"My baby don't care for shows..."

[khaosworks]

Vocal Great Nina Simone Dies
Mon Apr 21, 5:15 PM ET Add Entertainment - E! Online to My Yahoo!
By Marcus Errico

Songstress extraordinaire Nina Simone, whose soulful jazz vocals helped serve as the soundtrack for the civil rights movement, died in her sleep Monday.

Her manager, Clifton Henderson, tells the Associated Press he was at her bedside when she died of "natural causes" at her home in the the town of Bouc-Bel-Air, in southern France. Simone, who marked her 70th birthday on February 21, had been in ill health for years and had recently postponed several upcoming concert dates.

Although usually pegged as a jazz singer, Simone's wide-ranging vocal prowess was hardly confined to that genre. She had a facility for all forms of music, regularly recording and performing pop, blues, soul, gospel and even classical, and had success as a composer, arranger and pianist

Rest well.

Comments

[swisscheesed.livejournal.com]

I just saw her daughter in the lead role of Aida too...I wonder if she's taking time off from Broadway.

[jost.livejournal.com]

I was lucky enough to see her perform a few years ago. What an amazing show... during one of the more upbeat numbers, she told her band to keep playing, got up from her piano and danced around in the middle of the stage for a few minutes. She had several people from the audience pulled up to dance with her. The music and the energy in that show was among the top performances I've ever seen and I'll have that to remember her by.

[playingpossum.livejournal.com]

i've actually spoken to clifton henderson -- when i was working for the rainforest foundation... she's doctor nina simone, and insisted on being called that in the calendar. which i thought was cool beans.