Nina Simone, born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in 1933, was an iconic American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Renowned for her deep contralto voice and masterful piano skills influenced by classical composers like Bach, her music blended genres such as jazz, blues, folk, classical, gospel, R and B, and pop. Raised in North Carolina as the sixth of eight children, Simone first aspired to be a classical concert pianist and studied briefly at the Juilliard School. She adopted the stage name Nina Simone early in her career while performing in Atlantic City nightclubs, where she was encouraged to sing in addition to playing piano. Her debut album, Little Girl Blue, was released in 1958, leading to over 40 albums and her first major US hit, I Loves You, Porgy, in 1959. Simone became a powerful voice in the civil rights movement and later lived and performed internationally, especially in France. She published her autobiography, I Put a Spell on You, in 1991 and continued to perform until her passing in 2003. Widely celebrated for her unique style and passionate activism, Nina Simone is recognized among the greatest singers of all time.