Eunice Kathleen Waymon
Nina Simone was a pianist, singer, and civil rights activist whose music defied categorization, blending jazz, blues, classical, folk, and gospel. Known as the "High Priestess of Soul," she used her art as a powerful vehicle for social commentary. Her renditions of "Feeling Good," "I Put a Spell on You," and "Mississippi Goddam" remain timeless.
“An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times.”
— Nina Simone
“I'll tell you what freedom is to me: no fear.”
— Nina Simone
“You can't help it. An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times.”
— Nina Simone
“I had spent many years pursuing excellence, because that is what classical music is all about.”
— Nina Simone
“There's no excuse for the young people not knowing who the heroes and heroines are or were.”
— Nina Simone
“Jazz is not just music, it's a way of life, it's a way of being, a way of thinking.”
— Nina Simone
“I want to shake people up so bad that when they leave a nightclub where I've performed, I just want them to be to pieces.”
— Nina Simone
“To most white people, jazz means black and jazz means dirt, and that's not what I play.”
— Nina Simone
“Once I understood Bach's music, I wanted to be a concert pianist. Bach made me dedicate my life to music.”
— Nina Simone
“It's an artist's duty to reflect the times in which we live.”
— Nina Simone
I Put a Spell on You
1965
Wild Is the Wind
1966
Pastel Blues
1965
Nina Simone at Town Hall
1959
Nina Simone Sings the Blues
1967