Nina Simone – Photo: David Redfern/RedfernsVerve Records and UMe have announced a year-long tribute to Nina Simone in honor of what would have been her 90th birthday.
Titled Happy Birthday, Miss Simone, the programme is reportedly a rolling invitation to celebrate the unique artist’s renowned career and her enduring impact across music, fashion and more.
According to uDiscover Music, among the highlights are the first-ever official video for her timeless version of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You”; a new greatest hits compilation; immersive Dolby Atmos mixes of her entire UMG catalogue; and an audiophile-grade vinyl pressing of Wild Is The Wind.
More events will be announced throughout 2023.
Verve Records president Jamie Krents says that there is no way to adequately describe the impact Nina Simone continues to have on music and culture.
“We are thrilled to be spending 2023 celebrating her life and legacy and continuing to help her music find new audiences around the world,” he said.
UMe president and CEO Bruce Resnikoff says that Nina Simone’s music and message remains as vitally important today as ever, “perhaps even more so, and we look forward to celebrating her genius and influence all year long.”
Happy Birthday, Miss Simone launches with the Tuesday, February 21 release of Great Women of Song: Nina Simone, which gathers together her most beloved hits, including “Feeling Good,” “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and many more in a 12-track selection that will be indispensable to new admirers and devotees alike.
The album is the first release in Verve’s Great Women of Song series, which will go on to highlight the works of equally storied musicians in the Verve catalogue such as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.
