Simone, Nina

In 1950, Eunice Waymon moved to New York to study classical music at Juilliard, but by 1954 the poor state of her finances forced her to take a summer job as pianist-singer at the Midtown Bar in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She took the stage name “Nina Simone,” afraid that her parents would find out she was performing in a bar. “Nina” was a nickname a boyfriend had given her, and the “Simone” came from...