This is to expand a bit on my original note earlier today. Back about 1965 I was busking around North Queensland, Australia with a mate of mine who couldn't play but could sell sand to the Arabs. He would go into a pub and chat up the owner to let us play in the bar and take a hat round as in those days, busking was illegal in Australia. We were in Gladstone and I was sitting in the bar having a beer when my mate came rushing up and said,"You're a Nina Simone fan, Okay?" "Whaaaat!" was all I got out before a young guy came up and held out his hand to shake. He introduced himself as Mike Nelson, the owner. He was delighted to meet a fellow Nina Simone fan (I had never heard of her)but I countered wi8th something like, "Yeah, she's great but I never get to hear her. He then told us how he had imported all the records he could find and invited us to stick around till the pud shut and then we could hear his collection. He told the barman to give us anything we wanted to eat or drink as we were to be his guests for the day and organised a room for us for the night. That evening, on the upstairs balcony on a warm tropical evening, I first heard Nina Simone. The first album he played was "I put a spell on you" and it blew me away. We were still playing Nina's records at four in the morning and I have loved her music ever since. I feel a deep sense of personal loss to know that she is gone.