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Nina Simone
SingerPianist
ActivistUnited States
1933–2003
Nina Simone was an American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil-rights activist whose music drew on classical, jazz, blues, gospel, folk, and pop traditions. Across a career spanning more than four decades, she became known both for her distinctive musical style and for songs such as “Mississippi Goddam” and “To Be Young, Gifted and Black,” which placed her at the forefront of artists using music to address the civil-rights struggle. [1][2]
Career and work
Simone trained as a classical pianist and studied at the Juilliard School before beginning to perform in Atlantic City clubs in the 1950s. Her recording career took off with “I Loves You Porgy,” which became a Top 10 hit in 1959. Over the following decades, she recorded more than 40 albums and developed a style that combined classical music with jazz, blues, gospel, folk, and other traditions. [1][2]
During the 1960s, Simone increasingly connected her music with the Civil Rights Movement. Songs including “Mississippi Goddam,” “Four Women,” and “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” addressed racism, inequality, and Black identity. Her influence extended well beyond her own recordings, and she was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. [1][2]
What has been publicly discussed
Sources and other resourcesExpand to view the sources used in this profile and resources to learn more.
Sources used for this profile
The following sources contain information that supports the claims made on this page.
The Official Nina Simone Website“Biography” Official biography covering Simone’s classical training, recording career, musical style, civil-rights work, and later career.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame“Nina Simone” Career profile covering Simone’s musical influence, major recordings, activism, and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The New Yorker“The Many Battles of Nina Simone” Detailed biographical account discussing Simone’s depression, bipolar-disorder diagnosis, later psychiatric history, and the posthumous emergence of fuller medical information.
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International Documentary Association“The Life of Nina Simone as a Nonfiction Musical” Interview with filmmaker Liz Garbus discussing Simone’s bipolar diagnosis, diaries, letters, severe depression, suicidality, and archival material used for What Happened, Miss Simone?
Nina Simone and Stephen ClearyI Put a Spell on You: The Autobiography of Nina Simone Simone’s autobiography, including her own account of psychological crisis alongside her life, music, and activism.
Nadine CohodasPrincess Noire: The Tumultuous Reign of Nina Simone Detailed, extensively researched biography covering Simone’s career, later life, mental-health difficulties, and years in Europe.
The New York Review of Books“The Fierce Courage of Nina Simone” Biographical essay discussing Simone’s bipolar disorder, psychiatric medication, later career, and continuing difficulties.
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Recommended books and other resources about Nina Simone and their experiences.