Nina Simone

Eunice Kathleen Waymon – Professionally known as Nina Simone.

Born February 21, 1933, Tryon, North Carolina.

Died April 21, 2003, Camy-le- Rouet, France.

Pianist, singer, songwriter and civil rights activist. Her music included folk, gospel, blues, classical, jazz, and rhythm & Blues.

Nina was the 6th. child of 8 children and grew up playing the piano. Nina attended the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. She loved playing classical music and was greatly influenced by Johann Sebastian Bach. Nina applied for a scholarship to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia but was denied admission which Nina attributed to racism. Nina’s dream was to become the first black American concert pianist.

In order to make a living Nina (Eunice) took a job playing the piano at a bar in Atlantic City, but fearing her family, especially her mother who thought that night club music was the devil’s music, she decided to use a stage name, Nina Simone, so her mother and family members would not find out she was playing piano and singing in a bar.

Nina went on to record 40 plus albums between 1958 – 1974. Her first hit song was “I Loves You Porgy.” My favorite song is “Feeling Good.”

I knitted my Nina doll, and I made her piano and bench with plastic canvas and yarn.