[Pictures] Celebrating Nina Simone on the 15th anniversary of her death

This article has been edited and was first published on April 17, 2018.

Today is the 15th anniversary of  Nina Simone’s death.

The legendary performer died in 2003 at her home in Carry-le-Rouet, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. She was 70 years old.

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On April 14, 2018, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She is one of the musicians who won induction on their first nomination

She is known not only for her mix of jazz, blues and folk music from the 1950s but for her contributions to the Civil Rights movements.

Born on February 21, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina, she nurtured her music passion from the beginning. After leaving the Julliard School in New York where she was studying classical piano, she turned to performing in nightclubs focusing mainly on jazz, blues and folk music.

Her mark as a musician is being felt even today. She has been sampled by a number of musicians including Kanye West, Jay Z, John Legend, Talib Kweli, Timbaland, Lil Wayne, and Bilal, among others.

According to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame:

Simone’s groundbreaking compositions like “Mississippi Goddam” and “Four Women” defined a songwriting voice that was proudly, defiantly black and female. Her radical rearrangements of other songs have been covered by everyone from George Michael to the Animals, Whitney Houston to Jeff Buckley. An icon whose tortured life was the subject of an Oscar-nominated documentary, Nina Simone was a unique creative force.

Photo: Wiki CC

Graffiti of Ms Simone [Photo: Newtown graffiti/Flickr]

Bronze Statue of Nina Simone in Nina Simone Plaza, Tryon [Photo Nina Simone website]

Nina Simone in 1965. Credit: Dutch National Archives / Creative Commons / WikiCommons

James Baldwin with Nina Simone, early 1960s [Photo: James Baldwin/Facebook]