Nina Simone, an iconic figure in music and civil rights, had a net worth of $5 million when she passed away in 2003. Throughout her career, Simone released over 40 albums, including well-known works such as Little Girl Blue (1959), Forbidden Fruit (1961), and I Put a Spell on You (1965). She was not only known for her powerful vocal ability but also for her activism. Some of her notable songs included “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out,” “Feeling Good,” and “Ain’t Got No, I Got Life,” among others.
Her autobiography, I Put a Spell on You, was published in 1992, and she was the subject of several documentaries, including What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015), and the 2016 film Nina. Recognized as the “High Priestess of Soul,” she was inducted posthumously into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. Tragically, Nina passed away at the age of 70 in 2003.
Early Life
Nina Simone was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina, to Mary Kate and Reverend John Devan Waymon. She grew up in a large family with seven siblings. From a very young age, Simone showed musical talent, starting to play the piano early in life. She frequently performed at her church, and at 12, she took part in a classical recital. At that recital, she famously refused to perform until her parents were moved back to their rightful seats after being displaced to accommodate white attendees.
Her father worked as a handyman and previously owned a dry-cleaning business, while her mother was a Methodist minister who also worked as a maid. To help fund her education, one of her music teachers set up a fund, allowing her to attend Allen High School for Girls in Asheville, North Carolina. After graduating as valedictorian, she went on to study with Carl Friedberg at the Juilliard School. Simone aimed for an audition at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia but was rejected, a blow she suspected was due to her race, although the school denied any racial bias.
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Musical Career
Nina Simone’s early career began with a job as an accompanist at Arlene Smith’s vocal studio, and she also gave private piano lessons. She eventually began performing at the Midtown Bar & Grill in Atlantic City, where she was encouraged to sing along with her piano playing. It was during this time that she adopted the stage name “Nina Simone,” a name she chose to avoid her mother’s disapproval of her performing jazz and blues, which she considered “the Devil’s music.”
Simone’s breakthrough came in 1958 when she recorded a cover of George Gershwin’s “I Love You, Porgy,” which became a chart hit, reaching #18 on the Billboard Hot 100. The following year, she released her debut album, Little Girl Blue. Simone’s creativity flourished under her label, Colpix Records, where she was given full artistic control. Throughout the 1960s, Simone’s music reflected her experiences and the turbulent socio-political climate of the time. In 1964, she released Nina Simone in Concert, which featured the powerful anthem “Mississippi Goddam,” a song that highlighted racial inequality in the United States.
Her music continued to evolve, and in 1967, she signed with RCA Victor, releasing Nina Simone Sings the Blues. The 1970s saw further political and personal challenges, including her decision to leave the U.S. for Barbados after facing backlash in the wake of Mississippi Goddam. During this period, Simone’s personal and professional life became even more intertwined with activism, and she began spending time in Liberia, where she recorded her album It Is Finished in 1974.
In the 1980s, Nina moved to Europe, where she performed at various jazz clubs, including Ronnie Scott’s in London. Her 1987 re-release of “My Baby Just Cares for Me” became a massive success in Europe, partly thanks to its inclusion in a Chanel No. 5 advertisement. This led to a resurgence of interest in her early work. By 1993, Simone had settled in southern France and released her final album, A Single Woman, which was well-received and reached #19 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.
Simone’s personal life was marked by both love and hardship. She married her first husband, Donald Ross, in December 1958, but they divorced in 1960. A few years later, in 1961, she married Andrew Stroud, a New York detective who also served as her manager. They had a daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, born in 1962. However, their marriage ended in 1971 after years of reported abuse. Lisa Simone Kelly later became a singer and actress and also executive produced the 2015 documentary What Happened, Miss Simone?, which earned an Emmy award and an Academy Award nomination.
On April 21, 2003, Nina Simone passed away at the age of 70 in Carry-le-Rouet, France, after a long battle with breast cancer. She died peacefully in her sleep, and her death was mourned by many in the entertainment industry, including notable figures such as Patti LaBelle and Ruby Dee. A Catholic funeral was held in her honor, and Simone was cremated. A portion of her ashes was placed in a heart-shaped sculpture inside a statue of her in Tryon, North Carolina, while the rest was scattered across several countries in Europe and Africa.
Honors and Recognition
Nina Simone’s contributions to music and society continue to be celebrated. In 2017, she was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She also earned two Grammy nominations during her life, one for her song “(You’ll) Go to Hell” (1967) and another for her album Black Gold (1970). Several of her songs were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, including her rendition of “I Loves You, Porgy” in 2000, and “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” in 2019.
Simone’s legacy also includes several posthumous honors. In 2010, she won an African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Song for “Four Women” from For Colored Girls. Two days before her death, she was informed that she would be awarded an honorary degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, the same institution that had rejected her years earlier. In 2019, her powerful protest song “Mississippi Goddam” was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.
Nina Simone’s life and career have left an indelible mark on music, activism, and the civil rights movement. Through her music, her bold stand on social justice, and her emotional performances, Simone remains an enduring icon, inspiring generations to come.
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