366 | Nina Simone

Nina Simone was born as Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933, in Tryon, in the segregated South of the United States. From an early age, her exceptional musical talent was evident. She grew up in a religious family and played piano in church, where her love of music developed. With the support of her community and her piano teacher, she was able to pursue classical training—an opportunity that was rare at the time for a Black girl.

In 1950, she moved to New York to study at the Juilliard School. She dreamed of becoming the first great Black concert pianist in the classical tradition. Her greatest ambition was admission to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, but she was rejected—an event she later attributed to racial discrimination, which had a lasting impact on her life. To support herself, Eunice Waymon began performing in bars and nightclubs in Atlantic City. There, she adopted the stage name “Nina Simone” so that her strictly religious mother would not discover that she was playing secular music.

Her debut album, Little Girl Blue (1958), marked her breakthrough. In particular, her rendition of I Loves You, Porgy became a national hit. Simone developed a unique style that blended jazz, blues, gospel, folk, and classical music. Her deep, expressive voice and powerful piano playing made her one of the most distinctive artists of her generation.

In the 1960s, her repertoire expanded with now-iconic songs such as:

• Feeling Good
• I Put a Spell on You
• Sinnerman
• Mississippi Goddam
• To Be Young, Gifted and Black
• My Baby Just Cares for Me
• Love Me or Leave Me

In particular, “Mississippi Goddam,” written after racist violence in 1963, marked her open involvement in the American civil rights movement. Simone used her music as a political weapon and spoke out forcefully against racial inequality. She moved in circles that included Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, becoming a powerful voice in the struggle for equal rights.

Disillusioned by the ongoing racism and political tensions in the United States, Simone left her homeland in the early 1970s. She lived successively in Barbados, Liberia, Switzerland, Netherlands, and eventually France. In her later years, she struggled with mental health problems; she was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which significantly affected both her personal and professional life.

Despite periods of financial and emotional instability, she continued to perform and record. In 1987, she experienced an unexpected comeback in Europe when “My Baby Just Cares for Me” became a hit again after being used in a commercial campaign.

Nina Simone passed away on April 21, 2003, in Carry-le-Rouet, France, from complications of breast cancer. She left behind an impressive musical and cultural legacy. Her nickname, “The High Priestess of Soul,” underscores her unique place in music history: an artist who not only transcended genres, but also used her art as a means of social change.

In 2015, the acclaimed documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? was released, directed by Liz Garbus and distributed by Netflix. The film offers a compelling portrait of Simone’s life, featuring rare archival footage, diary excerpts, and interviews with people from her inner circle. The documentary was nominated for an Academy Award and praised for its honest and nuanced portrayal of an extraordinary artist and activist.