Nina Simone - Wonderful Woman No. 54

Nina Simone - 1933-2003
American Singer, Songwriter, Musician and Political Activist

Added to the album by a wonderful man called Gavin

Nina Simone should definitely be in there (the album).
Gavin

In the last blog entry, I wrote about Dusty Springfield (Wonderful Woman No. 53 - http://iamawonderfulwoman.blogspot.com/2012/02/dusty-springfield-wonderful-woman-no-53.html) and how the voice of some people can take you on a journey of cathartic experience, moving you to the very core. Well, Nina Simone is another one of those voices, so full of emotion, experience and soul.

From the moment she came into the world, Nina was musical. She was learning piano by the age of three, her first concert at the age of twelve and after some time singing in clubs, cut her first record at twenty-five. Between 1958 and 1993, Nina released more than forty albums and a string of compilations of her music still continue to make huge sales. She was an incredble, fierce performer, nicknamed The High Priestess of Soul, nobody could imitate her style. She had a voice that could move you to tears with songs like Wild is the Wind, scare you silly with Put A Spell On You and completely empower with Feeling Good.

Strong. Sweet. Sharp as ice. As gentle as falling snowflakes. Sometimes frightening. Always nourishing. That, for me, was/is/will always be, the music of Nina Simone.
Kellylee Evans, Jazz Times

Sometimes, being wonderful is not just about what that person did themselves but about how they inspired others. On Nina's Wikipedia page there is a list of performers who have cited Nina as a major inspiration to them, such as; Christina Aguilera, Mary J. Blig and John Lennon. Just recently, on accepting her Brit's Critic's Choice Award, singer Emeli Sande stated that Nina remains her "biggest inspiration".

Nina Simone inspires me, since I was nine years old and she still does. So she is my biggest inspiration.
Emeli Sande

At her first concert at the age of twelve, Nina's parents were asked to move from their front row seats to the back of the theatre, because they were black. Nina refused to play until they were able to return to their original seats. This was the beginning of Nina's involvement in the American Civil Rights Movement. In her adult life, she became a spokes person for the movement and advocated the direct approach and militant views of Malcolm X. She recorded a number of civil rights records including Young, Gifted & Black and Mississippi Goddamn. Her belief was strong and she is remembered as a key figure in the process of bringing change to the U.S.A.

Wonderful for her music and voice, a wonderful inspiration to others and wonderful for living by what she believed in.

I would like you to know, I am a doctor of music.
Nina Simone