While Nina Simone’s 1965 track I Put a Spell on You solidified her status as the High Priestess of Soul, the influence of poet Langston Hughes on this recording is often ignored. A new book by a scholar specializing in Hughes examines the long-standing artistic connection between the two figures. Their relationship began in 1949 when a teenage Eunice Waymon, later known as Nina Simone, attended a lecture given by the Harlem Renaissance icon at her high school in North Carolina. The author documents how this early encounter blossomed into a significant friendship, with Hughes actively encouraging Simone’s musical career. The publication highlights their mutual inspiration and the role they played in the emergence of the Black Power movement, shedding light on a previously under-researched collaboration that shaped Simone's professional trajectory.
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