Biography
The ambiguous, bright, impulsive, Nina Simon is a real star. The biography of the singer was saturated with protest, tragedy and light sad stuffing of jazz and soul-songy, which live on stage even after the death of the creator.Childhood and youth
Nina Simon is a scenic pseudonym Unis Kathleen Wamon. The girl was born in a poor large family in North Carolina on February 21, 1933. The baby became a sixth child, and there were eight children in the house. Despite the poor life, in the house there was an old loss piano, where Unice had learned to play for three years. As it often happened in the poor quarters, the beginning of the speeches is made in the local church church.
From an early age, the girl dreamed of a pianist career. At six years, the future Nina Simon starts the lessons of the game on the piano. Diligence and hard work has made fruits after four years. UNIS has honored to give a solo concert. But on the day of the first triumph, the child had to face with a frank demonstration of racism.
Pianist parents did not allow to take places in the first row, because they were obliged to give up a white pair. The girl offended by this attitude refused to continue the performance until the parents returned the place. Perhaps this was the first step in the struggle for the equality of black citizens made by Nina Simon.
A talented pianist managed to get an education in the prestigious music college "Juliar School". At that time, for a dark-skinned girl, the education of this level was considered difficult to achieve. To pay for the formation of UNIC, it was necessary to work by the accompaniment of one of the vocal teachers.
In 1953, successfully passing the audition, the girl begins to work by the pianist in the nightclubs of Atlantic City. During this period, she comes up with Nina Simon's alias in honor of the favorite actress Simon Signore. The career of professional pianist in Nina did not work out. The audience, having heard her voice, wanted to see Nina Singer. Although during performances and concerts, Queen Sokula often accompanied himself on the piano.
Music
Nina Simon remains probably one of the most prolific stars. During the career, the singer released 170 albums, including studio and concert records, which performed more than 320 songs.
The first song, loved by grateful listeners, became the composition "I Loves You, Porgy!" - Aria from the opera George Gershwin, a coat of Nina to a new way. In 1957, the Debut Album "Little Girl Blue" comes out, immediately gained popularity. The plate contains emotional and touching jazz compositions, whose execution Simon shone and subsequently.
In the early 60s, the singer begins collaboration with Colpix. During this period, compositions appear, which are close to the jazz star. 1965 is marked with a way out, perhaps the most popular album for the entire singer's career - "I PUT A SPELL ON YOU". The collection contained the same name, which became the legendary song, as well as the undisputed hit "Feeling Good".
Separately, it is worth noting the version of the African American spiritual song "SINNERMAN", recorded by Nina on the album "Pastel Blues". Barack Obama admitted that the composition enters the list of ten his favorite musical works.
A distinctive, non-standard creation lasting in 10 minutes continues to be popular, used in modern films and TV shows ("Scam Thomas Krauna", "Police Miami: Department of Mravov", "Cellular", "Lucifer", "Sherlock" and some others). After the release in 1966, the Album "Wild Is The Wind", which collected songs pop-soul genre, Nina nicknamed the priestess of Sokula.
Very closely with creativity is connected by the public and civil position of Nina Simon, namely the eternal struggle for the equality of the dark-skinned people. Often in the texts of the songs there are appeals to these issues. So, the explicit political song was "Mississippi Goddam", written after the murder of an activist and a fighter for the equality of Medgar Evers, as well as after the explosion at school, served as the cause of the death of four dark-skinned children. The lyrics openly calls upon the fight against racism and the infringement of the rights of the African American people.
"I do not need your neighborhood, just give me a little equality" - indulges Nina in the final lines.The star of Soul personally familiar with Martin Luther King and even received the nickname "Martin Luther in a skirt." One way or another, in everyday life and on the scene, the singer was not afraid to raise the social problems of racism.
In the end, the eccentric zyrus of Sokula declared the inability to be in the United States and left for Barbados, where he moved to France, where he lived until the end of his life. From 1970 to 1978, another seven studio albums of Nina are published.
In 1993, the last studio album of the Great Star - "A Single Woman" appears. After him, Nina's studio works did not record, although he continued to give rare concerts to the end of the nineties. Becoming recognized masterpieces, the songs of Nina Simon remain relevant for a modern listener, having received a new life in cover versions.
Personal life
The first marriage of Nina falls for 1958. Marriage with Bartender Don Ross existed no longer than a year. Information about the first husband of singer in reliable sources is not much, the star itself also tried not to mention this stage in life.
But the second husband, the former Hard Detective Endrew Straud, with whom the singer has tied fate in 1961, played a huge role in his personal life and in the star career. Being a bright, enterprising person, Andrew left the detective office and became a spouse manager. He fully controlled the work of his wife, the contracts of the Queza Jazz were tied.
In his autobiography "I curse you", Nina admits that the husband was quite despotic, demanded that it constant and exhausting work. Not without slapped and stimulants. Nina herself in the same biography, it is expressed that, perhaps, without such methods, she would not become a star, but in the justification of the means of the singer is not confident. The network published many archival photos of spouses, including those related to the overall work.
In 1962, the married couple appears the daughter of Liz, who, having matured, decided to go in the footsteps of the star mother. Now the actress performs on Broadway, the truth, fame, equal to the maternal, has not yet reached.
Departure to Barbados in 1970, including caused by Simon's divorce with a straw. The singer tried to conduct business independently, but the managerial grip was not the skate of the Queza Jazz. With the management and monetary issues, the star catastrophically did not cope. There were no other husbands in the life of a woman.
In 2015, the documentary picture of Liz Garbuz "What happened, Miss Simon, was released on the screens, in which the director with frankness showed the other side of the Great Singer, always hidden from the public. Interviews of relatives, close and daughters of the star, archival records - everything indicates a difficult, controversial, explosive nature of the singer, from which she herself suffered first.
Death
With the nineties, the state of Nina Simon worsens. Health brings the singer, not allowing concert and creative life. As follows from the same documentary film and confirmed by the relatives and psychiatrist Nina, it is diagnosed with manic-depressive syndrome. Later, the singer was discovered breast cancer.
In 2001, the star was unable to rise to the scene in Carnegie Hall. After that, another year and a half Nina was seriously sick. From the progressive oncology, the star went away in 2003. The priests died in a dream, in his house in the south of France.
Discography
- 1958 - "Little Girl Blue"
- 1961 - "Forbidden Fruit"
- 1964 - "Broadway-Blues-Ballads"
- 1965 - "Pastel Blues"
- 1966 - "Wild Is the Wind"
- 1970 - "Gifted & Black"
- 1978 - "Baltimore"
- 1985 - "Nina's Back"
- 1993 - "A Single Woman"