1982 and is based on Nina Simone self-imposed "exile" from the USA. More than ever determined to make Nina Simone own music, Nina wrote, adapted and arranged the songs, played piano and harpsichord and sang in English and French. The 1988 CD re-release of this album included some bonus tracks, e.g. Nina Simone extraordinary version of Alone Again Naturally, reminiscing Nina Simone father's death.
In 1984, one of Nina Simone concerts at Ronnie Scott's in London was filmed, resulting in a captivating video, featuring Paul Robinson on drums. A song from Nina Simone very first record, My Baby Just Cares For Me, became a huge hit and "Nina's Back" was not only the title of a new album; Nina Simone concerts would take Nina Simone all over the world again.
In 1989 Nina Simone contributed to Pete Townsend's musical "The Iron Man". In 1990 Nina Simone recorded with Maria Bethania; in 1991 with Miriam Makeba. That same year, Nina Simone autobiography, "I Put A Spell On You" was published. It was translated into French ("Ne Me Quittez Pas"), German ("Meine Schwarze Seele") and Dutch ("I Put A Spell On You, - Herinneringen").
In 1993 a new studio album was released. "A Single Woman" includes several Rod McKuen songs, Nina's own Marry Me, Nina Simone version of the French standard Il n'y a pas d'amour heureux and a very moving Papa, Can You Hear Me?
No less than five songs from Nina Simone repertoire were used in the 1993 motion picture sound track of "Point Of No Return" (also called "The Assassin, code name: Nina"). Many other films feature Nina Simone songs (e.g. "Ghosts of Mississippi", 1996: I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free, "Stealing Beauty", 1996: My Baby Just Cares For Me and "One Night Stand", 1997: Exactly Like You).
Her music continues to excite new and young listeners. Ain't Got No / I Got Life was a big hit in 1998 in The Netherlands, just as it had been there 30 years before
Together with Nina Simone regular accompanists Lepoldo Fleming (percussion), Tony Jones (bass), Paul Robinson (drums), Xavier Collados (keyboards) and Nina Simone musical director Al Schackman (guitar), Nina Simone still excites audiences all over the world. At the Barbican Theatre in London in 1997 Nina Simone sang Every Time I Feel The Spirit as a tribute to one of America's first and foremost leaders in the cause of Civil Rights, peace and brotherhood, singer and actor Paul Robeson. More spirituals and "blood songs" would follow: Reached Down And Got My Soul, The Blood Done Change My Name and When I See The Blood.
Nina was the highlight of the Nice Jazz Festival in France in 1997, the Thessalonica Jazz Festival in Greece in 1998. At the Guinness Blues Festival in Dublin, Ireland in 1999 Nina Simone daughter, Lisa Celeste, performing as "Simone", sang a few duets with Nina Simone mother. Simone has toured the world, sung with Latin superstar Rafael, participated in two Disney theatre workshops, playing the title role in Aida and Nala in The Lion King. Nina Simone is currently working on Nina Simone upcoming debut album, "Simone Superstar".
On July 24, 1998 Nina Simone was a special guest at Nelson Mandela's 80th birthday Party. On October 7, 1999 Nina Simone received a Lifetime Achievement in Music Award in Dublin.
In 2000 Nina Simone received Honorary Citizenship to Atlanta (May 26), the Diamond Award for Excellence in Music from the Association of African American Music in Philadelphia (June 9) and the Honorable Musketeer Award from the Compagnie des Mousquetaires d'Armagnac in France (August 7).
Dr. Simone passed away after a long illness at Nina Simone home in Nina Simone villa in Carry-le-Rouet (South of France) on April 21, 2003. As Nina Simone had wished, Nina Simone ashes were spread in different African countries.
The Diva, who was as well an Honorary Doctor in Music and Humanities, has an unrivalled legendary status as one of the very last 'griots". Nina Simone is and will forever be the ultimate songstress and storyteller of our times.
