There are some artists you listen to, and then there are some artists you feel. Nina Simone is the second kind.
In honor of Black History Month, I wanted to spend this episode on her — because honestly, one episode barely feels like enough. Nina Simone wasn’t just a singer. She was a classically trained pianist, a storyteller, and someone who used her music as a form of protest long before it was safe or popular to do so. Her sound pulled from jazz, blues, classical, and gospel all at once, and somehow it never felt like a blend — it felt like something entirely her own.
What You’ll Hear
We’ll start where her story starts: North Carolina, where a young Eunice Kathleen Waymon showed early signs of being a musical prodigy at the piano. From there, we’ll trace how she became “the High Priestess of Soul,” and sit with some of her most iconic songs — “Feeling Good,” “I Put a Spell on You,” and “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” — and what made each of them land the way they did.
We’ll also talk about the parts of her story that go beyond the music: her role in the civil rights movement, and the courage it took to use her platform the way she did, at a time when that came with real cost.
This isn’t just a music history episode for me. It’s a chance to sit with someone whose talent and courage still echo through so much of the music we love today. Whether you already adore Nina Simone or you’re meeting her for the first time through this episode, I think you’re in for something that stays with you.
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
Musical Samples You’ll Hear in this Episode:
Nina Simone – I put a spell on you
Nina Simone “Love Me Or Leave Me” on The Ed Sullivan Show
Nina Simone: Mississippi Goddam
Young, gifted and black – Lyrics – Nina Simone
Music Listening Schedule for Episode 116
A curated playlist of songs by Nina Simone can be found here. It contains performance of Nina Simone performing on shows such as Sesame Street and The Ed Sullivan Show. Enjoy!
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