Recommended: Nina simone research
Nina Simone (Birth name: Eunice Kathleen Waymon) was an African-American singer born in the southern state of North Carolina on February 21st, 1933. She died on April 21, 2003, in Carry–le–Rouet, France. She was a famous singer and pianist and liked to blend blues, jazz, elements of classical style and more within her works. In the 1960’s she began to sing, write and protest about the Civil rights movements and also began to influence her audiences too. At age three she had started to play piano by ear, and then went on to play piano for her mother’s church a few years later, showing her incredible talent at such a young age.
Florence Mills made an impact on the nation during the Jazz Age because of the passion she had for her art. Florence was an amazing singer, dancer, and a leading performer during this age. Florence is recognized as an icon for African Americans everywhere because of her passion that never died. Florence started following her dreams at a very young age. “Under the name “Baby Florence”, she made her stage debut at about age five” (Britannica).
Josephine Baker was known for the banana dance and she worked as a NAACP. Josephine became famous and went to Paris to dance in LA. She became one of the most popular musicians. Josephine was a multifaceted woman who led a rich life and became an iconic symbol of the jazz age. The 1930’s luminary pushed the boundaries of race, gender.
When she released her first song titled, “Downhearted Blues” her career really took off. She soon became a very successful recording artist and toured extensively. Bessie Smith became an influential figure because of “her magnificent voice, sense of the dramatic, clarity of diction (one never missed a word of what she sang), and incomparable time and phrasing set her apart from the competition and made her appeal as much to jazz lovers as to blues lovers” said Chris Albertson. Her songs were also very meaningful. Bessie’s career continued to flourish as she met many other influential accompanists.
Selena was very humble and a very humble person that brought her own style. She was a fashion icon to many people and celebrities. Although she didn’t live a long life as we wished, she made a huge impact throughout her lifetime. Even in her early life she inspired all. She inspired people to sing, no matter your age.
Nina’s career gradually started to downfall when she started to make ‘Civil Rights Music’. One of her songs during this time ‘Young, Gifted, and Black’ was one of the ‘anthems’ during the Civil Rights Movement to make sure that the female African Americans needed to feel appreciated by society. Playing more political songs took a major blow for her music career. Then she started to become worse and worse as these time went on. Nina was no longer being invited to major tv shows/interviews because of her role during the Civil Rights Movement.
The Great Etta James is a major female star. She was a Grammy Award winner. She was best known for her raw energy and songs such as “At Last” and “Suga on the Floor.” At Peek at Early Life Etta James, like so many artists, changed her name at some point in her life. She was born with the name Jamesetta Hawkins on the twenty fifth day of January in 1938.
Many people admired her for her creative idea of adding other cultures in her music, so that she can connect with diverse
R-E-S-P-E-C-T, the song that put on her on the charts, Aretha Franklin, one of the most influential female artists of all time is the artist that interest me the most. With her vocals a mixture of jazz and rhythm & blues, Aretha gained fame. Her vocals were so good, that it made her to have hit records over five years, which later on in her career, cause her to be inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. Also giving her the title “The Queen of Soul”. Like most artists today, Franklin got her career started by singing gospel, and from gospel to pop and R&B.
Nina Simone was an iconic singer, pianist, and civil rights activist who made a lasting impact on music and society. Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina, Simone was the sixth of eight children in a poor family. Despite her family's financial struggles, Simone showed an early aptitude for music and began playing piano at a young age. Simone's talent soon became evident to her family and community, and they raised money to pay for her music lessons.
There are many compelling voices that come to mind regarding the music industry, but none can compare to the "Queen of Soul" herself. Aretha Franklin, recognized for always demanding "R-E-S-P-E-C-T," was not only the ultimate female soul singer in the 1960s, but also one of the most prominent and powerful voices in pop history and an inspiration to women everywhere (Maslin). She formed a spectacular legacy over the past six decades in which she became the first female performer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, won a total of eighteen Grammy awards, and was the most charted female in the chart's history; all of this, along with many other impressive accomplishments, put together helped to create the musical genre now known as soul music (Remnick). Her powerful voice led to an even more powerful impact on the music industry, and more importantly the world as a whole.
Billie Holiday is one of the most influential jazz singers of her time. Her attitude, determination and most of all her music inspired artists throughout time and inspired major social change. Throughout her lifetime she explored the world of jazz, her identity, and how far the limits of her talent would take her. She exchanged her poor life, full of drugs and scandal for a life of performing the arts and showcasing her talents and abilities. Her incredible determination led her to do what she loved regardless of what anyone thought , which led to her inciting major social exchange; moving black suffering into white consciousness.
Often referred to as "The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald was one of the most popular female jazz singers in the United States. Throughout her career, Ella was awarded thirteen Grammys and sold over 40 million albums. With a voice that not only encompassed a large range, but a dynamic and powerful sound, Ella could sing almost anything from scatting to the popular tunes of her day. She performed in the top venues all around the world to packed houses, with audiences as diverse as the music she created. Ella came from a small town and impoverished family, but through her talent and determination, skyrocketed to fame creating a legacy that has withstood the sands of time.
Per Claudia Roth Pierpont’s article in the New Yorker entitled “A Raised Voice”, Pierpont argues that Simone had a small feeling for the Biblically curved elevate that characterized the songs of praise of the time. Not only being known for her activism, Nina Simone left her mark on Civil Rights Movement with her songs and willingness to bring awareness to Social Injustice through her Musical
She was a multi-talented person as Toni Morrison, a friend and contemporary of Angelou, expressed: “She had 19 talents and used 10. And she was a real original.” (qtd, in Sherwell, 2014).
