Her piano playing was strongly influenced by baroque and classical music, especially Johann Sebastian Bach, and accompanied expressive, jazz-like singing in her contralto voice. She had a hit single in the United States in 1958 with ' I Loves You, Porgy'. She went on to record more than 40 albums between 19, making her debut with Little Girl Blue. She was told in the nightclub that she would have to sing to her own accompaniment, which effectively launched her career as a jazz vocalist. She changed her name to 'Nina Simone' to disguise herself from family members, having chosen to play 'the devil's music' or so-called 'cocktail piano'. To make a living, Simone started playing piano at a nightclub in Atlantic City.

In 2003, just days before her death, the Institute awarded her an honorary degree. She then applied for a scholarship to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where, despite a well received audition, she was denied admission, which she attributed to racism. With the help of a few supporters in her hometown, she enrolled in the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. The sixth of eight children born into a poor family in Tryon, North Carolina, Simone initially aspired to be a concert pianist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and pop.

Eunice Kathleen Waymon (Febru– April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone ( / ˌ n iː n ə s ɪ ˈ m oʊ n/), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist.

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