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The High Priestess of Soul, Nina Simone, will soon have a new temple

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DON'T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD")

NINA SIMONE: (Singing) Please don't let me be misunderstood.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Michel Martin.

The high priestess of soul, Nina Simone, will soon have a new temple. In 2017, four Black artists bought Simone's childhood home in Tryon, N.C., to save it from demolition. Earlier this week, artists inspired by Simone's music, with some support from tennis star Venus Williams, raised close to $6 million to transform it into a cultural center. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.