The Devil’s Music
Influenced by gospel and negro spirituals, jazz in the great American art form. Musicians improvised instead of following standard melodies that catered to white sensibilities. Lyrics centered on themes of heartbreak, hard times, and dreams denied. By the 1920s, people of all races flocked to jazz. Critics labeled it the Devil’s Music and called those that played it degenerates, immoral, and barbaric. Rural shacks and bars in red-light districts enjoyed the notoriety and the scandal of jazz.
When Eunice Waymon began performing as a pianist and vocalist at the Midtown Bar & Grill in Atlantic City for $90 per week in 1954, she changed her name. Trained as a classical pianist, Simone was influenced by the German composer Johann Sebastian Back, Polish composer and pianist Frederic Chopin, and the Hungarian composer, pianist, and arranger Franz Liszt. She played a mixture of jazz, blues, and of course, classical music as she used spoken word and lyrics to take her audience on an emotional story-telling journey where they lost track of space and time. Simone earned a small but loyal fan base.
In 1958, Simone released her first album, “Little Girl Blue.” The album included Simone’s own arrangements of previously recorded material, of which listeners loved. She earned commercial success and her fan base grew. Yet, classical piano was her first love and she did not care much for recording pop songs. She sold the rights to Little Girl Blue for $3000. Her goal at the time was to pay for her classical training.
After the success of her first album, Nina Simone singed a new contract with Colpix Records which permitted her to retain the rights and have all artistic control over her work. Nina Simone could record and arrange the music that she wanted instead of abiding by the whites of record executives. Every day Nina Simone faced discrimination because of her race. Yet, she had enough talent and wherewithal to ensure she retained artistic control, making her a true trailblazer in a white and male dominated recording industry.
Andrew Stroud and Nina Simone married in 1961. They had one daughter, Lisa, during their very turbulent marriage. There were numerous reports that Stroud was physically and psychologically abusive to his wife. Despite the marital discord, Simone performed at nightclubs in Greenwich village and continued to record and release albums. She had frequent outbursts and fits of rage, but managed to take her audience on a magical journey where time and space were suspended. She earned the moniker the “High Priestess of Soul.”