A goddess of the Jazz age, and major civil rights activist during the 1960s.
Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on
February 21, 1933, she was the 6th child of a preacher and dreamt of becoming a concert pianist, but was denied a scholarship(rumored perhaps because she was black). She began playing in clubs in
Philadelphia, was eventually picked up by Bethlehem Recordings, and her version of "I Loves You Porgy" was a smash hit in 1958.
She stuck with Jazz, Blues, R&B, and Pop for much of her career, but also branched into classical, folk, and gospel. Between 1958 and 1974 she recorded over 40 albums.
She retired to souther France in 1993, and after a long struggle with breast cancer, died in her sleep on April 21, 2003. Her funeral was attended by hundreds, most notably Elton John.
Most popular songs include "
Feeling Good", "I Loves You Porgy", "I Put a Spell on You", and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood".
