Summary:
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"'''To Be Young, Gifted and Black'''" is a song by [[Nina Simone]] with [[lyrics]] by [[Weldon Irvine]]. It was written in memory of Simone's late friend [[Lorraine Hansberry]], author of the play ''[[Raisin in the Sun]]''. The song was originally recorded by Simone for her 1970 album ''[[Black Gold (album)|Black Gold]]''; released as a [[Single (music)|single]], it became a Top Ten R&B hit and a [[African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)|Civil Rights]] anthem.
Notable [[cover version]]s of the song were recorded by [[Donny Hathaway]] (on his 1970 album ''Everything Is Everything''), [[Aretha Franklin]] (on her 1972 album ''[[Young, Gifted and Black]]'') and [[Bob and Marcia]] (whose 1970 recording reached number 5 in the [[UK Singles Chart]]). The Jamaican [[rocksteady]]/[[reggae]] trio The [[Heptones]], recorded a version for [[Coxsone Dodd]]'s [[Studio One (record label)|Studio One]] label in 1970.
[[Elton John]] recorded a version of "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" prior to his solo success. Intended to be released as a low budget [[sound-alike]] version of the original, it was later reissued on the [[compilation album]] ''[[Chartbusters Go Pop! 20 Legendary Covers from 1969/70 as Sung by Elton John|Covers as Sung by Elton John]]''.
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"'''To Be Young, Gifted and Black'''" is a song by [[Nina Simone]] with [[lyrics]] by [[Weldon Irvine]]. It was written in memory of Simone's late friend [[Lorraine Hansberry]], author of the play ''[[Raisin in the Sun]]''. The song was originally recorded by Simone for her 1970 album ''[[Black Gold (album)|Black Gold]]''; released as a [[Single (music)|single]], it became a Top Ten R&B hit and a [[African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)|Civil Rights]] anthem.
Notable [[cover version]]s of the song were recorded by [[Donny Hathaway]] (on his 1970 album ''Everything Is Everything''), [[Aretha Franklin]] (on her 1972 album ''[[Young, Gifted and Black]]'') and [[Bob and Marcia]] (whose 1970 recording reached number 5 in the [[UK Singles Chart]]). The Jamaican [[rocksteady]]/[[reggae]] trio The [[Heptones]], recorded a version for [[Coxsone Dodd]]'s [[Studio One (record label)|Studio One]] label in 1970.
[[Elton John]] recorded a version of "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" prior to his solo success. Intended to be released as a low budget [[sound-alike]] version of the original, it was later reissued on the [[compilation album]] ''[[Chartbusters Go Pop! 20 Legendary Covers from 1969/70 as Sung by Elton John|Covers as Sung by Elton John]]''.
{{GFDL}}