Last night, Nina Simone was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and as part of the induction ceremony, Andra Day and Lauryn Hill paid tribute to the late musician with a heartfelt medley of her songs “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free,” “I Put a Spell on You,” and “Feeling Good” in Cleveland.
Day and Hill revealed the true variety of Simone’s catalog, as they transitioned from the Civil Rights anthem “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” to the upbeat “I Put a Spell on You” that Simone made her own later in life. Backed by the Roots, the pair found a new side of Simone’s material, bridging the gap between the music’s original release and the many challenges of the current moment politically. Watch the performance below.
Nina Simone was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with The Moody Blues, Dire Straits, The Cars, Bon Jovi, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Watch Andra Day and Lauryn Hill’s tribute below.
