Nina Simone wasn’t just a musician—she was a movement. Born in 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina, she showed exceptional talent for the piano from an early age. She dreamed of becoming the first Black classical pianist but was denied admission to the Curtis Institute of Music because of racism. This rejection changed the course of her life, pushing her toward jazz, blues, and soul music, where she would make history.
With her deep, powerful voice and genre-blending style, Nina Simone used music as a form of protest and liberation. In the 1960s, she became a vocal supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, writing songs that captured the pain, struggle, and resilience of Black people in America. Her song "Mississippi Goddam" was a fiery response to the killing of Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers and the bombing of a church in Birmingham that killed four little Black girls.
She also gave the world anthems like "To Be Young, Gifted and Black", inspired by Lorraine Hansberry, and "Four Women", which explored the painful realities of Black womanhood. Unlike many artists of her time, she never softened her message—she sang truth to power, even when it cost her career opportunities.
Her boldness came at a price. She was blacklisted from mainstream music, struggled financially, and eventually left the U.S. for Liberia, then Europe. Despite these challenges, she continued performing and influencing generations of artists and activists.