Leaving Juilliard did not stop her love of music. She started playing in night clubs where she was exposed to jazz, blues, and folk music. She changed her name to “Nina Simone” to disguise herself from family members, having chosen to play “the devil’s music. She was told in the nightclub that she would have to sing to her own accompaniment, which effectively launched her career as a jazz vocalist. Her first hit was in 1959 with her song “I Loves You Porgy” from her 1993 Elektra Album.