Inductee Insights: Nina Simone

While considered a jazz singer, 2018 Inductee Nina Simone was classically trained and cited Bach as an influence. Yet her nickname was “The High Priestess of Soul.” And in some ways, that astonishing, unclassifiable range has made it especially difficult to assess Simone’s legacy. She recorded nearly forty albums between 1958 and 1973 in a wide range of styles. Folk songs, traditional ballads, spirituals, and children’s songs were all part of her dazzling repertoire. Simone’s groundbreaking compositions “