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Mary J. Blige Inducts Nina Simone at the 2018 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

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MJB honors Simone for singing songs “about injustice, struggle, and Black life [that] resonate to this day”

Mary J. Blige delivered a heartfelt speech inducting Nina Simone into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Yonkers native has always felt a deep connection to the music of Nina Simone. In 2015, she recorded a jazzy, soulful cover of Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” for the compilation Nina Revisited and she was previously attached to portray the vocalist in a biopic, though the role eventually went to Zoe Saldana.

Before the casting switch, though, Blige explained why Simone was so important to her in an interview with Rolling Stone. “Playing a character like Nina Simone is playing myself,” she said, “because Nina Simone was a manic depressive, drug addict, alcoholic, cursing wild maniac that I was, but very talented, so people would get that.”

She underscored her bond with Simone during an emotional speech at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland, where she did the honors of welcoming the late singer into the institution on Saturday. “I am such a huge Nina Simone fan,” Blige told Rolling Stone earlier this year, “and am beyond thrilled and honored to be a part of her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.” Here’s what she had to say about Simone at the gala.

AJ Woodson
AJ Woodson
AJ Woodson is the Editor-In-Chief and co-owner of Black Westchester, Host & Producer of the People Before Politics Radio Show, An Author, Journalism Fellow (Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism), Rap Artist - one third of the legendary underground rap group JVC FORCE known for the single Strong Island, Radio Personality, Hip-Hop Historian, Documentarian, Activist, Criminal Justice Advocate and Freelance Journalist whose byline has appeared in several print publications and online sites including The Source, Vibe, the Village Voice, Upscale, Sonicnet.com, Launch.com, Rolling Out Newspaper, Daily Challenge Newspaper, Spiritual Minded Magazine, Word Up! Magazine, On The Go Magazine and several others. Follow me at Blue Sky https://bsky.app/profile/mrajwoodson.bsky.social and Spoutible https://spoutible.com/MrAJWoodson

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