I Put a Spell On You: The Autobiography of Nina Simone

Simone, Nina.
I Put a Spell On You: The Autobiography of Nina Simone
New York: Da Capo Press. 1991

While there have been countless celebrated and extroadinary divas, something about the style, sound, and mere presence of Nina Simone remains unique. Perhaps a result of her turbulent life, her uncompromising personality, her distinctive voice and musical genius, or her indefinite seat at the table for human freedom, Nina Simone sang America’s soundtrack during its darkest times. Brilliant, gifted, and bitter, Nina Simone offers a heartfelt and humble rendering of her exceptional journey in I Put a Spell On You, in hopes of providing clarity and truth to her often misunderstood life.

She begins with a retelling of her earliest musical and childhood memories, such as sitting at her first piano before the age of the three and becoming the local church’s pianist by the age of six (!) It was clear that Nina Simone was a special child with virtuosic musical ability. Born as Eunice Wayman during the great depression to a devoutly religious mother, Nina was an accomplished and trained classical pianist who was supported and financially sponsored by almost everyone in her small southern town. She recounts on her dreams of becoming the first black American classical pianist, leading her to a long-anticipated audition at the prestigious Curtis Institute. Upon her rejection, however, which she believed was undoubtedly based on racial grounds, the formation of Nina’s career and cause was born.

In search for freedom and truth, and with music as the vehicle, Simone provides a page-turning and emotively-charged glimpse into her life. She paints pictures of collaborations and friendships with literary giants such as James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, and Lorraine Hansberry. She describes her creative intentions, and offers an intimate view of her process as an artist and musician; the songwriting, the practice routine, the concert, the room, the energy, the smell, the lighting, the sound, the audience; all of it. She writes about the creation and interpretation of music that gave voice to the struggles of black Americans. While on the forefront of the civil rights movement and in an on-going search for freedom, she wrote and performed such rousing works as “Mississippi Goddamn,” “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black,” and “Old Jim Crow.”

In addition, she speaks of her tumultuous (and violent) relationships, including her marriage (and divorce) to a long-time manager, and her need to make her disapproving mother happy. Such wounds, when combined with her political unrest and an extremely overworked mind and body, would mark her through the rest of her adult life, thus causing her to go into her own exile in hopes of transcending years worth of inner turmoil and oppression.

Much like her music, I Put A Spell On You is compelling, honest, and powerful. It is meticulously packed with historical information on America during some of its ugliest times, coming from the voice of someone who lived through it everyday…a voice of a woman who devoted her adult life to changing the face of society. The book also contains fascinating black-and-white images.

From a musical standpoint alone, I Put a Spell On You is an extremely valuable read. However, in my opinion, this is would also be a unique, relevant and worthwhile addition to any high-school or collegiate history library, or anyone with an interest in the civil rights movement both politically and artistically. It may present an opportunity to spark an interest in the crucial connection between art and society, while significantly illustrating the need for and role of art during cultural transformations.

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