The Reading Warehouse

Nina Simone s daughter explores her mother s extraordinary life and career sharing her personal thoughts and providing a glimpse of the real woman behind the distinctive voice.

Nina started her musical life as Eunice Waymon, a five-year old child protege learning classical piano with the help of people in her hometown. She won a place at New York s famous Juilliard School but was turned down by the elite Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. This was an incredible blow to the young Eunice Waymon, who turned to teaching piano and playing in bars to make ends meet, performing under the stage name Nina Simone.

She moved to New York City and signed her first record deal (not reading the small print which would cost her dearly later in her career). New York was the place to be and Nina became closely associated with the civil rights movement, connected with both the radical black playwright Lorraine Hansberry and Malcolm X. She wrote her first protest song, Mississippi Goddamn, in 1963 an enraged reaction to the deaths of four children in the bombing of a Sunday school in Alabama.

She also met and married Andy Stroud, who became her manager (and Simone s father). Throughout the 1960s her output was prolific, and she toured continually in the United States and Europe, always highlighting the civil rights message.

Including unreleased concert tracks and contributions from some of her closest friends, "Feeling Good "captures the spirit of Nina as both an artist and activist."