Nina Simone

Nina Simone was one of the most distinctive, elusive, and brilliant musicians in jazz history, but she came to the genre reluctantly.

Born in Tryon, North Carolina as Eunice Waymon in 1933, she had her heart set on being a classical pianist.

In 1954, economic circumstances persuaded her to take a gig at an Atlantic City club, and she changed her name so her mother wouldn't discover she was playing \