Born on Feb. 21, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina, Nina Simone received a scholarship to study classical piano at Julliard, but left early when she ran out of money. She turned her interest to jazz, blues and folk music and released her first album in 1958. In the ‘60s, she became identified as the voice of the civil rights and wrote songs about the movement. She died in France on Apr. 21, 2003.