Donor Brick installation, Nina Simone celebration set for this Friday

Published 8:47 am Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Live music, special guests to be featured at the event.

 

TRYON–On Friday, April 21, fans of Nina Simone will gather at Nina Simone Plaza in downtown Tryon as engraved Donor Bricks are installed, and to celebrate the life and legacy of “The High Priestess of Soul” on the 20th anniversary of her passing.

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The event will take place from 3 to 5 p.m., and will feature live music, special guests, and community goodwill.

The engraved Donor Bricks will be installed in the Plaza’s sunburst design. Paul “Fingerstyle” Bowman will be performing at 3 p.m., and Daryle Ryce will perform at 4 p.m.

Engraved Donor Bricks will be installed in the Plaza’s sunburst design at the event. (Photo courtesy of Crys Armbrust)

Special guests, among others, will include David Nathan, the “British Ambassador of Soul.” Nathan, a friend of Simone’s and the founder of her first fan club, is flying in from London for this special day.

Members of the community are asked to bring a friend to the event, and to bring a chair for seating at the edges of the Plaza or on the adjacent Norfolk Green.

A Tryon daughter, Eunice Kathleen Waymon went on to achieve international fame as Dr. Nina Simone, a world-renowned pianist, singer, and civil rights activist. Simone was born in Tryon in 1933 and died in France on April 21, 2003.

This is a free community event, but donations are welcome. Nina Simone Plaza is located at 54 S. Trade St. in Tryon.