Nina Simone

By the time she was photographed by Jack Robinson on October 30, 1969, few singers had fused gospel and pop with classical music as successfully as Nina Simone. Born as Eunice Kathleen Waymon in North Carolina, her early hopes of becoming a classical pianist were dashed by doors closed to her on account of poverty and color. She persisted, eventually singing in a nightclub to pay for her musical education, leading to her first hit, a version of Gershwin’s “I Love You, Porgy”. Simone's bearing and stage presence earned her the title "High Priestess of Soul."