WKCR is proud to celebrate the birthday of one of the most important and iconic musicians of the 20th century: Nina Simone. As part of our annual tradition, we will air 24 straight hours of Nina Simone on Saturday, February 21st, preempting all regularly scheduled programming for the day.

Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21st, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina, Simone was a prodigy who began playing piano by ear at age three and was performing in church by six. A classically trained pianist who studied at Juilliard, she began her professional career at the Midtown Bar and Grill in Atlantic City in 1954, eventually signing with Bethlehem Records and releasing her debut album, Little Girl Blue, in 1958.

Simone's music defies easy categorization — though often labeled jazz, it draws equally from blues, gospel, and classical traditions. More than genre, her work is defined by its power, depth, and fearlessness. A tireless civil rights activist, she used her platform and her music — including "Mississippi Goddam," "Four Women," and "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" — to speak out against racial inequality. Artists including Aretha Franklin, Lauryn Hill, and Tracy Chapman have cited her as a foundational influence. In 2008, Rolling Stone named her to its list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, and in 2018 she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Our broadcast will feature both beloved classics and lesser-known works, alongside special recordings from the WKCR archive. A full programming schedule will be released ahead of the

broadcast. Tune in on 89.9FM, HD Radio, or stream live at wkcr.org.