O.K. The military. Tell us about that experience, and what made you decide to join the Air Force?

The military - The military experience lasted 11 years for me. My intention throughout school was to attend college. When I made the mistake of allowing an Uncle to talk me into looking at San Diego University (where he was on staff) everything went downhill. So, I said &*&^% it, I'm out of here, I'm going into the United States Air Force. Needless to say, ALL the grown ups who'd had a hand in my development, were in an uproar, my mother especially!! I now understand that after years of dedicating herself to fighting "the man", her only child was about to put her life on the line for "the man". What can I say, youth......the military experience was unlike any other. Basic training was rough. I remember the morning after I arrived clearly thinking "WHAT HAVE I DONE?" After 6 wks of that, it was off to tech school for 3 mos to learn my new "job": Site Development aka Engineering Assistant. Tech school was in Wichita Falls, Texas, fondly referred to as the "armpit of Texas" and I remember watching footage of the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan in our green room (yep, it was over 20 yrs ago). For someone who originally wanted to major in English and go on to law school, engineering was a totally new experience. For someone who hated math, I found myself memorizing formulas while learning how to use survey equipment. Life as I knew it changed when I entered the USAF. My first base was Davis-Monthan in Tucson, AZ then it was off to Osan Air base, Korea and my last station was Rhein-Main in Frankfurt Germany. I DO NOT miss the military. Not for one minute since separating with honors. But I have to give the USAF credit for bringing me full circle in terms of my destiny. While stationed in Germany, I rediscovered my love for music and began to perform around Europe on the weekends. By the time I separated (at the end of the Gulf War) I had a new love, a new mission, a new vision: Superstardom!!

You’ve starred on Broadway in 2 major hits, “Rent” and “Aida.” How did they help or hinder you as a live band performer?

Broadway - Wow!! Theatre - another "experience" I wasn't prepared for. Funny, for a while friends used to comment that I should do Broadway, but since theatre wasn't part of my plan their comments went in one ear and out the other. Then BAM !!! Jesus Christ Superstar...yes, JC was my first theatre experience and one can say I worked my way up. During that "Bus and Truck tour" I was introduced to the 8-show week, sleeping on an upright bus for 4 mos before we were provided sleeper busses, and Tylenol PM. I made some GREAT friends with JC and had the honor of working with Ted Neeley AND the late Carl Anderson (the original Jesus and Judas from the movie). Another "memory" of being so grateful just to lie prone one night on the bus comes to mind, yes, I was trying to sleep in the aisle. THANK GOD I didn't know any better and thank him again for my love of performing. While on the JC tour, I met a young man by the name of Rodney Hicks who became like a younger brother. It was Rodney who told the RENT casting folk about me. I joined the original Broadway cast of RENT in April 1996 as a "swing". As a swing, I had to learn 4 of the 5 female roles and be ready to go on at a moment's notice in case one of the cast members called out sick or was injured. Now I'd always been good at improv and open mike, but this was a whole new level and yes, I was intimidated, but I learned and eventually excelled. While "swinging" in RENT, Disney was auditioning people for the upcoming workshop of Aida. I landed the starring role. After Aida, I landed the role of Nala for Disney's LION KING workshop as well. Remember, I was workshopping while swinging at RENT. During the presentation of LION KING, I got the GREAT news that I'd been offered the role of Mimi Marquez for the First National Touring Company of RENT. And that's all I needed to hear.... I toured from Nov 1996 - April 1998. In Sept 2000, I joined the original Broadway cast of AIDA as a stand-by for Heather Headley with the understanding that I'd head up the First National Tour in the lead role the following March. In March or 2001, while in previews in Minneapolis, I heard Heather was planning on leaving the Broadway cast and I launched upon a shameless campaign to make it known that I WANTED TO GO TO BROADWAY. By Feb 2002, I was happily ensconced at the Palace Theatre on 47th street in the starring role. As a performer, theatre has helped me a thousand-fold. It's one thing to have a dream, it's quite another to actively work towards it - I mean REALLY work. Let's start with the 8-show week - Aida, herself has 11 songs per show. Saturdays and Sundays (on tour) are 2 show days. HA!! 88 songs per week was the requirement, I averaged 7 shows a week. And that saying "the show must go on" is quite true. I've seen people throwing up off-stage just before their entrance. The producers don't care if you're sick, your child is sick, you've got casts, your period or otherwise, all they want to know is: can you perform tonight? I also learned how to sing properly and safely. Natural ability will only get you so far in theatre, so I had to learn how to take care of my voice. By the time I returned to the stage with a live band, it was pure pleasure!

