Simone
*As we reported, the troubled Nina Simone movie project has been going through some changes. In fact, the latest change was replacing singer Mary J. Blige with actress Zoe Saldana.
Truth is folks weren’t feeling Mary J and and don’t seem to all that pleased with Zoe, either. Now, Nina Simone’s daughter, Broadway star and singer Simone (nee: Lisa Celeste Stroud) via her mother’s Facebook page, is speaking out about the situation as well. One of the things she reveals is the fact that the film is unauthorized.
Greetings Nina Simone Lovers, Simone here.
I have read many of the comments am happy you all took the time to share your thoughts and feelings.
Here’s mine:
When the announcement initially hit the press with MJ Blige cast as Nina (about 6 yrs ago) I heard it along with everyone else. The story was written as a love story between my mother and her former nurse, Clifton Henderson and primarily takes place during the last 8 years of her life.
Please note, this project is unauthorized. The Nina Simone Estate was never asked permission nor invited to participate.
I have seen many names regarding who you think should play the role of Nina. Remember Angela Bassett as Tina Turner? SHE NAILED IT! Angela Bassett is an ACTRESS! And, we all know she lip synced along with Tina and did an amazing job. Personally, I prefer an actress to a singer. Just because a person is great at one does not mean they will be great at the other. If written, funded and CAST PROPERLY a movie about my mother will make an lasting imprint.
My vision of a movie about my mother includes SO many pivotal moments that are monumentally important towards relaying the journey of a woman whose journey began as a child prodigy born in North Carolina in the 1930′s…too many to list here but, trust when I say the tale will inspire through the sheer sharing of HOW Eunice Waymon became Nina Simone, The High Priestess Of Soul renowned worldwide. How many of you know my mother’s FIRST love was classical music? Do you know the hours she practiced preparing to audition for the Curtis Institute of Music only to be rejected because of the color of her skin? **After my mother made her transition I accepted a diploma from that very same institute with a speech she began writing but was unable to finish prior to her death.**
As a child, my mother was told her nose was too big and she was too dark yet she graduated valedictorian of her high school class – The Allen School for Girls – AND, skipped two grades. Nina was one of the most outspoken, prolifically gifted artists using the stage to speak out against racism during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960′s. Her friends included Betty Shabazz, Lorraine Hansberry (my godmother), Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Miriam Makeba, Stokely Carmichael, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings and Queens worldwide. Had she become a classical pianist, which was her dream….shattered, I doubt she would have found her true destiny. Nina Simone was a voice for her people and she spoke out HONESTLY, sang to us FROM HER SOUL, shared her joy, pain, anger and intelligence poetically in a style all her own. My mother stood up for justice, by any means necessary hahahaha YES, she was a revolutionary til the day she died. From Tragedy to Transcendence – MY VISION. The whole arc of her life which is inspirational, educational, entertaining and downright shocking at times is what needs to be told THE RIGHT WAY.
By the way:
Clifton Henderson was gay. He was not attracted to women. So, the truth is…Nina Simone and Clifton Henderson NEVER had a relationship other than a business one.
Please correct me, but isn’t a biopic the story of one’s life?
I have faith things will work out the right way and my mother’s real story will be told. For all she endured while here and all of the lives she has touched, she DESERVES to be remembered for who she truly was; not some made up love story from a former nurse/manager (now deceased) who sold his life rights because of his relationship to Nina Simone.
Ciao Y’All….Simone
Nina Simone
I kinda figured. Zoe Saldana over India Arie or some talented unknown. It seems a bit contrived.
I really don’t think this movie (or Aretha’s) will ever be made.
Glad Simone set them straight!
Me too. Learned from FB page that some of Nina’s songs are part of the soundtrack for movie ‘Point of No Return’.
Yes, that is true. I discovered the High Priestess of Soul when the late Chief Rocker Frankie Crocker played a remixed version of ‘My Baby Just Cares For Me’ in the early 90s. From then on, I looked for any reading material about Nina as well as her recordings. She was so fierced! I love how Lauryn Hill name checked Nina in ‘Ready or Not’. Her daughter must feel a little resentment by the fact that when her mother was alive, this country did not treat her with respect (& even her own people!). Now that’s she’s dead, now they want to acknowledge her.
Told you…
Hold on to your Mom’s legacy and don’t EVER let it go like Sam Cooke and Jimi Hendrix…your uncle took the original DVD of the play the Ira Aldridge Repertory Theater did on her life and he refuses to return it to Calvin Manson who wrote the play. You would have been proud because Calvin covered a lot of your mother’s life and he did a helluva job!!! From your Mom’s early years as a child until her death and the played covered her being denied acceptance into that school because of her race and how it scared her forever…I didn’t know much about her music until I saw the play and I became an instant fan. She was a TRUE African Queen!!!
Tell the truth Stephanie. I am very proud of Simone and the fact that she is protecting her mother’s legacy. I wish more children of legendary singers would step up to the plate and do the same instead of allowing books and movies to distort their legacy.
Oh, I wish I could see this play. Do you know if this DVD available for purchase?