麻豆约拍

"I was born a child prodigy darling. I was born a genius." Nina Simone

Alan Light paints a picture of the classically-trained pianist who became a soul legend, a leading civil rights activist and one of the most influential artists of our time..

Inspired by the Oscar-nominated TV documentary, Alan's biography draws on Nina's early diaries, rare interviews, childhood journals and input from her daughter Lisa Simone Kelly.

Read by Alibe Parsons.

Omnibus of five parts abridged by Pete Nichols.

Music journalist Alan Light is the author of The Holy of the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley and the Unlikely Ascent of Hallelujah, and Let's Go Crazy: Prince and the Making of Purple Rain, among others. He was editor-in-chief of the music magazines Vibe and Spin, and is a frequent contributor to the New York Times.

Producer: Karen Rose.

A Sweet Talk production for 麻豆约拍 Radio 4, first broadcast in March 2017.