Nina Simone recorded her version of “Feeling Good” for her 1965 album I Put A Spell On You. Cy Grant sang the original for musical The Roar of the Greasepaint-The Smell Of The Crowd. Simone’s Hal Mooney-produced recording of “Feeling Good” had more emotional texture than Grant’s. She powerfully used her voice and transformed a show tune into a Civil Rights anthem. It wasn’t until Simone’s interpretation was used in a 1994 Volkswagon commercial that it became popular. Simone’s recording has been sampled numerous times and placed on film and television soundtracks. In 2018, Simone was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Mary J. Blige who also recorded “Feeling Good” which sampled Simone’s version.
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