Nina Simone is to be the latest music legend to get the Hollywood treatment, with filming due to start on ‘Nina’ this autumn. Simone, for those unfamiliar with the details, was a multi talented singer and musician, who skipped through and conquered varied genres like a kid playing hopscotch. Most associated with Jazz, Simone was dabbled in soul, R&B, classical, folk, gospel and op with effortless class and grace. She was also a vociferous Civil Rights activist, supporting violent action more in line with the Panthers and the Nation of Islam, that with peaceful integration approach of Martin Luther King Jr. In fact, she openly discussed her wish that her people arm themselves and form their own state!
Following a divorce from her husband/manager, Simone returned from a stint in Barbados to find herself with a huge US tax bill in the 70’s. Skipping town to avoid paying the bill, she fled back to Barbados (where she had an affair with the Prime Minister), before moving on to Europe, seeing out her final days in France. Diagnosed with breast cancer, Nina Simone passed in her sleep on the 21st of April 2003.
A pretty worthy story to tell, especially considering that Nina was diagnosed as being schizophrenic, then bi polar, in the 60’s. A look back over ‘The High Priestess of Soul’s’ career, many wonder whether living through these conditions may have steered her remarkable life down the route that zigzagged from genre to genre and country to country, through extreme and public views on race and integration, to a final lap in exile.
Oh yeah, they’ve booked Mary J Blige in to play her. They’ll make her “ugly”, she’ll win an Oscar.
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