Nina Simone

Nina Simone

Oil - 20X20

Nina at the piano

Oil - 20X20

Nina Simone sang a mix of jazz, blues and folk music. A civil rights activist, she wrote songs promoting the Civil Rights Movement.

In many ways, Simone's music defied standard definitions. Her classical training showed through, no matter what genre of song she played, and she drew from many sources including gospel, pop and folk. She was often called the "High Priestess of Soul," but she hated that nickname. She didn't like the label of "jazz singer", either. "If I had to be called something, it should have been a folk singer because there was more folk and blues than jazz in my playing"...

Let's go to Hell