I was reared in the church from the age of three. I've played piano since I was three. I performed at revivals and for my people around North Carolina for several years. People around town collected money to send me to school.
Nina SimoneMy people have very subtle slang, inflections and ways of saying things that has little to do with words. If you're from the same place, you'll feel the jargon and know exactly what's happening. Same with any neighborhood cat. What he sees and hears and feels and lives makes him what he is. That's what blues is.
Nina SimoneTalent is a burden not a joy. I am not of this planet. I do not come from you. I am not like you.
Nina SimoneIt doesn't matter to me what is going on today because my music encompasses every kind of mood that exists in human beings. That's my stick.
Nina Simone