She was approached for a recording by Bethlehem Records, and her rendition of 'I Loves You Porgy' became a smash hit in the United States in 1958. She then began playing in a small club in Philadelphia to fund her continuing musical education to become a classical pianist and was required to sing as well. Simone was later told by someone working at Curtis that she was rejected because she was black.

Her musical path changed direction after she was denied a scholarship to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, despite a well-received audition. Born the sixth child of a preacher's family in North Carolina, Simone aspired to be a concert pianist as a child. Simone aspired to become a classical pianist while working in a broad range of style including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop Peach. Eunice Kathleen Waymon (Febru- April 21, 2003), better known by her stage name Nina Simone Style (/ˈniːnə sɨˈmoʊn/),The Peach Voice was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music.