Nina Simone

I liked Nina Simone's 4-CD "Four Women" box set containing all 7 of her Philips recordings so much, I bought the 2012 9-CD "Complete RCA Album Collection" this month and have been listening to it nonstop ever since it got here. I read Nina had a gay boyfriend, Clifton Henderson. I've listened to Nina on and off since 1997, when I first heard "A Little Sugar in My Bowl" as the theme to ABC's dramedy about a Catholic priest, "Nothing Sacred," but I'd only had a couple of compilations until very recently. I think she's my new favorite singer.

http%3A//www.amazon.com/Complete-Album-Collection-Nina-Simone/dp/B005LTDPFW/ref%3Dsr_1_7%3Fs%3Dmusic%26ie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1360018880%26sr%3D1-7%26keywords%3Dnina+simone



• Yes, and she had more than one lesbian girlfriend. But don't get me started.

  Lorraine%20Hansberry

• She's an excellent singer, but was notorious for being a massive pain in the ass to everyone who ever had to deal with her.

• She was very sweet to people socially and never forgot her impoverished roots.

• She was bi-polar.

• I love that voice and songs like "I want more and more and then some", "be my husband" and that great live album "Nina At Town Hall" from sometime in the 50s, with those great versions of "You can have him" and "Fine and Mellow". I saw her once in a very bizarre concert in London in the 70s or 80s, when she barely acknowledged the audience and seemed to be in a world of her own. Annoying though to hear her songs used in tv adverts and commercials, particularly that "My baby just cares for me" as she never sold out like that in her lifetime. I wonder who gets all her royalties?

• Incredibly talented and distinguished vocalist.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dmb9YBpza6tA%26feature%3Dyoutube_gdata_player%20

• Her version of "I Loves You Porgy", is the simplest, most beautiful version I've ever heard

• Like Aretha she was a terrific pianist too, and was classically trained of course, but discovered she was more popular as a vocalist.

• You must mention Nina's talents at the piano, More so than her singing.

• She and Eartha Kitt must be the two most individual singers I know, and both came up the hard way experiencing lots of problems due to their color back in the 50s ....

• Lets not forget Dinah Washington, Della Reece, and yes, Lena ..... then there is Miss Peggy Lee.

• Nina still sells - there are so many compilations out there.

• Glad someone mentioned Peggy Lee. She's usually forgotten in these discussions partly because she only recorded one true live jazz album...and it was not released until after her death. But, it shows how great she was. I believe it's closing night at Basin Street East in New York in the early 1960s.

• She shot her neighbor because he was distubring her concentration. I kid you not.

• Why did Mary J Blige drop out of playing Nina? Anyone know?

• I like some of her music very much, but I'm not so keen on her personality which sort of gets in the way of my being too big a fan. She always looks so angry, sometimes to the point of constant snarling.

• She was something else!

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DR96jRnBYymU%26feature%3Dyoutube_gdata_player

• Simone had a mental illness. There was nothing exotic or romantic about it. She was ill.

• ...and tremendously talented.

• She didn't discover she was popular as a singer, r8, she was forced to by the owner of the club where she played at the piano bar.

• Horrible nasal twang in so many of her renditions, it gets very samey.

• Do yourselves a favor.... before she began to fall apart.... give a listen. Yes, talented.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Ffeature%3Dendscreen%26v%3D4sAbW0ONRBU%26NR%3D1

  r18

• "Lilac Wine" is my #1 when-I'm-depressed-and-want-to-wallow song. I saw her perform in Atlanta not long before her death; it was her first trip back to the US in a long time and it was completely fascinating and thrilling. And I was the whitest person to ever sing along in public with "Young, Gifted and Black"

• Love me some Nina. I want a little sugar in MY bowl, honey.