What Happened Miss Simone - Book Review

WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE?

A biography by Alan Light and published by Canongate Books.

The music of Nina Simone, born Eunice Kathleen Waymon, is known to everyone, although it wasn’t until the likes of ‘My Baby Just Cares For Me’ and ‘Ain’t Got No/I Got Life’ were used for advertising Chanel No.5 and Müller yogurts respectively, that many awoke to the music of the woman who reluctantly accepted the title of the ‘High Priestess of Soul’.

Having taken to the piano at a very young age, Nina had set her dreams and ambitions on becoming a concert pianist, but much to her disappointment was rejected by the prominent Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. In her own mind, this was down the fact that she was black, not that she wasn’t good enough. This, added to the fact that her parents were once asked to move to the back of the hall when she gave her first piano recital could arguably be the sparks which ignited the flame for her long association with the American Civil Rights movement.

But the concert halls loss was the smokey night club’s gain and from then on it was something of a maelstrom existence in both her musical and personal life as she looked for acceptance and love. Violence was often not far away, while audiences could never be certain if they would enjoy a night of her undoubted talent or the sharp end of her tongue.

This book perhaps centres more on the problems of her personal life than her musical achievements, but then again, perhaps there is more of the former than the latter and they go a long way in explaining the problems that encircled her career.

Her story was certainly one that I knew little, or perhaps more accurately, knew nothing about and upon reading the fourteen and a half page introduction, I thought I was in for something of a rollercoaster ride through the life and tumultuous career of a musical superstar. However, if I am totally honest, it left me slightly deflated, perhaps even assaulted by the events surrounding the life of a truly talented woman.

There is little within this 320 page book to bring a smile to the face, as it is a sometimes harrowing story. But if biographies are your thing, or if you simply want to know more about Nina Simone, then this particular title is worth reading.

Iain McCartney
March 2015

WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE?
AUTHOR: ALAN LIGHT
PUBLISHED: 3RD MARCH 2016
ISBN: 9781782118732

http://www.canongate.tv/what-happened-miss-simone-ebook.html

Hardcover and ebook versions available

http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Happened-Miss-Simone-Biography/dp/1782118713/

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