Wisdom

Most of us have heard stories of the grand demands of Nina Simone. But what most people wouldn’t know is how terribly insecure she must have been, even to the point of feeling competitive with a her only child. Why do you think someone as brilliant and influential as your mom could feel this way?

Mommy's insecurity had nothing to do with me, even though I felt the sting of it. Her childhood really did a number on her. When I try to imagine what it must've felt like to live in North Carolina in the 1940's: discrimination, segregation, racism, subjugation, lynchings, and the KKK, just to name a few. Then add: BLACK child prodigy on top. When I take all that into consideration, I'm much more understanding.
When I decided to follow in her footsteps, she wasn't exactly flattered, and often questioned my decision. And I had a well thought out response EVERY time, much to her chagrin :-)
I remember when Mom flew to Chicago to see me perform in RENT at the Shubert theatre. After the show, a fan ran up saying "Miss Simone...." we both turned around, and Mom realized that fan was referring to me. It was an interesting moment because she looked at me with a little more "respect", I got the nod.
Motherhood can knock the wind out of the toughest sistah, and Nina was no exception. There were times she wanted to talk but would end up shouting, there was the generation gap, there was my rebelliousness, hormones; ALL the things that other families go through. Mom was human. AND BRILLIANT.

How did that affect you as an artist, as a woman??

As an artist, my mother's feelings didn't affect me very much. Since I knew she already had issues with me anyway, I didn't expect her to clap me on the back. Thank God, I had enough confidence and fire in my soul to pursue my dream despite her questions and nay-saying. One has to remember that Mom's experiences in the entertainment industry were less than positive most of the time. Now, granted, for every action there's a reaction and Miss Nina could definitely get a reaction out of the most comatose individual, however, she didn't want her only child to experience the hardships and disappointments she had. And her ways of trying to discourage me from being in the industry were various; from attempting to plant the seeds of doubt to downright sabotage ....... Luckily, her attempts only fueled the flames of determination. When she realized she was wasting her time, she finally came around and we performed together for the first time on July 24th, at the Guinness Blues Festival in Dublin, Ireland. It was beautiful.
As a woman, well, let's just say I've had to overcome a lot. I'm still learning how to forgive. Now that I have a daughter of my own, I often ask myself, how could I do or say so and so to my daughter? How could she do or say certain things to me? That trajectory is a no win direction because there are no answers, and she's no longer here to ask. So as a woman, wife and mother, I choose to not pass down to my daughter the demons I wrestle with. And I teach her about her Grandma Nina, with love and positivity.

If you don’t mind sharing with us, what’s your biggest regret as far as your relationship with your mother? Any words left unspoken?

My biggest regret involving my relationship with Mom was that she didn't know how much I loved her. I think her guard was up so much that she didn't know how to trust anymore. The fact that the great Nina Simone could be loved with no strings attached was inconceivable; surely I wanted SOMETHING from her ... her money, her pull... nope, just wanted my mother.

As for any words left unspoken - actually, no. I always told her I loved her, even when we were arguing. The last conversation we had there was silence on the other end because she was too weak to respond. I wish I had had the presence of mind to sing her the lullaby she always sang to me. It goes:

Go to sleep my precious one
Day is done and night is near
When you wake you'll see the sun
Wish you for a star to steer.

Very appropriate considering she died less than 12 hours later.

What cha...

What cha listening to now?

I'm listening to Snoop Dogg's "Drop it like it's hot"

What cha watching, or what have you recently seen and dug? (TV, film, DVD)

My favorite TV show (right now) is "Strange Love" which is about the kooky relationship between Brigitte Nielsen and Flava Flav; it's soooooooo interesting.
I recently saw "Tupac Resurrection" and was floored!! Nina would've LOVED him.
At the movies, I recently saw "Fat Albert". Took me back to my childhood Saturday morning cartoons.

What cha doing next week, next year?

Next week I'll be in St Thomas with my daughter, visiting my Dad. Considering it's Jan in the Northeast, St Thomas sounds like heaven.