Nina simone biography for kids
Known as the “High Priestess of Soul,” Nina Simone was an American musician.
Nina Simone (born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, – April 21, ) was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, arranger.!
Nina Simone facts for kids
Nina Simone (born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, arranger and civil rights activist.
Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and pop. In 2023 Rolling Stone ranked Simone at No. 21 on their list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
The sixth of eight children born into a poor family in North Carolina, Simone initially aspired to be a concert pianist.
With the help of a few supporters in her hometown, she enrolled in the Juilliard School of Music in New York City.
A precocious child, Simone played piano and organ in girlhood.She then applied for a scholarship to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where, despite a well received audition, she was denied admission, which she attributed to racism. In 2003, just days before her death, the Institute awarded her an honorary degree.
To make a living, Simone started playing piano at a nightclub in Atlantic City.
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