That smoky-voiced diva Nina Simone would have been 75 today.
One of the most successful and well-respected black artists of the 20th century, Nina was renowned for being a bit difficult to deal with - she shot and wounded her neighbour's son with a pneumatic pistol after his laughing disturbed her concentration! - and her performances were always a bit unpredictable. One favourite anecdote of mine is from her residency at Ronny Scott's Jazz Club.
Apparently the audience had been waiting hours for the great lady to come on stage, when suddenly the doors to the club flew open and in she breezed with armfuls of carrier bags, plonked them down on the piano and just blithely launched into her opening number without so much as a nod to her waiting fans.
People adored her for it, of course. She always managed to retain an entourage of gay fans and acolytes, despite her strict religious background and perfectionism, and gained the nickname "High Priestess of Soul". When she died in 2003, Elton John sent a floral tribute with the message "We were the greatest and I love you".
Nina Simone official website
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