Sam Waymon

Sam Waymon, a creative legend who has contributed to local, national and world culture. He arrived in Rockland County in the early 70s with actor/playwright/novelist/filmmaker Bill Gunn, for whom he performed as an actor as well as provided the score for one of the groundbreaking films of black cinema, Ganja & Hess (1973). Ganja & Hess is the story of a black vampire, and much more. Born in North Carolina, Sam Waymon began his musical odyssey playing along with his sister, Eunice. His sister left North Carolina in the ’50s and traveled north to pursue her career. Along the way she dropped her given name and became one of music’s most influential and independent musicians, known as Nina Simone. Sam performed with and wrote music for his sister for over ten years but finally broke away to develop a style of his own that combines gospel, R&B, blues and jazz. Sam went on to record for record labels like: RCA, Polygram, and his own label Resolution records.