Nina Simone was human.
Nina Simone ( [ ˈniːnə_sᵻˈmoʊn ] born Eunice Kathleen Waymon ; February 21 , 1933 -- April 21 , 2003 ) was an American singer , songwriter , pianist , arranger , and activist in the Civil Rights Movement . Waymon then applied for a scholarship to study at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia , where she was denied despite a well-received audition . She was told in the nightclub that she would have to sing to her own accompaniment , and this effectively launched her career as a jazz vocalist . Simone recorded more than 40 albums , mostly between 1958 , when she made her debut with Little Girl Blue , and 1974 . She had a hit in the United States in 1958 with `` I Loves You , Porgy '' .