The singer Nina Simone studied to become great
The ‘High Priestess of Soul’ had to get her start somewhere, and for Nina Simone, that just happened to be amongst the relics of American swing.
The North Carolina native overcame racist stereotypes and began making jazz history in the shadow of artists like Billie Holiday, but her inspiration lay in figures of musical legend, the likes of Frank Sinatra. Two lonely souls, both alike in their ability to convey the depth of their solitude and loss through intensely personal lyrics, Simone had a lot to learn from the artist who became the emblem of 20th-century music.
Both beginning as outsiders, Simone had fled the segregated South for a chance to train in classical music at Juilliard, while Sinatra represented the unwelcome Italian immigration wave into New York City. Although bound by Sicilian hard-working norms, the singer was generally proud of his origins, singing ‘Glad That We’re Italian’ more than he sang about being a ‘Stranger in the Night’, but his intimate storytelling attracted sensitive listeners from all sides of the globe.
“I have studied his dreamy phrasing and timbre, based on a flawless breathing technique, for a long time. I adored this man as a singer, without ever even coming close to his vocal level,” she shared in 1988, expressing overt regard for her contemporary, and relaying further that “Sinatra nails you on your loneliness, he reminds you of lost loves. You can also hear that he is not a one-dimensional person.”
Simone was akin to her vocal muse in the romance she sprinkled into her material, the shy intimacy they both performed with, their subtle delivery, and their subdued vocal prowess that resulted in a kind of powerful whisper. She was correct in appreciating Sinatra’s shadow, as his multi-dimensional personality caused him to be a contradictory self-described “14-carat manic depressive”, and while his fierce complexity and devoted perfectionism earned him respect in and out of jazz, the singer and actor was not without troubles.
Born Francis Albert Sinatra, the voice of a generation used his platform to channel his fiery personality into social advocacy, and, much like Simone, had become a champion of Civil Rights, refusing to perform for segregated audiences, nor for any Las Vegas venue where Black musicians and attendees were not welcome.
By 1960, along with the influence of other musicians, he had successfully pressured Vegas lawmakers and resort owners to end segregation in the city before it had been abolished throughout the country.
The world was never at a loss of inspiration, whether it be from his music or his onscreen performances, and Simone’s eager admiration became a blessing to jazz audiences that saw her bringing versions of Sinatra to life that Orthodox fans could not have been too happy about. Her upbeat version of ‘My Way’ breathed new life into his magnificent classic, while her softer ballad ‘For Awhile’ goes beyond reigniting Sinatra’s magic.
It takes a great one to know one, but most fans would probably be surprised to hear about Simone’s admiration for a vastly different musical character. Sinatra was boastful, pop, mainstream, while she was quiet and pondering, but their musical roots don’t stray too far from each other, and the influence they both left behind has similarly inspired generations of misunderstood artists.
