L'hommage: Nina Simone | Magazine Rack

BLUES & SOUL MAGAZINE (No. 259) 8/1978

NINA SIMONE - TROUBLED TIMES
by Sylvia Nathan


After a long absence, Nina is back with a highly acclaimed new album. Here she tells
Sylvia Nathan about some of her recent problems.

   With a reputation and career possessed by a mere handful of artists – the low profile
maintained by Nina Simone during the last couple of years has baffled both her fans and music
observers alike.
   The truth behind the lack of record product, and sparse public appearances is a little bizarre
and mystifying, but in essence, stems from a court injunction banning her recording for a five
year period. Quite how the ban came about is a mystery, but until the intervention this year of
CTI records nothing had been heard of the uniquely talented songstress.
   Following her pacting with CTI, a new album, “Baltimore” has been released, accompanied
by much critical and public acclaim, and following one of her rare public appearances at
London’s Royal Festival Hall recently, long-time friend and confidante, Sylvia Nathan spoke
with the troubled lady, revealing a disturbing and unhappy picture.

What exactly had Ms. Simone been doing in London prior to her concert appearance?

NS: “I came to London in March of this year, and during my visit was physically assaulted with
the result that I have been in constant pain since.”

What exactly was the result of the attack?

NS: “The base of my neck was very severely bruised, and I have had to have constant
massage and physiotherapy treatment. This and stints in hospitals and health farms have been a
constant drain on my financial resources.”

What happened after the attack?

NS: “I had an offer from a ‘friend’ who promised to take care of me, and said not to worry
about anything at all. However, he only made things worse, and ripped me off, leaving me
virtually penniless. That is why, I had to do the concert. I had to get some money together to
get back home to Switzerland.”

Aside from the physical pain, how has the unfortunate incident affected you?

NS: “All my life, I’ve been protected in various ways, and after the break-up of my marriage I
had to try to manage on my own – to come to terms with the situation I found myself in. You
see, I’ve always believed the love and genuine feeling that public give me whilst on stage
stretched into my private life too. I trusted people – and now I’ve learnt the hard way.
“It’s very difficult to explain but I give so much of myself on stage that if I don’t feel a genuine
love between the audience and myself, I cannot give my all.”

Despite the critical acclaim on the new album, I understand that you were not too happy with it?

NS: “Yeah right. I’m not at all happy with the cover. Some of the photos taken were infinitely
better than those used. The material was not my personal choice and I had no say whatsoever
in the selection of songs. I was all done before I could make any decisions.”

With all the present upheaval in your life, what are your immediate plans?

NS: “Well, I’ve been asked to sing the theme to Francis Lai’s new movie score. The song is
called “Debbie’s Song” and the film is called “Passion Flower Hotel.” I am supposed to go to
France to record it in the near future.
“Other than that, I just don’t know what’s going to happen. All I want to do right now is go
back home to Switzerland and rest up.”

   Well, I know I speak on behalf of all fans and admirers when I say how upset I am and that
I hope sincerely that Nina’s troubles are finally over. On that note, I left a rather sad and
depleted Ms Simone, but I feel that with her magnificent talent and strength of character, it won’
t be long before she’s back on top – where she assuredly belongs. One thing’s for sure – the
devotion of her fans will remain constant no matter what!