Nina Simone (Women in the Arts (Philadelphia, Pa.).)

Nina Simone: classically trained pianist, skilled improviser, heartbreaking chanteuse, tempestuous diva, champion of civil rights, bitter expatriate, and ever-controversial figure. Like the woman herself, her music defies categorization; fusing elements of classical, pop, jazz, gospel, folk, rhythm and blues, and soul, her sound is unique. Her live performances were as legendary for their passion and urgency as she was for her temper. Simone was profoundly sensitive to the African-American experience. She was among the first popular performers ever to talk about race in song, and she lent her weight to the Civil Rights Movement from the outset. In the late 1960s and 1970s, her politics even threatened to overshadow her art -- but even then, her ability to transform a simple song into a religious experience captivated the masses. Throughout her fifty-year career, the incomparable High Priestess of Soul remained both astonishingly gifted and absolutely uncompromising. Table of Contents ......Page 8 Introduction......Page 9 1: Nina at Carnegie Hall......Page 13 2: The Prodigy......Page 21 3: The Concert Pianist......Page 33 4: The Chanteuse......Page 45 5: The Star......Page 55 6: The Activist......Page 73 7: The High Priestess of Soul......Page 89 8: The Expatriate......Page 99 9: The Diva......Page 109 Chronology......Page 119 Works by Nina Simone......Page 123 Bibliography......Page 125 Further Reading......Page 127 Index......Page 129 Credits......Page 138 Contributors......Page 139 Nina at Carnegie Hall The prodigy, 1933-1944 The concert pianist, 1944-1954 The chanteuse, 1954-1959 The star, 1958-1962 The activist, 1963-1966 The high priestess of soul, 1967-1969 The expatriate, 1970-1978 The diva, 1978-2003. Traces The Life And Accomplishments Of Nina Simone, Singer, Pianist, And Civil Rights Activist, Who Was Known For Her Unique Sound. Explores Nina Simone's life and contributions to the arts whose path allowed her to break gender barriers