What is Nina Simone’s real name?

Nina Simone’s real name is Eunice Kathleen Waymon. Born on February 21, 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina, Nina Simone became a 20th-century music icon, with a career spanning jazz, blues, soul and gospel.

From an early age, Eunice Waymon showed exceptional talent for the piano, and her parents were quick to recognize and encourage her. She began playing the piano at the local church and followed a classical training program. To finance her musical studies, she began giving piano lessons and playing in jazz clubs. It was at this point that she adopted the stage name Nina Simone, so as not to embarrass her family by playing the devil’s music (jazz) in nightclubs.

The name Nina comes from the Spanish niña, meaning little girl, and Simone is a reference to the French actress Simone Signoret, whom Nina greatly admired. Her career really took off with the release of her first album, Little Girl Blue, in 1958, which included such classics as I Loves You and Porgy.

Nina Simone is also known for her commitment to the civil rights movement in the USA. Her songs Mississippi Goddam, To Be Young, Gifted and Black and I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free have become hymns to justice and equality.

Nina Simone’s real name is Eunice Kathleen Waymon. She adopted this stage name early in her career and went on to become a music and civil rights icon, leaving a lasting legacy in many musical genres.