Nina Simone was an American singer whose real name was Eunice Waymon. She was born on February 21, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina, and passed away on April 21, 2003, in Carry-le-Rouet, France.
Love, protest, and Black empowerment were among the topics she sang about. She became famous thanks to her rough-edged voice and dramatic singing style.
After battling breast cancer for years, she passed away peacefully at her home in Carry-le-Rouet, a commune in Bouches-du-Rhône.
Simone was a child who played the organ and piano at an early age.
Because her Black parents had to stand in the back, she became sensitive to racism. She began her professional career as a pianist shortly after enrolling at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City, where she studied classical music.
In 1954, the proprietor of a nightclub in Atlantic City, New Jersey, threatened to fire her if she did not sing along. This sparked her vocal career. Her first album, released in 1959 and featuring the hit song “I Loves You, Porgy,” featured her own interpretations of jazz and cabaret standards.
Nina Simone parents: John Divine Waymon, Mary Kate Irvin
Mary Kate Waymon, Simone’s mother, was a strict Methodist minister. John Divine Waymon, her father, was frequently ill and worked as a handyman and sometimes as a barber. When Mrs. Waymon’s employer learned of Simone’s talent, they paid for her to take piano lessons. Following that, a local fund was established to support her continued education.
