Naked Quote by Dianne Reeves

Nina Simone's music is incredibly honest. That's like saying, "Why does Jesus' word still stay around?" It's incredibly honest and it's good.

— Nikki Giovanni

Nina Simone, to me, singing about black culture - she's unparalleled.

— Salim Akil

I think Nina Simone has had an amazing journey. She was spicy and she had attitude and she didn't care, she wanted her money…

— Nia Long

I loved her music and the fact that she was a classically trained pianist and that her voice was so unique, but what made…

— India Arie

I just feel like the songs I write lend themselves to this girl-power feeling, and those are the artists that I looked up to…

— Charli XCX

I write to music, and Nina Simone is always on my playlist to write to. I mean, shes inspiring. She's truthful and real and…

— Gina Prince-Bythewood

[Billie Holiday] was keeping it super real, and you can feel that to this day. Everything that she sang, she believed in. So I…

— Jose James

I think it all started with Nina Simone. When I was maybe seven or eight, I used to listen to one of her albums…

— Hozier

I think listening to real classic soul material made me learn how to feel music that's sung

— Gavin DeGraw

One of my favorite songs is 'Ghost' by Indigo Girls. Emily Saliers wrote that, and she is one of the most talented songwriters ever.

— Tig Notaro

Songs don't really feel like me unless I somehow shed a little secret or open myself somehow or be vulnerable. When I'm singing these…

— Brett Dennen

I think when it came to music, it did feel quite natural because it was something that I was so passionate about.

— Bishop Briggs