Nathan offered Simone a contract with his jazz subsidiary, Bethlehem Records, and the two were soon butting heads as the strong-willed Simone insisted on choosing her own material. Within a few years, Simone was a headliner at nightclubs all along the East Coast, and in 1957 she came to the attention of Syd Nathan, the mercurial owner of the influential blues and country label King Records. The newly christened Nina Simone was a quick study as a singer, and her unique mixture of jazz, blues, and the classics soon earned her a loyal audience. While she had no experience as a vocalist, Eunice faked it well enough to get the job, and she adopted the stage name Nina Simone - Nina from a pet name her boyfriend used, and Simone from the French film star Simone Signoret. Eunice was told she would have to sing as well as play jazz standards and hits of the day. However, Eunice was denied admission at the Curtis Institute under mysterious circumstances, despite what was said to be a stellar audition performance she would insist that her race was the key reason she was rejected.Äetermined to support herself as a musician, Eunice applied for a job playing piano at the Midtown Bar & Grill in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1954. After graduating at the top of her high school class, Eunice received a grant to study at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City, and applied for enrollment at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
Mary Kate worked part time as a housemaid, and when her employers heard Eunice play, they arranged for her to study with pianist Muriel Mazzanovich, who tutored Eunice in the classics, focusing on Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, and Schubert. Eunice displayed a precocious musical talent at the age of three when she started picking out tunes on the family's piano, and a few years later she was playing piano at her mother's Sunday church services. Her mother, Mary Kate Waymon, was a Methodist minister, and her father, John Divine Waymon, was a handyman who moonlighted as a preacher. Nina Simone was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in Tryon, North Carolina on February 21, 1933. Simone was a singer, pianist, and songwriter who bent genres to her will rather than allowing herself to be confined by their boundaries her work swung back and forth between jazz, blues, soul, classical, R&B, pop, gospel, and world music, with passion, emotional honesty, and a strong grasp of technique as the constants of her musical career. Performance ticket holders who do not comply with these policies will not be admitted.Nina Simone was one of the most gifted vocalists of her generation, and also one of the most eclectic. Ticket purchasers are responsible for communicating these rules to whomever they provide tickets. Masks are required at all times for all patrons and visitors regardless of vaccination status in all indoor spaces at the Kennedy Center.
Nina simone discography tpb full#
Please see the full COVID safety plan for more information on what is accepted. Unvaccinated children under 12 years of age and patrons with a medical condition or a closely-held religious belief that prevents vaccination, must provide either proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test conducted no more than 72 hours prior to attending an indoor performance, or proof of a professionally administered Antigen test conducted no more than 6 hours prior to attending an indoor performance. Proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and a valid photo ID are required to attend all indoor performances and events at the Kennedy Center. To ensure our patrons’ health and security, as well as the safety of our performers and staff, the Kennedy Center has implemented the following policy:
PATRON ADVISORY Vaccination and Mask Policy