Synopses & Reviews
"The greatest female artist of the 20th century” - Elton John
This first-ever biography of Nina Simone caused quite a stir among reviewers. “A chastening read”, said the Sunday Times; “Simones story is as harrowing as it is remarkable”, said the Yorkshire Post. No-one was quite prepared for the life story of the singer of such enduringly uplifting classics as “My Baby Just Cares for Me” turning out to be such a chilling litany of mental disorder, vile temper, terrible abuse at the hands of bad men, and a self-destructively hostile attitude all too often to the acolytes who came to see her perform.
Brun-Lambert shows how Simone saw herself as a lifelong victim of racism, right from being turned down by the prestigious music school that would have enabled her to become a classical musician. Undiagnosed bipolar disorder, he argues, added to her torment. But it was her unforgettable voice, and, at best, her utterly magnetic performances, that kept people coming to a sold-out Ronnie Scotts every time she was in residency, and the way she sang her hardest songs like “Mississippi Goddam”with such fire and fury that they became anthems of political change, and means so many people can only be curious about the real life of the mecurial woman behind the piano.
David Brun-Lambert is a highly regarded French writer and broadcaster.
Review
"Highly recommended for jazz music lovers as well as those interested in the civil rights movement." Library Journal
Synopsis
Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in North Carolina at the tail-end of the Great Depression, Nina Simone was a precocious child with dreams of becoming the worlds first black classical soloist. After a rejection from an elite New York conservatoirea rejection she always believed stemmed from the color of her skinshe began performing jazz, blues, and classical songs in a bar to fund her music studies. In 1958 her rendition of the Gershwin standard I Loves You Porgy” became a Top 40 hit, and her subsequent debut album Little Girl Blue launched what would become an extensive singing and songwriting career. Drawing on a wealth of original interviews with Simones closest associates, this extraordinary biography follows her sparkling career as well as her passionate belief in racial equality that eventually led her to undergo self-imposed exile from America in 1970. Featuring rare photographs and a review of Simones more than 40 albums and numerous hits, this is an extensive look at the complex and extremely talented diva.
Synopsis
"The greatest female artist of the 20th century" - Elton John
This first-ever biography of Nina Simone caused quite a stir among reviewers. "A chastening read", said the Sunday Times; "Simone's story is as harrowing as it is remarkable", said the Yorkshire Post. No-one was quite prepared for the life story of the singer of such enduringly uplifting classics as "My Baby Just Cares for Me" turning out to be such a chilling litany of mental disorder, vile temper, terrible abuse at the hands of bad men, and a self-destructively hostile attitude all too often to the acolytes who came to see her perform.
Brun-Lambert shows how Simone saw herself as a lifelong victim of racism, right from being turned down by the prestigious music school that would have enabled her to become a classical musician. Undiagnosed bipolar disorder, he argues, added to her torment. But it was her unforgettable voice, and, at best, her utterly magnetic performances, that kept people coming to a sold-out Ronnie Scott's every time she was in residency, and the way she sang her hardest songs like "Mississippi Goddam"with such fire and fury that they became anthems of political change, and means so many people can only be curious about the real life of the mecurial woman behind the piano.
David Brun-Lambert is a highly regarded French writer and broadcaster.
Synopsis
The epic story behind the composer of some of the best-known popular songs.
About the Author
David Brun-Lambert is a music writer.