Feeling Good: The Nina Simone Story - 11/01/2011

Nina's daughter Simone explores the life and career of her mother - the protest singer, jazz chanteuse, blues artist and live performer - sharing her personal thoughts and providing a glimpse of the real woman behind the distinctive voice. This two-part documentary features unreleased concert tracks and contributions from some of Nina's closest friends. These include Nina's high school friend Hannah Ferguson; her niece Joyce Stroud; her close friend Verta Mae Grosvenor; concert promoter Ron Delsener; her friend and Elektra Records A&R man Michael Alago; singer Patti Smith; and her drummer for 18 years, Paul Robinson. In part two, Simone explores her mother's musical style and what she was like as a live performer. She began her performing career working as a singer-pianist in Atlantic City, taking her stage name from the French actress Simone Signoret. A commanding, if sometimes difficult, live performer, Nina often displayed an irrational temper but her shows were always an experience. Friends explain that this was due to her being bipolar, a condition she refused to admit to during her lifetime. A fluke UK hit of My Baby Just Cares for Me, a resurrected 50s master, pushed the singer into the commercial spotlight when it reached number 5 in the 1987 UK charts, thanks to its use in a Chanel No 5 commercial. She also gave a series of mesmerising performances at Ronnie Scott's jazz club during this decade. She recorded the classic album Baltimore and her last album, A Single Woman, was released in 1993. We hear from A&R man Michael Alago about how he signed Nina and got her to record again. Her musical style can only be described as fearless: she refused to be categorised and often sang soul, jazz, blues, gospel, and Broadway tunes over the course of an album or concert. An uncompromising personality, Nina Simone was one of popular music's great divas.