 Simone was known for her temper and frequent outbursts . In 1985 , she fired a gun at a record company executive , whom she accused of stealing royalties . Simone said she " tried to kill him " but " missed " . In 1995 , she shot and wounded her neighbor 's son with an air gun after the boy 's laughter disturbed her concentration . According to a biographer , Simone took medication for a condition from the mid @-@ 1960s on . All this was only known to a small group of intimates , and kept out of public view for many years , until the biography Break Down and Let It All Out written by Sylvia Hampton and David Nathan revealed this in 2004 , after her death . Singer @-@ songwriter Janis Ian , a one @-@ time friend of Simone 's , related in her own autobiography , Society 's Child : My Autobiography , two incidents to illustrate Simone 's volatility : One incident in which she forced a shoe store cashier , at gunpoint , to take back a pair of sandals she 'd already worn ; and another in which Simone demanded a royalty payment from Ian herself as an exchange for having recorded one of Ian 's songs , and then ripped a pay telephone out of its wall when she was refused . 
 Simone was known for her temper and frequent outbursts . In 1985 , she fired a gun at a record company executive , whom she accused of stealing royalties . Simone said she " tried to kill him " but " missed " . In 1995 , she shot and wounded her neighbor <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>son with an air gun after the boy <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>laughter disturbed her concentration . According to a biographer , Simone took medication for a condition from the mid @-@ 1960s on . All this was only known to a small group of intimates , and kept out of public view for many years , until the biography Break Down and Let It All Out written by Sylvia Hampton and David Nathan revealed this in 2004 , after her death . Singer @-@ songwriter Janis Ian , a one @-@ time friend of Simone <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>, related in her own autobiography , Society <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>Child : My Autobiography , two incidents to illustrate Simone <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>volatility : One incident in which she forced a shoe store cashier , at gunpoint , to take back a pair of sandals she 'd already worn ; and another in which Simone<a href='been_done' title='6'><mark></mark></a> demanded a royalty payment from Ian herself as an exchange for <a href='been_done' title='7'><mark>having</mark></a> recorded one of Ian <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>songs , and then ripped a pay telephone out of its wall when she was refused . 
Simone was known fir her temper and frequent outbursts . In 1985 , she fired a gun at a record company executive , whom she accused of stealin royalties . Simone said she " tried to kill em " but " missed " . In 1995 , she shot and wounded her neighbor  son w/ an air gun after da boy  laughter disturbed her concentration . According to a biographer , Simone took medication fir a condition from the mid @-@ 1960s on . All dis was only known to a small group of intimates , and kept outt of public view fir many yrs , till the biography Break downn and Let It Allouttt written by Sylvia Hampton and David Nathan revealed this in 2004 , after her death . Singer @-@ songwriter Janis Ian , a one @-@ time friend of Simone  , related in her own autobiography , Society  Child : mah Autobiography , 2 incidents to illustrate Simone  volatility : One incident in which she forced a shoe store cashier , at gunpoint , to take back a pair of sandals she 'd already worn ; and anotha in which Simone done demanded a royalty payment from Ian herself as an exchange fa done recorded one of Ian  songs , and then ripped a pay telephone out of its wall when she was refused .