A Quote by Dianne Reeves

Nina Simone is a musical genius and a rich and precious treasure who paid a heavy price for her artistic freedom.

Dianne Reeves

Quote Topics

Artistic Artistic Freedom Freedom Genius Heavy Her Musical Musical Genius Nina Paid Precious Price Rich Treasure

Quote Author

Dianne Reeves
American - Musician
Born: October 23, 1956

Nina Simone was a gifted and prolific singer, songwriter and pianist who became a powerful presence in the civil rights movement and paid a professional price for it. Behind the scenes, she struggled in a fractious, sometimes violent relationship with her husband and manager and with mental health issues that strained other relationships, including with her only daughter.

Michel Martin

I did a little film called 'Nina,' a small role. I played a French girl who was a nurse to Nina Simone. Zoe Saldana plays Nina.

Alaina Huffman

I did a little film called Nina, a small role. I played a French girl who was a nurse to Nina Simone. Zoe Saldana plays Nina.

Alaina Huffman

I've always sung. I was really into musical theater when I was growing up. As a kid, I listened to Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone, actually, on cassette tapes.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

My biggest role models are not chefs, but women like Coco Chanel, Simone de Beauvoir, Nina Simone.

Dominique Crenn

I think it's the strength of her music, using art to make a statement. I think it really is. It was not a cheap gift. The gift was an expensive gift for Nina [Simone]. Diamonds are expensive. Her music was expensive. She paid for it, but I think it's her greatest gift.

Nikki Giovanni

I think it all started with Nina Simone. When I was maybe seven or eight, I used to listen to one of her albums every night before I went to sleep. For me, her voice was everything.

Hozier

Biggest musical influences would be people like Nina Simone and Tom Waits. A huge amount of writers like Leslie Feist and Paul Simon.

Hozier

I prefer her [Nina Simone's] jazz period much more so than her folk period.

Nikki Giovanni

I think that too many strangers were in her [Nina Simone's] life, and not enough people that she knew and loved.

Nikki Giovanni

I loved her music and the fact that she was a classically trained pianist and that her voice was so unique, but what made Nina Simone my hero is that I had never seen anyone in the public eye who looked anything like me at all, ever.

India Arie

Nina Simone had such an androgynous voice; the first time I listened to her I thought it was a man, and I'm sure a lot of people listening to me think I'm a woman. Her voice is kinda like the poster child for me.

Shamir

You know, and the fact that Nina Simone had to start playing in clubs and sing because her parents had moved north to support her music education. You know, so she had to sing. She had to make a living 'cause she was supporting her family. So poverty and race put her in this place which, you know, created enormous success, but it's not what her psyche was all about.

Liz Garbus

The male singers who had the same range I did, when I was growing up, didn't do much for me. But put on Nina Simone, Carmen McRae or Nancy Wilson, and I'd be in seventh heaven. Female vocalists just did more with their voices, and that's why I paid more attention to them.