Synopses & Reviews
Born Eunice Waymon in Tryon, North Carolina, Nina Simone (1933-2003) began her musical life playing classical piano. A child prodigy, she wanted a career on the concert stage, but when the Curtis Institute of Music rejected her, the devastating disappointment compelled her to change direction. She turned to popular music and jazz but never abandoned her classical roots or her intense ambition. By the age of twenty six, Simone had sung at New York City's venerable Town Hall and was on her way. Tapping into newly unearthed material on Simone's family and career, Nadine Cohodas paints a luminous portrait of the singer, highlighting her tumultuous life, her innovative compositions, and the prodigious talent that matched her ambition.
Review
"A wonderful biography of the great Nina Simone. Incredibly well researched..."
-popcultureclassics
Review
"A detailed and meticulously researched account. . . . Neither partisan nor judgmental, the author commendably preserves a detached yet sympathetic tone throughout."
-Times Literary Supplement
Review
"This biography is a reminder of the many performers, not generally thought of as Appalachian, who have roots in this region."
-Now and Then
Review
"
Princess Noire, which includes photographs, an index and a bibliography, leaves the reader wanting even more."
-allaboutjazz.com
About the Author
Nadine Cohodas is the author of, among other books, Queen: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington.