Nina Simone, Langston Hughes and their forgotten creative collaboration

A new book details the fruitful creative partnership between the singer and poet that helped shape Simone’s sound.

By: Jason Miller, North Carolina State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 1, 2026

Words: 1,439

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 3 days ago

By Jason Miller, North Carolina State University

Many music fans know that Nina Simone’s 1965 hit “I Put a Spell on You” helped establish the 32-year-old singer as the “High Priestess of Soul.”

Few probably realize that it was Langston Hughes – the pioneering poet and face of the Harlem Renaissance – who had encouraged Simone to record it.

As a Langston Hughes scholar, I’ve spent the past six years documenting …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.