WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? A Biography

Adenrele Ojo narrates the biography of jazz singer Nina Simone. This complex, larger-than-life figure’s musical journey is told through detailed accounts of the relationships that influenced her. From her mother and her music teachers to her band members, her only child, and her second husband, who maintained a powerful hand in most of her endeavors—the people who were important to Simone are illuminated in terms of how they shaped her volatile character. When the biography includes song lyrics or a letter, Ojo makes Simone’s own voice sound stern, fierce, or sultry. Overall, however, Ojo maintains a distance that allows listeners to observe Simone and empathize as the ups and downs of her life unfold. T.E.C. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2016]