Nina Simone (Eunice Waymon), the "high priestess of soul", an eclectic interpreter of both blues, jazz and pop classics, composed My Baby Just Cares For Me (1957), Mississippi Goddam (1963), Four Women (1966), and Young Gifted And Black (1969). The trio of Gloria Caldwell, Sol Marcus, Bennie Benjamin wrote Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (1964) for her, As the controversial lyrics of these songs prove, the angry young woman of soul music also represented the link with the folksingers of the "Movement".

Fodder on my Wings (1982), probably her best album, was a set of songs composed and arranged by Simone in France.